Luke 13:1-9.                        Repent or die!                                                                 28/2/16

 (1)  Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. {2} Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? {3} I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. {4} Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? {5} I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." {6} Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. {7} So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' {8} "'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. {9} If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'"

This morning we hear Jesus dealing with an issue that is a real challenge to us: particularly those of us who think we are reasonably good Christians. Here we are called on to reassess our thinking with regard to our faith and what makes us acceptable to God.

It would seem that most ‘Christians’ today think that they are okay; they have their faith; their knowledge that there is a god out there somewhere; or that they live a reasonably good ‘Christian’ life. So a person’s faith and acceptability is determined by what the individual is thinking, believing and doing. So we are putting ourselves at the centre of the picture, and by and large are trusting ourselves.

Together with this then goes the thinking that if some tragedy happens then that person must have done something wrong or is deficient in some way. When something really bad happens there is a tendency to wonder what sin has been committed, or why such a thing should happen to such a good person.

So the temptation is for us to start drawing assumptions from this. Those people must in some ways be worse people than the rest of us. Are they getting their ‘just desserts’ for some terrible crimes or thinking? Yes, all too often, we start drawing assumptions about those people ‘out there’ who have suffered terribly through some tragedy.

Now of course our heart goes out to those people who are suffering as the result of some terrible tragedy whether it be overseas or in our own country for that matter. We feel for them. But in order to make sense of it, we are, all too often, very quick to make some moral judgement in that direction. Surely there has to be some reason for it? And yes the Scriptures even talk about certain tragedies being a direct result of some terrible sin that they have committed.

But here Jesus doesn’t get drawn into making a judgment on those particular people. He has a much more important point to make. No, don’t look out there: don’t make your judgements on those out there, so that somehow it justifies yourself and your present stand. He says; unless you repent, you too will all perish. Unless we look at ourselves and seek to do something about our own situation then we are in trouble. Without help we all are in trouble and will perish.

We are no better than those people who have perished in these tragedies. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Not one of us can rightfully stand up and say that we don’t deserve to have what has happened to these people; happen to us. Now that is a bitter pill for our pride to accept, but that is the reality of the situation. So unless something is done to rectify this each one of us too will be in big trouble.

But here again, we today are much like the Pharisees of Jesus day. Not that this reading mentions it, but they prided themselves in the fact that they were keeping God’s law pretty well. They were ‘children of Abraham’ and as such where assured that they were acceptable, while they kept up their good works. They looked to themselves and what they did and considered themselves to be OK. They were making judgments on one’s acceptability according to their own reasoning rather that what God says.

So also we are tempted to think because we are baptized and confirmed in the church, and because we attend worship now and again, and sort of do the right thing, that we are not so bad. Because we know about and say that we believe in Jesus, somehow that makes us better people. Even if just a bit. But again the focus is on us and what we do, and our pride likes to think that our goodness must count for something.

But here Jesus says to each and every one of us: I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. The call then is for us all to repent: to turn our focus away from ourselves, to the Lord. Because we are not perfect and are turned in on ourselves and our own reasoning, we are in trouble. All of us are far from being acceptable to God and have no way of getting there under our own abilities, so we need help from outside of ourselves. Remember this is God’s call, not mine.

So recognising that we are not the people that God would have us be; we turn to the one who has made us acceptable. There in Jesus and his death on the cross we find the goodness and acceptance that takes away the impending doom. In him alone we find and receive forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Only in him do we find what we need in order to be able to stand in God’s presence. So also in him do we receive the help that we need in order to be able to live as we should.

So we need to continually turn toward Christ and seek all that he freely has for us and wants us to have. Surely not one of us wants to perish in hell, so will readily be turned to him and all that he has for us.

In some way this is where the parable of the fig tree that Jesus went on to tell builds the picture and the importance and urgency, for us. Now I am a fan of the fig tree; they are quite a picture mid-summer. Green and shady; very pleasant to look at. But best of all is its fruit. Very tasty indeed. Especially when made into jam. That is the very reason for having the fig tree. Without the fruit it is just another tree to use up the space and the water. It is good for nothing if it does not produce its figs.

Now in many ways we are like the tree, but without the fruit. We outwardly might look not too bad; even perhaps quite good. In the eyes of us humans and the world around us, what a good person we may be. Looks good; but for what. Where is the fruit?

The fruit here is not just what we normally think of; such as love, joy, peace and all of that. The context makes it clear that repentance is the fruit that is spoken of here. In many ways it is Christ himself that is to be picked from the tree of our life. Not our good deeds, but Christ himself. Our repentance is really our giving up on ourselves and turning to Christ so that he and his fruit can be picked from our lives by God Almighty himself and by those we come into contact with.

For when Christ lives in us then the fruit that is tasty and good comes to the fore. Then true forgiveness, love and all the rest is seen as God’s good deed flowing from our lives. We are no longer talking about ourselves and what we are doing, but about Christ and what he has and is doing in and through us. He is not just the focus, but the very source of all that we are.

Christ then is not only the gardener who digs around us and fertilizes us with his Word, but he also gives us himself and everything that he is and stands for. At the baptismal font he gives us the water of life: that which gives us a new and right life that is incorporated into himself. There we are grafted into him. At the communion rail we receive his very body and blood which he shed on the cross, so that he does live in us and that his fruit may spring forth from our lives. His word is the sap that daily gives us the goodness that is necessary for our sustenance as his people.

So with all of this, surely then when God Almighty comes looking for fruit from us his trees; surely he now will find Christ showing forth from our lives for all to see. Surely Christ will be allowed to be and do all that wants in and through us. Surely the axe will not be needed. Surely we no longer want to live by and for ourselves and in the end to perish.

I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Do we want to give up on ourselves and allow our Lord to take over our life and be the very centre and core of all that we are? Do we want him and all that he has to offer. Or do we still want to seek to give him our own self and goodness, which in the end is unacceptable?

Remember the axe is ready! God will come again to look for his fruit in our lives.

May our gracious God lead us again this Lenten season to true repentance so that all glory and honour may go to him whom it belongs: our great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish