Repent or Perish - Luke 13: 1-9

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

Commentary

Judge not that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

You all recognize this. It is part of Jesus' sayings as found in Matthew 6 and 7. Its not our gospel for today, which was from Luke 13, but I think that todays gospel is just the commandment about judging, put in a parable.

If we look at todays gospel, perhaps the first verse can use some explanation. In the New Living Translation the verse is translated as “Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple”. This is much clearer for me than “Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices”. Murdered is clear. So Jesus is asked about these people, and in his response he also includes 18 others who were killed by a tower that fell on them. Jesus is addressing the question “Do bad things happen to people because they have been bad?” And his answer is “I tell you Nay”

The idea that bad things happen to bad people has been around as long as people. It was rampant in Jesus' time. It is still around with us today. But to that idea, Jesus says Nay! Jesus tells us it is not for us to judge. More than that, bad things just happen.

But then Jesus switches to the fig tree. How did we get from people murdered by Pilate in the temple to a fig tree. I am pretty sure Jesus is still talking about people and he is admonishing us not to judge. He tells us not to give up on a fellow traveler who seems not to be bringing forth any fruit. Rather than given up on such a person, we are to feed them, care for them, give love to them.

Because we are all at risk of perishing if we turn our back on God.
AMEN