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"Intervention" Perhaps you remember Jesus telling the story of the barren fig tree. Its execution date had been set. The appeals were all exhausted. The Governor has rejected clemency. “Cut it down! It’s a waste of soil!” Then one last desperate intervention. “I’ll take responsibility for the condemned,” the gardener cries. “I’ll do everything I can. I’ll dig round it, and put some nutritious manure on its roots. Give me a year. Let’s see what will happen. You can always cut it down then if there is no difference.” We might remember the story. It’s a good one. But it’s important to remember the context in which Jesus told it. At the outset of chapter 13, we find Jesus in the Galilean hillsides, doing what he does best. Teaching. Healing. Casting out the occasional evil spirit. And some who were there tell him the latest tragic news. Pilate, the Roman prefects appointed by the Emperor to take care of business in Judea, has been at it again. Pilate was well known for his intolerance of the Jewish religion. The ancient historian Josephus lists the terrible things Pilate did to trample on the Jewish religious sensibilities. The peple come to tell Jesus that Pilate’s soldiers executed a number of Galileans in the Temple, so that their own blood mingled with the blood of the animals they were sacrificing. The slaughter polluted the Temple. One can only imagine the feelings such news produced. We might only imagine another country’s army marching into our church on Easter Sunday and opening fire on the congregation as they approached the altar for communion. Jesus asks them, “Were these any more sinful than any other Galileans? Of course not. The people are thinking, “sinful? These were men at Temple. In worship. Making sacrifices. How can you say they were sinful?” Jesus drives home his point. “Unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” Then Jesus recalls another bit of recent gruesome news. “There were 18 who died in a construction accident near the Pool of Siloam. Were they more terrible than all the others living in Jerusalem at the time? No, but if you do not repent, you will perish as they did.” The people had thought that the real tragedy was the death of the Galileans. Perhaps they had thought the real tragedy of the construction accident was the loss of life of the workers when the Tower came crashing down. Jesus does what he often does…he shifts their focus, their concern. Not on death. Not on tragedy. Remember, he himself expects that he will be killed when he arrives in Jerusalem. No, death is not the tragic news. The tragedy is, those who do not repent. They are in danger. They will perish in death. Those who do not repent and follow Jesus into a new life and a new day will perish when they die. A story will help us understand. So Jesus tells a story. The story about the fig tree. Fig trees were often planted in vineyards because they were good for the grapes. The vineyard owner has been watching this tree. Three years. Three years, and all he ever sees is the same thing he always sees. Trunk. Branches. Leaves. But no fruit. He’s got his taste buds set for some tasty figs, but year after year, the same thing. Trunk. Branches. Leaves. No figs. He’s had enough. It’s time to cut it out. It’s a waste of soil! The fig tree has had plenty of time. It knew what was expected of it—to produce figs. It’s time is up. And the execution would have commenced except for one detail. The man charged with destroying the tree instead wants to save it. The gardener wants to try. One more time. One more year. Give the fig tree one more chance to...produce figs. One more chance to…turn things around. Turn things around. Hear it? Turn things around. Isn’t that what repentance is? Turning around. Seeing things in a new way? Behaving in a new way? Becoming something new? The gardener has proposed an intervention. It will be interesting to see how the tree responds. But don’t think this is a story about a tree. Jesus is conducting his own intervention. For humanity. Before they perish in death. “Unless you repent,” Jesus tells them, tells us. “Unless you repent,” you’ll perish. Your death may come at the hands of a cruel person. It may come in a tragic accident. It may come quickly with a crushing pain in your chest. It may come at the close of a century, warm and in your bed. It doesn’t matter. Death isn’t the issue here. Repentance is. And Repentance is urgent simply because like the Galileans and the construction workers, our death may come prematurely, may come quickly with no warning. Repentance is the point. It has been the point since the very beginning of Luke’s story. Even in the beginning, before Jesus’ ministry, when John the Baptizer was describing the Messiah who was coming. John had told the crowds, “Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor.” For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now, the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” The people ask John, “What shall we do?” In other words, “what does repentance look like?” John tells them, “If you have two coats, give one to one who has none. Same with food.” John’s clear, anything you have in abundance, give to those who have nothing. That’s good fruit. Turn your eyes and your body will follow. Turn from looking only at yourself, your desires. Turn to look at the needs of another. That’s good fruit. It’s keep you from being cut down. “Cut it down—it’s a waste of soil,” the vineyard owner said. And the gardener says, “Not yet. Not yet. Please, just a little more time to turn things around.” An intervention by the one who announced his own ministry with the words from the prophet: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Good fruit. See any? Or is it all trunk, branches and leaves? Thanks for dropping by: Guest # |
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