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There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt at Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?' But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'"
- Luke 13:1-9
In yesterday's reading, Jesus said, "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." Then He also said to the multitudes, "Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather;' and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time? Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite."
There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt at Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." My study bible says, "These two historical incidents (vv. 1, 4) are only reported in Luke. The slain Galileans were probably Zealots, Jewish nationalists, who triggered some disturbance against the Romans. The collapse of the tower in Siloam, whether by accident or sabotage, was believed to be divine justice on sinners. Christ denies this suffering was God's judgment; instead, He uses these events as illustrations for those who perish because they will not repent." It's interesting to take a look more closely at the Greek here: When Jesus says, "Do you suppose [they]..were worse sinners...?" the word translated "sinner" is literally debtor, as in the Lord's prayer. When He speaks of those who were "killed," the Greek word literally means the same; but the word for perish is one that suggests something different from a body being killed, it is a word that means destruction or abolition together with the sense of being ultimately lost as in "perish." The distinctions are important.
He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?' But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'" A note here tells us: "The fruitless fig tree is universally interpreted in the Church to be fallen humanity. The three years represent God's covenants with His people through Abraham, Moses, and Christ, all of which are rejected, as well as the three-year earthly ministry of Christ. The keeper of the vineyard is Christ Himself, who intercedes on our behalf that He should suffer His Passion and send the Holy Spirit to us before the final judgment takes place."
Jesus once again emphasizes (as in recent readings) the need for reconciliation with God. His stories or parables suggest the difference between the judgment of the world and the Judgment of God; as well as the difference between those who can kill the body and the one who has power to cast into hell (Luke 12:5, see Thursday's reading). It is all linked to this holy fire of the Spirit that will be sent after Jesus' "baptism" (see yesterday's reading), His Passion. It is this fire that tests us, this fire we embrace or reject, that will be the ultimate source for Judgment. Here Jesus gives us a glaring example of how "sin" or debt, or trespass, is viewed in the world and by contrast the perspective of God. He's trying to get a message through of a different perspective, and the reality that we need to embrace so that we really and truly see the whole picture, so to speak. There is so much more to life than only what we see in front of us, the things that scare and terrify us. The reconciliation with God takes priority over everything, because in God is everything, in God is our true fullness of life, the true substance that gives both life and death meaning. I have a friend who has survived fourth-stage metastatic breast cancer, even in the brain. For the moment, she is clear. She is a sort of walking miracle of successful treatment. But the truly beautiful gem that she is shines through her faith, a faith in a God who is love. This is how we face mortality. And it is that presence with us, God's love, that changes everything. In this sense God becomes our ultimate goal and destiny, for every moment of our lives. The holy fire of the Holy Spirit becomes an energy we long to reconcile with, so that we, too, may become just like that love and dwell in it without burning, like the burning bush of Moses. And this is the reconciliation we need for true life, a life filled with the truth of God that sets us in the right place, with the right vision. It is love that changes everything, and without love, we perish. To my mind, it is just that simple. We will never understand death appropriately until we face it with God's love. It is then we see more clearly the message of Jesus' "baptism," His Passion, and the truth of the Resurrection. It is God's love that we repent toward, to live out in our lives. Jesus gives us the contrast between what we see as mortality and the power of God in order to teach. But it's the presence of God's love with us every moment that gives meaning to every little choice we make, every thought, every decision, and how we look at our place in the world and the meaning of our lives, no matter where we are or what is happening. Jesus' words today tells us that this is a must for real survival, for reaching beyond a worldly perspective about what is worthwhile, and what isn't apparent at just a glance. Let us remember.
