"Rooted in God"
Pastor Susan
Friday, March 05, 2010
Luke 13:1-9
“There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? I tell you, No: but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish”.
And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard: and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?’And he answered him, ‘Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
Rooted in God
How easy it is for us to point fingers and judge. I remember when we were in seminary in Berkeley and the "World Series earthquake" struck the Bay Area. It pancaked the freeway as well as causing major damage to the Bay Bridge and the Marina district. I will never forget, however, the news stories that carried interviews with people who pointed their fingers and said this was God's judgment on the immorality of San Francisco.
What is the difference between earthquake victims and those who died in the Twin Towers on 9/11? According to Jesus' hard word in this passage, nothing but repentance. It would be easy to misconstrue what Jesus says to think that "if I repent of my sins, I will not die." But Jesus is speaking of perishing, not death. Perishing contains the idea of going away, being eradicated, as if we might pass away and never be remembered, but death does not disconnect us from God and God's love. The act of repentance keeps us from "perishing" and keeps our relationship with God strong and vital, like the healthy roots of a productive fig tree. May we use this Lenten season to be cleansed and strengthened in our rootedness in God, by humbly repenting of all those things that get in the way of us being productive, wherever we find ourselves planted.