Luke 13:1-9
The minute we turned to this text in our class, the
comments were unanimous: “We’re glad God is patient with us.” And that’s the
bottom line of what Jesus is saying.
But let’s start at the beginning. Rather than
repeating the stories from the gospel reading, let’s consider a contemporary story.
What sin did the man from Sefner commit that the sinkhole opened up in his
house and swallowed him? … We know that that’s a preposterous idea. God does
not use nature to punish people. At least, not since Noah and the ark.
But it was a common thought in Jesus’ time. If you
were obedient, if you believed you were right in God’s eyes, then God blessed
you with wealth and children and health. But, if bad things happened to you,
then you or some ancestor must have sinned, and God was depriving you of
blessings and punishing you.
Jesus challenges that belief. In John’s gospel, the
disciples ask Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his family, so that he was born
blind?” Jesus’ response is that his blindness is not because of sin. Yet, God’s
glory will be revealed because of the man’s blindness – and then he heals the
man.
In today’s gospel text, Jesus makes it clear that
sin did not cause the tower of Siloam to fall; neither did the worshipers’ sin
cause the soldiers to murder them. The tower probably fell because of a flaw in
construction. The worshipers died because of sin in the hearts of Pilate and the
soldiers.
The belief
that God punishes sinners with natural disasters is an ancient explanation for
suffering. A theological word for it is theodicy. (It’s on the back of your
bulletin.) In seminary, we talked about the “theodicy question.” This means,
since God is good, why is there sin and evil and suffering in the world? The simple answer is there is sin and evil
because we are human, imperfect, and not God. There is suffering because of
natural processes in the world.
For example: earthquakes happen because of shifts in
the earth’s structure – plate tectonics. Hurricanes and tornadoes happen because of
warm and cold fronts and moisture. Global warming is causing more hurricanes to
happen. Changing weather patterns are the consequence of us not taking good
care of God’s creation, but not direct punishment from God.
Sink holes happen in Florida because of the natural
consequences of Florida’s geological foundation. Underground water erodes
limestone. When it happens in large scale, the ground caves in, causing a sink
hole. Unfortunately, sometimes people are living where the earth gives way.
Our own behaviors may cause unwanted consequences.
Smoking, drinking too much alcohol, eating a typical American diet, type-A
stress, reckless driving, and so forth, all have unwanted consequences, and bad
stuff happens. God does not make us smoke, drink, eat, drive, etc. the way we
do. And God does not cause the disease, accidents, etc. to happen in order to
punish us, but God does allow the consequences of our behavior to happen.
So, since bad stuff happens, and it’s not God
punishing us, what are we to think about human sin and our relationship with
God? Jesus answers this question with a
parable.
There was a landowner who had a few acres of fig
trees – in America we could say apple trees or orange trees. It takes several
years for a tree to be mature enough to grow fruit. The landowner says, “All
the other trees planted at the same time are producing fruit. What’s with this
one? Let’s cut it down and plant a new
one in its place.”
The gardener objected. Let me give this tree some
extra TLC. I’ll loosen the soil, give it some fertilizer, make sure it gets
plenty of water. Next year it should produce fruit. If not, then I’ll cut it
down, as you suggest.
Most of us would be glad for a second chance. But, it’s
not just another year of doing just what we’ve been doing. It’s a year of
changing our lives, a year of allowing God to loosen our soil, give us some
fertilizer, and give us plenty of water.
Exactly what kind of TLC we need is different for
each of us. For some of us, it may mean a time of doing less, to reduce our
stress level. It may mean increasing biblical knowledge by attending study
groups. It may mean getting involved in helping those who have less. It may
mean working to forgive someone – even God – for something that happened that
we can’t let go of. It may mean making more time for God in our lives. It may
mean looking at what we have, things, money, relationships differently.
When we allow
God to muck around in our lives, we become different. Trees begin to bear
fruit; so do we. Some people say that bearing fruit is about bringing people to
Christ. Of course we should do that; we should remember that there are many
ways to do bring people to Jesus.
Some people may benefit from the shocking threat of
that sign on Norvell Bryant – ‘eternity in hell is a long time.’ But more
people will be drawn to the love and forgiveness Jesus offers. Just as we catch
more flies with honey than with vinegar, I believe we catch more believers with
love than with fear.
Another way of thinking about bearing fruit is found
in several of Paul’s letters. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When
we use these gifts with those we encounter, we give God the chance to muck
around in the soil of their lives, so they, too, may have a better relationship
with God, and also bear fruit.
The good news for us is that even if we are not much
changed after a year of God mucking around in our lives, God is patient with
us. God does not say, if Joe and Jane are not bearing fruit next year, they are
done. God gives us another year, and another year, and another year. God gives
us another chance, and another chance, and another chance.
I used to have a poster which said, “Please be
patient. God isn’t finished with me yet.” A handy thing to remember, isn’t it?
Please pray with me. Loving God of mercy and
patience, we thank you that you never give up on us. Amen
