Lent 3C 2025

Text: “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”” (Luke 13:4–5).

This is one of those readings that hits a little too close to home.

You have all thought it at one time or another.

Back in the 80’s you probably shrugged your shoulders when the AIDS epidemic hit. Because they really brought it on themselves, didn’t they? Why spend a lot of time caring for them? Why spend a lot of money on research to find a cure? Why bother, when they could have avoided the problem entirely by not sinning? Except, did you really think that they were worse offenders than anyone else who lived in the 80’s?

When the wildfires raged in California, there was a voice in your head that whispered, “Well, Hollywood kind of had it coming, anyway.” Bad movies would be one thing— that’s going to happen— but have you seen the kind of smut that they put out and call it ‘art’? Who is surprised in the least at the idea of God burning it all down? Except, do you really believe that they are more worthy of God’s judgment than any of the rest of us?

After each school shooting, I am sure that you have heard, even if you have not said it, “Well, I guess they should not have taken prayer out of the public schools.” Do you really think that they have rejected God more or in a worse way than any of us?

Let us be crystal clear. “No,” your Lord says. “But, unless you repent, you will likewise perish.”

This reading hits a little too close to home.

Do you really understand the implication of that kind of reasoning? If that is really how you believe that God works, then you should be terrified. Even if you can not think of anything in the past that might deserve God’s punishment, you had better watch out moving forward. One too many impatient remarks to your spouse or children; one more time ignoring someone in need; one more instance of your mind wandering into places that it should not be going— that could be all it takes for God to send a fire or hurricane or flood or random violence your way.

That is the point of this parable of the barren fig tree. Does it make any sense to leave a barren fig tree to use up the ground? Absolutely not. It is no more reasonable for God to allow you and I to take up space while living unfruitful lives— even barren of the basic compassion which looks at those who are suffering and thinks “Well, they had it coming.” Is there any reason why your creator should allow you to take up space in His creation rather than cutting you down?

Let’s acknowledge the fact that this kind of reasoning makes sense, logically. That sort of a God would be very reasonable.

He would be perfectly fair— that four letter word which starts with ‘F’ that we do not use in the church.

Repent. If you want to see where God poured out His anger on the wicked, you know where to look. As Johann Gerhard expressed it so beautifully: “Christ is the green tree of life. Christ is a vigorous tree, rooted in divinity, part and parcel of humanity, famed for His virtues, possessing leaves of holy words, and yielding the fruit of good works. He is the cedar of modesty and the vine of peace, the palm of patience and the olive of mercy. But[, as Jesus hung on the cross,] the fire of divine wrath burned against this green wood, the tree of life, because of the sins of others…” (Gerhard, Johann. Meditations on Divine Mercy.).

In Isaiah’s words: “8 …he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:8–9).

As one of the liturgies puts it: because Christ suffered the full punishment for your sins and mine, His cross is a life-giving tree to all who trust in Him.

Do not waste time worrying about what others deserve from God when you could be rejoicing in what God chooses to give you.

When you pray, you come before God asking, “that our Father in heaven would not look at [y]our sins, or deny [y]our prayer because of them. [You] are neither worthy of the things for which [you] pray, nor have [you] deserved them, but [you] ask that He would give them all to [you] by grace, for [you] daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So [you] too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against [you]” (Luther’s Small Catechism, Explanation to the 5th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer).

Do not waste time worrying about what others owe you when you could be forgiving them. When others sin against you, the biggest obstacle to forgiving them is the fact that it is not fair. They need to pay for what they did to you. You are absolutely correct. Forgiveness does not mean that sin is not paid for. You forgive in the same way you live— by faith. Faith that the sin the person committed against you was paid for on the cross in full.

Let’s give you an example of that. Picture someone that has sinned against you. Think about the harm that he or she did to you. The full weight of their guilt. The full weight of their shame. Now picture all of that guilt and shame being placed upon Jesus as He is nailed to the cross.

You even suffer differently, by faith. It is tragic to see what suffering does to some people. It makes them hard, bitter, sometimes even cruel themselves. But faith changes that. For you, the suffering that is poured out on the root of your faith is transformed into the sweetest fruit of faith and patience.

Even through the worst suffering, facing the worst cruelty, the working of the Holy Spirit in you will “Cause [y]our souls to change the ridicule, persecution, praise, and whatever else befalls us in this world into the wine of faith, hope, and love and into the fruit of patience and humility” (Gerhard, Johann. Meditations on Divine Mercy.).

Regardless of who we are talking about, do not think that they were worse offenders than all the others. Do not think that they were worse offenders than you. Repent. And rejoice in how unfair God has been to you in Christ Jesus.