Grace and Repentance
Lent: A Journey to the Cross • Sermon • Submitted
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1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.
2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered?
3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.
7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.
9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’ ”
Questions to guide the Shared Discussion
What was reported to Jesus?
That Pilot had murdered/slaughtered Galilean Jews while they were offering sacrifices in the Temple. This cased their blood to mix with the blood of the sacrifices. Thus, not only the sacrifice, but the entire Temple altar were made profane and unclean.
Why might people have reported this to Jesus?
There could be a number of reasons.
Maybe they just wanted to frustrate Jesus.
Maybe they wanted to get Jesus’ focus away from going to Jerusalem. After all, Jesus was also from Galilee.
Maybe they wanted to anger Jesus to stir in him a passion to revolt against the terrible Roman government system.
What question does Jesus ask them?
Jesus asked if the crowd thought they were terrible sinners. Essentially he asked if the crowd thought they were worthy of being massacred.
What could be the significance of that question?
That’s a valid question! Sometimes, in our honesty, we would be willing to say that people “DESERVE what came to them!” They hurt us, or offended us, or wronged us and our system and they DESERVE to be punished for it.
Remember, there is a call for justice, but justice and revenge cannot be viewed as synonyms. Justice seeks to make right something that has been wrong. Revenge seeks to make another situation as wrong as you have made mine.
The common myth that suffering was equal to sinfulness.
The greater someone suffered, the greater their sin was believed to be
With that logic, those who were a part of this Galilean massacre were “deserving of their punishment.”
And, it could be argued that they were. There was a group of Rebel Rousers known as the Galileans. In this account to Jesus, they could have stirred up some sort of riot/rebellion in such a way that Pilot decided to squelch it by murdering them and causing their blood to mix with the blood of the sacrifices. (By the way, there is no other source for this massacre other than was is detailed in Luke 13)
The same could be said to the group of people who died when the tower in Siloam fell. This is another story that we do not know anything about, other than what is detailed in Luke 13. Though nothing is known of this tower, it seems reasonable to conclude that it was situated in Jerusalem. Perhaps it can be identified with the great tower built by Nehemiah on the wall of Ophel (2 Chr 27:3; Neh 3:26, 27) or with one of the towers built on the wall of Jerusalem near the Pool of Siloam.
Jesus makes clear that Suffering is NOT the result of sin
45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
That doesn’t mean that sin isn’t an issue - EVERYONE SINS AND NEEDS TO REPENT!
What is Jesus’ warning in v.3?
3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
1 Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! 2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. 3 But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is a reminder that ALL are sinful and ALL must listen and respond to the call to repent.
But, there is also the call to repent from the ideas of retribution.
Our errors, although should lead to justice, they should NEVER lead to retribution!
It is possible that people wanted Jesus to lead a POLITICAL REBELLION. The call to repent is NOT only an individual call to repent of individual sinfulness. It is also the call to repent from ways of vengeance, retribution, rebellion, and etc.
There is GRACE allowing us time to repent. The God who could hold our sins against us CHOOSES to allow us time to repent!
THE PARABLE...
6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ 8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. 9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’ ”
What are the images in the parable (v.6-9)?
Figs - often used symbolically to describe the Jewish nation.
Garden - reminder of the Garden of Eden maybe? Fig trees were often placed in vineyards. The term “garden” could also mean a vineyard...
1 Now I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill. 2 He plowed the land, cleared its stones, and planted it with the best vines. In the middle he built a watchtower and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes, but the grapes that grew were bitter. 3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done? When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes? 5 Now let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will tear down its hedges and let it be destroyed. I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it. 6 I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it. 7 The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence.
What is the problem with the fig tree?
No fruit - it is barren. It is NOT producing what it is intended to produce.
How many years has the owner been waiting For figs?
3 years - this COULD reference Jesus’ ministry for 3 years. Also, it could be a way of describing the generous patience of the owner of the garden.
What does the owner want to do to the fig tree?
Cut it down and throw it away - A fig tree that has been cursed, or on the verge of being destroyed COULD be a way of speaking judgement upon the Jewish nation.
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
What solution is provided?
Wait another year! Fertilize the tree. Provide more opportunity for it to do what it should do.
GRACE!!
4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
What are some things we can learn about this solution?
Some thoughts...
God does not treat us as our sins deserve! We are all sinners, and God could justify treating us poorly. But, God shows grace!
Grace is God’s free gift. BUT, there will come a time when time is up…
Maybe this is a lesson for the Jewish nation - and not so much for us as individuals. God will judge the nation that does not repent. Just as God will judge the individual who will not repent.
It could be a reminder why Jesus is going to Jerusalem - to provide the doorway to repentance and forgiveness - to bestow GRACE!
What are YOU going to do differently because of this passage?