Third Sunday in Lent

Have you been watching the news on the war in Ukraine? With each passing day we see and hear of destruction and atrocities that just breaks the heart. Then I wonder how much longer can the Ukrainians hold off the enemy? Do they have enough equipment and personnel to protect their people? And then there’s the subject of time. Will some have enough time to gather what they need in order to flee, or time to kiss and hug their families before going off to battle?

TIME.

Jim Croce wrote about time:

If I could save time in a bottle The first thing that I'd like to do Is to save every day 'til eternity passes away Just to spend them with you

But there never seems to be enough time To do the things you want to do once you find them

In the context of what is happening in Eastern Europe right now, and even in our own lives is the limited commodity of TIME. St. Paul urges,

Eph 5:15-17 “Consider carefully, then, how you walk, not as unwise people, but as wise people. Make the most of your time, because the days are evil. For this reason, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Time is a limited commodity, it is fleeting.

Because the days in which we live are evil, TIME cannot be placed into a bottle and saved, but must be used, according to the will of God. This word TIME in the Greek NT is, Kairos. This is time charged with opportunity; hence we say “Opportunity”, or “window of opportunity”, illustrating that time is limited.

All this brings us to our Gospel reading this morning. Two groups of people that are tragically killed, then our Lord tells the story of the unproductive fig tree.

The emphatic point is said by our Lord: “Unless you repent you will likewise perish!” (Luke 13:3). But,

THE LORD IS PATIENT FOR YOUR SAKE, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE.

God is Patient, But it Will End

God’s patience ended for Israel. They continued to live life as it seem right in their own eyes, because they erected the false security that because they are “Israel” that they are okay. The problem is, this false security was not bearing any fruit.

The owner of the orchard wants the tree cut down so room can be made for tree that will produce fruit. Yet, the gardener asks for time to cultivate and fertilize the ground so see if it will net good results.

NOTE THIS, however. The gardener does not ask that the tree never be cut down. He said, “If at the end it does not bear fruit, then cut it down.”

Despite the extension of time, Israel repudiated God’s love; it resembled the tree by the roadside (Matt. 21:19 “Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. [Jesus] said to it, “May there never be fruit from you again!” Immediately the fig tree withered away.”

The false security of nationalism was crushed. Unrepentant Jerusalem was destroyed and the people dispersed (Luke 13:3, 5, 7, 9, 19:41-44).

God’s patience with the unrepentant people today also comes to an end.

People people, even “Bible-believing Christians” erect scaffoldings of false security.

Instead of “being” repentant, we “play” Christianity. We say, “Lord, Lord” while our hearts are from from Him. We substitute ritual for repentance.

I believe and am baptized, that should be enough.

I attend church faithfully every week, that should be enough.

I can check off all the boxes!

But with all this are we producing fruit?

Then there are those that want Christianity on their terms. They want to be free to believe what they want, or embrace practices that are modern and accepted by the people of the world.

But is fruit being produced in your life?

We continually sin with impunity, excusing our failures.

Sex outside of marriage is so common today.

God has ALWAYS said no to this practice, so why doesn’t this practice grieve us anymore?

Isn’t that what the Law does? St. Paul reminds us that he would have never known what coveting was had the law not said, “Thou shalt not covet.” But in that moment he saw all kinds of covetousness.

Perhaps premarital sex, or extra-marital sex is so common today even amongst Christians because they didn’t die from it. But the message from our Lord crushes this false security. What was the message, “unless you repent, you will likewise perish!”

We murder our children at a rate of 2,000+ everyday—365 days a year. And, even if we don’t actually arrange the killing ourselves, we elect people who vow to keep the practice going; placing the children’s blood on our hands.

False security again rears its head when we wrap ourselves in the flag of nationalism by saying, “It is legal to kill our children in this country.”

Or we buy into the false security when we call this grotesque practice, “Women’s healthcare.”

Proverbs 24:11-12 “Rescue captives condemned to death, and spare those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “We did not know about this,” won’t the one who weighs motives notice? Won’t the one who guards your life know about it, and won’t he repay people according to what each one has done?”

Someone once put it like this, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

It started so elegantly but it ended up looking like the keystone cops taking over Christmas Eve. Gavin, the pastor was perplexed when he looked out among the people. They weren’t looking at him. They seemed to be looking past him. Most were focused on one, single candelabra that was placed just inches from the flowing sheer fabric that provided a backdrop for the Christmas Eve candlelight service.

The people who saw it, looked horrified. As Gavin spoke, his mind reeled. What did I say? What’s going on with these people? And then after about five minutes, it happened. The vents blew the fabric into the candelabra. The growing flame traveled up the fabric, and the running, shouting, and fire extinguishing commenced. The night was not silent and there was no heavenly peace.

It was just a minor fire but it made for a great story and a memorable Christmas Eve service that the church will never forget. Dozens noticed it, but each thought, I don’t want to be the weird guy who walks on stage while the pastor is speaking. The moment seemed too big to boldly walk up there and pull the candelabra away from the draped fabric. That was long before the fire retardant foam spewed from the extinguisher.

These here are just a couple examples of many false securities we erect in our lives. And there are so many more

Jesus’ word here, “Let it alone this year also” serves as a warning for us. The Holy Spirit in cultivating our hearts and fertilizing it with the Gospel. The question is, will it have its intended affect in our lives?

We are in a probationary period.

God’s patience has an end.

The false securities we have erected will come crashing down.

Unless there is fruit, the time will come a time when He will say, “Cut it down.”

Matthew 3:10 “Already the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

God Desires our Repentance

Instead of building up false securities, God gives this beautiful gift called repentance.

He cultivated the soil of Israel’s heart, giving them time to repent, not only through the Old Testament period (Luke 13:6-7), but especially during the ministry of Jesus and the apostles (Luke 13:8)

He also gives us—you and me—time to repent.

He has planted us in His Church.

We have unrestricted access to His Word

We have the Sacraments, where His promises are distributed.

We have fellowship with other Christians within the body of Christ.

God Himself makes repentance possible (Luke 13:8).

With the Law He digs up the soil of our heart and soul — laying bare our sins.

With the Gospel He fertilizes—strengthens our grasp on Jesus and producing the fruit of repentance.

Psalm 51:3–4 NKJV

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

Our life becomes one of daily repentance in which we confess our sin, the false securities we have built, trust in His mercy, and bear the fruit of repentance.

“Let it alone this year also.” What a comfort! God grants us additional time—Kairos—for He deeply desires our repentance.

Now is the accepted time. Hebrews 3:7-8 “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts...”

Bring forth fruit (Matthew 3:8). In repentance God brings you home, restores you to His family, and gives you a feast to nourish you in this life and for the next. You see in repentance God makes you like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and its leaves do not wither (Psalm 1:3).

God’s gift of repentance gives life, for He does everything well.

So remember today’s text—God Is Patient, but His patience Will End, and He Desires Our Repentance. For,

THE LORD IS PATIENT FOR YOUR SAKE, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE.