Christ's Promising Word

Third Sunday in Lent
March 7, 2010
Does God ZAP Sinners?
Luke 13:1-9

Horrible Headlines

Leave it to Jesus to rewrite the headlines for us. It is a gripping picture of a forgiving and faithful God that Jesus paints for us today, although it does begin with a gruesome tale.

Some of those coming to Jesus told him of one of the horrible headlines in the news. The kind that we see on TV every day. The Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, had recently killed some people on pilgrimage from Galilee while they were offering their sacrifices in Jerusalem, thus mingling their blood with their sacrifices. My word, what a gruesome sight!

And here is Jesus’ answer: “Do you think that just because these Galileans suffered such a horrible death, they were some kind of super-sinners? No way!” Jesus says. “But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” And then, Jesus adds a horrible headline of his own. Some kind of industrial accident. The Tower of Siloam fell, killing18.

Why Do Terrible Things Happen?

Why? Jesus why? Why do great tragedies like this happen? Why do terrible traffic accidents take place? Why do people get horrible diseases and killing cancers? Why do some people always seem to have a huge black cloud hanging over their head?

And here we have an answer from our Lord himself. “Tragedies do NOT happen because God is out to get someone. God is not out on some big vendetta zapping sinners. God just doesn’t operate that way. Those people who die in tragic accidents or in cruel acts of terror are no greater sinners than all the rest. Tragedies simply happen…by accident…at random,” Jesus says.

“So come on, you guys, stop acting like death is something God sends only to the bad guys and come to realize that one day you must die too. You must die,” Jesus says, “And I, Jesus, must die. The only question is will you die in hopelessness and despair. Or, will you come to realize that death is not the awful tragedy that human fear has made of it.

“Because I have come to die with you and to die for you. And I am the spitting image of a faithful God who will not fail those who put their trust in him. In fact, death, my friend, MY death is the very way that God has chosen to save you.”

The Picture of the Fig Tree

“And just in case you have trouble understanding that, then let me draw still yet another picture for you,” Jesus says. “This guy had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, see. And he kept coming to it looking for figs finding none. And so he said to his gardener, “Three years I have been trying to get some figs from this tree and it hasn’t produced even one. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?”

But, the gardener said to him, “Let it be Lord. Give it another chance. Let me dig around it and put on manure. And if it bears fruit next year, so much the better; if not, then you can cut it down.”

At First, The Same Old Story

At first this sounds like the same old story. God giving people what they deserve. God giving people the ax when they do not bear the fruit that they were meant to bear. And isn’t that the way it always works? Three strikes and you’re out! If the computer doesn’t work or if your Toyota doesn’t break, then get rid of it.

If you cannot do the job, you’re fired. If you cannot pass this test, then maybe you had better start thinking of a new career. If someone hasn’t shown up in church for three years, they are “dead wood,” aren’t they? And shouldn’t we get the pruning shears out and trim them from the rolls?

You want a horror story? This is the real horror story. We are all dead. All of us, right now. We do not bear the fruit that God expects. And if God were to give us what we deserve, God would give us the ax. That is the law—God’s word of judgment.

But, Jesus Gives a New Ending

But Jesus gives a new ending to this old story. Instead of the woodpile for us, Jesus inserts a dramatic intervention. A load of fertilizer and tender loving care. “Forgive it, Lord. Forgive it. I will dig about it. I will fertilize and nurture it. I will bring it back to life again with my own work and effort.”

It happens all by grace. That is the message of good news that Jesus has for us.

On the cross Jesus held out his hand and stopped the ax. He died the death that was meant for us. And he said to God, “Forgive them, Lord. Forgive them. I will dig around them and fertilize them with the death of my own body.”

And by a strange, odd act of grace, God made his awful, stinking death turn into a helpful, spirited substance which makes us come alive and bear that one fruit which is the sweetest to God’s taste—the fruit of faith.

By a miracle of grace, death has become the way to life. The death of Jesus dug down deep into the very roots of our being and fills us with that energizing juice—a holy Miracle-gro—that makes us come alive and be productive.

Life Through Death & The Fruit of Faith

And if that sounds to you like a bunch of sheep dip, well then, let me simply remind you that the smelly stuff that my father put around his tomatoes (the manure) made those little tomato plants grow. That stuff that smelled so bad (like death itself) was the very stuff that gave something else a fruitful life. “You can not beat it,” my father said, “so pug your nose and stop complaining.”

It’s like when a patient coach gives us another chance at bat even though we have struck out three times already—this time with his strong, skilled arms around us guiding and directing us.

Or, it is like when a generous employer keeps on and still gives us our Christmas bonus even though we have made a big mistake that has cost the company big bucks.

Or, it’s like when an understanding teacher rips up a disappointing test and says, “Let’s forget about this one, I myself will tutor you and we try again and again and again until we get it right.”

Something dies—the rules of the game, any sense of cost accounting, academic excellence. Something dies. But something also blooms and grows—the love, the faith, the hope, the trust of the one who has been forgiven.

When Jesus dug himself a hole and got himself nailed upon a cross, something died—God judgment died. And…something else was born—a new life for the believer.

As long as our roots are fed by the death of Jesus, we bear the fruit which is the sweetest to God’s taste. We do. We really do. We bear the fruit of faith. Which, to God, is the very best fruit of them all.

© 2010 Pastor Paul Jaster

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at 10:33 am and is filed under 4 - Lent. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.