March 3, 2013 Third Sunday in Lent

Luke 13: 1-9

   1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
    6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'
    8" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "

Part I

When ever I judge someone else’s innocence or guilt  I am:
1. Saying more about myself than them.
2.  Staying clear of my need to repent, keeping the focus out there
so it won’t have to be in here.
3.  Keeping myself from being much good to anyone, God included.

There is always a second chance with Jesus - and we need it!
Repentance is a necessity for all of us!
“No one is righteous, no not one.” Rom. 3:10

Part 2

Whatever else this parable is about, it is about grace - God’s grace.

We have only once place to stand in this parable - we are the barren fig tree.
And the meaning is that no matter what, God is first, last and always a God of grace; “whose love will over rule his anger and whose mercy is stronger then her logic.”

Grace means “God never lets us go; God never lets us down; God never lets us off.”  I can blow it but I can’t lose it!

We are to live as those who have be so graced; we are to be graceful in all that we do.

p.s.  E. Susan Bond writes in New Proclamation, Year C 2013, p. 163:

"Praise God!  Everything doesn't happen for a reason.  Shout hallelujah!  What goes around doesn't come around.  The holy gardener looks on the unfruitfulness of the church and the unfruitfulness of the world and says,
it's not a lost case yet.  Let's give it another chance."

Amen!  And again I say, AMEN!