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  • Commentary on 3rd Sun of Lent (C) 28.02.2016
January 20, 2021

Commentary on 3rd Sun of Lent (C) 28.02.2016

Commentary on 3rd Sun of Lent (C) 28.02.2016

by +Paschal Tiernan OP / Friday, 26 February 2016 / Published in Commentary, Lenten articles

TEXT – Luke 13: 01–09 – Necessity of repentance

The Galileans

1 There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? 3 I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Tower of Siloam

4 Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Silo’am fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Fig Tree

6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?’

8 And he answered him, ‘Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. 9 And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

 

EXPLANATION

1 There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? 3 I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

“There were some present at that very time” — This passage is placed in a setting which treats of judgement.

“who told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices” — This incident is unknown to history but it fits into the harsh and violent character of Pilate that has come down in secular history.

What made this crime particularly obnoxious was that the blood of the human victims was mixed with the sacred blood of the sacrifices offered to God. Sacrifices were offered only in the Temple in Jerusalem.

Jesus is aware that he is on his way to Jerusalem and trial before Pilate. Mention of Pilate’s cruelty and brutality are not without special significance for him here at this time.

“And he answered them ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus? I tell you, No” — Jesus clarifies that it is not because they were murdered that they could be called sinners. Jewish culture believed that God punished sinners in this world and when people suffered or died violently the same culture attributed this to their sins. That is not so. If people are guilty they should be punished. It does not follow that if people are punished that they are guilty.

“‘but unless you repent you will all likewise perish!’” — Jesus tells those present to repent or they will perish. Those who died are not necessarily worse sinners than those to whom he spoke.

“likewise perish” — They will perish suddenly and without preparation.

 

4 Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Silo’am fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

“Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Silo’am fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” — This incidence is also unknown. Jesus repeats his comment about the necessity of repentance to avoid eternal punishment.

 

6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?’

“And he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard” — A fruitful fig tree in a vineyard was a sign of God’s blessing (Mic. 4: 4; Joel 2: 22).

‘and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, “Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?’” — The man found that the fig tree was useless and only taking up the ground. Something better could be put there.

 

8 And he answered him, ‘Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. 9 And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

“And he answered him, ‘Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down’” — The vinedresser symbolises compassion. He does not destroy the fruitless plant but nourishes it to get it to produce fruit. If that does not succeed then there is no longer hope and that is the time to uproot it.

Jerusalem did not embrace its opportunity to repent and so suffered its destruction (Lk. 19: 41–44; 20: 9–19; 21: 6).

 

APPLICATION

1. God of Compassion: One of the most consoling thoughts in the Bible is the verse which occurs thirty–eight times. So I have been told but never checked. This verse is how God describes himself. If it occurs so often God must really want this as the way he wishes to be best known and remembered. The verse, in more or less the same words each time, is: “God is a God of mercy and compassion, slow to anger and rich in kindness”.

Could anything be more welcome that those words? How they describe the one characteristic we want from God more than anything else!

This message is expressed in the current Sunday Gospel in a parable that describes this mercy and compassion. The owner of the vineyard where the fig tree is growing fruitlessly for three years after reaching the age of maturity to bear fruit is interested in have a plant that will bring him fruit so he is quite willing to destroy a useless tree. Not so the vine dresser who represents Jesus. He desires another chance to bring the tree to fruit–bearing. He intends to pay special attention to it and help it.

Did the fig tree bear fruit that year? We are not told, nor were we meant to be told. Each of us has to answer that question for himself/herself. If we are not bearing fruit in the vineyard of the Lord, if we are sinners, we are given every chance to reform our lives and do something about it. If we reform and bear fruit we are rewarded by God. But if we do not embrace the opportunities given us by God, then we must be prepared to take the consequence and be cut down. Speaking in a human way we can say that we will not be as disappointed in our failure as Jesus who has such an interest in our spiritual welfare and happiness.

God’s gift is his mercy that gives us time to repent. He is the God of the Second Chance.

2. Why does God allow disasters? There are two news stories in this Sunday’s Gospel passage. One is about an atrocity Pilate performed, killing an undisclosed number of people at prayer. The other spoke of a tower that fell and killed eighteen people. All who died were innocent and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, the bystanders and others presumed that God inflicted punishment on them. These stories bring out the major question posed by so many: why does God allow disasters? Jesus did not address this question. His response was that when something like that happens, one should think, here I am a sinner; am I ready to face my God if something violent and unexpected happens to me? “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”.

3. Jesus’ Preview. Jesus was innocent and sinless yet disaster was about to strike him down in crucifixion. Pilate was mentioned in the first story and described as cruel and violent without any consideration for others. There may be a subtle implication that Pilate had a special disregard or antipathy towards Galileans. Jesus, the Galilean, was on his way to Jerusalem to encounter him. Only Pilate could condemn him to an innocent death. The passage reminds Jesus that he can expect nothing but the worst from Pilate. Certainly there will be no mercy or compassion from Pilate. Yet God’s mercy and compassion is present in God’s love for sinners whom he wants to redeem and save.

Our conscience should be touched by the fact that our sins condemned Jesus who allowed his crucifixion to save and redeem us. That is a perfect motivation for repentance.

 

 

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