DAY #116: Luke 13:1-22

Jewish theology attributed individual suffering to individual sin. While the Pharisees would also have liked to see Israel freed from Roman control, they were against the use of force that many in Israel (such as a group called the Zealots) were advocating. Some people, such as the Pharisees and their followers, would have thought that these Galileans that were murdered must have been worse sinners than other people from Galilee because they had suffered. The Pharisees, who were opposed to using force to deal with Rome, would have said that the Galileans deserved to die for rebelling.

Jesus explained, however, that suffering has nothing to do with one’s spiritual state. In fact, all people are sinful and, unless people repent, they all will perish. This doesn’t mean that everyone will be killed in such a manner. It could mean that death will be sudden with no second chance to repent, or it could mean that Jesus’ listeners would suffer at the hands of the Roman conquerors (which the entire nation did in a.d. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed and millions of Jews were killed).

Just as suffering is no indicator of one’s spiritual state, neither is tragedy. The Pharisees would have seen the previous incident as God’s judgment on the Zealots, but the Zealots would have seen this incident as God’s judgment against those who had compromised with Rome. Again, popular thought would have concluded that the eighteen men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them must have been the eighteen worst sinners in Jerusalem, otherwise they would not have suffered such a fate. The Zealots, a group of anti-Roman terrorists, would have said that the aqueduct workers deserved to die for cooperating. The Zealots would have considered Jews working on a Roman project such as this as traitors and deserving of God’s punishment.

Again, Jesus explained that all people are sinners who must repent or they too will perish—spiritual death with eternal consequences. He said that neither the Galileans nor the workers should be blamed for their calamity. Instead of blaming others, everyone should consider his or her own day of judgment. Whether a person is killed in a tragic accident or miraculously survives is not a measure of righteousness. Everyone has to die; that’s part of being human.

After highlighting the need for repentance, Jesus used an illustration to show the people that while God is gracious in giving people time to repent, come to him, and grow in him, that patience will not go on forever. In the Old Testament, a fruitful tree was often used as a symbol of godly living (Psalm 1:3 & Jeremiah 17:7-8). Jesus pointed out what would happen to the other kind of tree—the kind that took valuable time and space and still produced nothing for the patient gardener. In this way, Jesus warned his listeners that God would not tolerate forever their lack of productivity.

A fig tree in fertile soil should certainly have produced fruit—a tree that did not produce for three years was probably not going to produce at all. The farmer gave the command to cut it down so another, more fruitful tree, could be planted in its place.

The gardener intervened and asked the owner to give the tree one more chance. He even offered to give it special attention and fertilizer. Jesus had come to the nation; the time for repentance had come. The extra attention and love had been showered on the nation in the presence of their Messiah. God’s judgment had been graciously held back. But if the people continued to refuse to “bear fruit” for God—if they continued to refuse to live for and obey him—the end would come. The tree would be cut down. There would be no more chances. God is merciful toward sinners. But for those who reject him, he will not be merciful forever. They will be punished.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Once again, this passage reminds me of to correlating portions of scripture;

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." 1 Corinthians 4:20 (NIV)

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5 (NIV)

After receiving Christ, we each have to make choices daily to live for Him. We make choices that will shape our character and determine our destiny. Today Lord, I choose You. I choose Your ways/ I choose Your path. I choose obedience. I choose the road less traveled. I choose You. Shape, me, mold me, transform me.

Lord, draw folks to COV this morning. Give us a powerful morning where lives are changed. Give people the courage to act upon what You speak to them about.