Luke 13:1-9

Luke 13:1-9 Mt. 4:17From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.Copyrighted material that appears in this article is included under the provisions of the Fair Use Clause of the National Copyright Act, which allows limited reproduction of copyrighted materials for educational and religious use when no financial charge is made for viewing. Catholic Lectionary. (2009). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

1 At that time some people who were present there told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.2 He said to them in reply, Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?3 By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!4 Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?5 By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!6 And he told them this parable: There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,

7 he said to the gardener, For three years I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?8 He said to him in reply, Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;9 it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.

The first five verses of this reading have to do with the Jewish concept of sin being related to suffering.Pilate decided that Jerusalem needed a new and improved water supply. He planned to build it and to finance it with money taken from the Temple treasury. It was a admirable project and more than a reasonable expenditure. But at the very notion of spending Temple money for a public project had infuriated the Jews.Mobs gathered, Pilate instructed his soldiers put cloaks over their battle dress uniforms, carry clubs and to mingle with the crowd.When given a signal they were to reveal themselves and disperse the crowd.The soldiers over reacted and killed a number of people and injured many others.Verse 2 asks the question that was on the minds of the Jews, Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?

Jesus responds with 3 By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!Jesus explained that suffering has nothing to do with a persons spiritual life. In fact, all people are sinful and unless people repent of their sins, they will experience an everlasting spiritual death.He then asked about the 18 who died as a result of a tower collapse.It has been suggested that these 18 had taken been hired to take on

the work of Pilates water project.Generally people thought that any money these 18 earned should have been returned to the Temple treasury and thus they were killed because they failed to return the money Pilate had stolen from God.Jesus responds with 5 By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!It is clear that Jesus told of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D. (cf. Luke 21:2124).

He knew the Jews were headed for a national suicide, if they didnt stop opposing the Romans.The Jews were focused on obtaining an earthly kingdom and at the same time they were rejecting the kingdom of God.Their concept of individual sin being related to suffering is not valid because as we know many of the greatest saints are the ones who suffered the most.But national sin, the sin of a nation going against God brings disaster. There are many examples of the nation of Israel opposing God which resulted in national disasters in the Old Testament.Instead of blaming others and accusing them of sins that brought on their suffering everyone should prepare for their own day of judgment.

It was not unusual to see fig trees planted in a vineyard (RSVCE) not orchard (NAB).The fig tree draws its strength and life from the soil but when it fails to produce it can be viewed as sinful because it is not fulfilling the purpose for which it was created.The parable teaches that uselessness invites disaster.A fig tree normally takes three years to produce. If it is not bearing fruit by that time it is not likely to bearfruit at all.But this fig tree was given another chance.It is always Jesus way to give us chance after chance.But there is a point in time when no more chances will be given.If we refuse chance after chance, if Gods chances are ignored until our final day comes, then it is not God who shuts us off from heaven, it is we who by our deliberate choice, have chosen to shut ourselves out.

At judgment the righteous will go to heaven (Rev. 21:7) and the faithless will go to the lake that burns (Rev. 21:8). Those in need of purification will go to purgatory (Mt. 5:24-25; Rev. 21:27).We hear the owner, God, of the vineyard, Israel, tell the Vinedresser, Jesus, to cut down the fruitless tree.The next step would be to throw it into the fire, (Nah. 3:15;

Mt. 3:10; Mt. 7:19; Lk. 3:9) but no the Jesus, wants to give us another chance, He wants to provide us with every opportunity for growth. Will you like the fig tree accept yet another opportunity to draw your strength, your life, from the fertile soil of the Church?This reading tells us it is now time to begin bearing good fruit or suffer the self-imposed consequences.

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