It opens with some people bringing the news to Jesus that some Galileans have been killed while sacrificing to God.  We know that at this time in history it was becoming the law that citizens worship the emperor.  Emperors deified themselves, declared themselves Gods and demanded that their subjects pay homage to them.  You could still worship your God, but in addition, you were to worship the emperor.  It was becoming dangerous-life and death dangerous--to refuse to bow to the image of the emperor.  Christians who defied the law took the chance that at any time they could be singled out to be made examples of the price for this defiance.

We don’t know why these people brought this news to Jesus.  They could have been just reporting the story because Jesus was from Galilee, they could have been trying to share their grief, or they could have been trying to dissuade Jesus from going to Jerusalem.  We don’t know, but what we do know is that the news comes on the heels of Jesus’ admonition in the previous chapter to discern the signs of the times, settle your accounts, and be ready lest you, at an unsuspecting time, be called by your accuser to go before the judge.  Jesus says you will not be released until you have paid your entire debt.

The story of the fate of these Galileans illustrates Jesus’ point at the end of chapter 12 that at a time when you least suspect, judgment will be suddenly upon you.  These Galileans had traveled to Jerusalem to sacrifice to God and they were unsuspectingly called to judgment.  Now this crowd brings the news to Jesus and Jesus uses the opportunity to teach them another lesson.

We have all looked at the misfortunes of others and shook our heads in denial or unbelief.  We have even felt genuine sorrow at their troubles.  Our hearts go out to them.  But somewhere in the deep recesses of those same sympathetic hearts lurks this little tiny nagging thought…

“They must have done SOMETHING to bring this on themselves. Why would this happen if they did not DESERVE it? “

We have watched the news and heard stories of physical assault, robbery, and even rape and in the back of our minds thought the person should have used some common sense and not been on an empty, dark street.  They should not have gone into that hotel room. They should not have been out alone at night. They should not have been jogging in the deserted park, or using an ATM in an isolated, unlit area.

If we are honest with ourselves, we have all thought like the people whom Jesus is addressing in today’s scripture passage. Either those victims did something very wrong or I’m doing something very right to not have suffered their fate.  God must be trying to tell them something…God must be trying to get their attention…they are being punished for their sin…they must have done something terribly wrong.

Well, Jesus makes it clear in this passage that they have done nothing any worse than the audience he is addressing.  In fact, he makes it super clear…make no mistake about it, they were no worse sinners than you!  Don’t think you’re okay, don’t think you’re golden because you haven’t suffered the same fate… if you’re not careful, Jesus says, you may be next.  Sometimes you are tried in the furnace of affliction, not as punishment for sin, but that you may be refined.  When people are oppressed it doesn’t mean that their oppressors, such as Pilate in this story, are better people because we don’t see them suffer in this world.  Be careful not to judge the state of others-judge not lest you be judged.

A lot of bibles label this section of the chapter “Repent or Perish”, but Jesus is not telling these folks that they may be killed by Pilate or have a tower fall on them unless they repent. That would make no sense because he has just said that those who suffered these things were no more sinners than the rest. He is using these very temporal examples of “perishing” as an illustration of spiritual perishing.  To perish spiritually is to suffer eternal separation from God.  That is what Jesus is warning against.  Unless you repent, your soul will perish.

Whew!  Those are hard words from our savior.  Folks were probably saying, “that Jesus is tough!”  But I want you to consider this… Think about your life and just be honest for a second…what have you done so great that you deserve to be spared?  Is it because you never stole anything or you never killed anybody?  Is it because you have never cheated on anything, including your taxes?  Is it because you have never committed a sexual sin?  Is it because you have never told a lie, not even a little “white” lie?  Is it because you have donated some clothes or food or money to a worthy cause?  Is it because you go to church every Sunday?  Or is it because you’re just a “good” person?  What is it that makes YOU so deserving of God’s mercy?  Just as Jesus warns in this passage that the listeners were no better than the ones who had suffered these misfortunes, Romans 3:23 reminds us that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  If God was fair we would all be condemned to eternal separation from God. But God is not fair; God is just.  God’s justice demands a price for our sin.  Jesus decided to pay that price for us.  So even when we deserve condemnation, there is none because we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Romans 8:1 says there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.  Our constant prayer should be “Please, Lord, not what I deserve!”  because no matter how good you think you are by human standards, you don’t measure up by God’s standards.

Jesus follows this warning to repent or perish with a parable.  It is the parable of the unfruitful fig tree.  The gardener is out there doing his thing and the owner strolls over for a fig.  The tree has no fruit, so the owner says cut it down.  But the gardener makes a deal with the owner.  The gardener will give the tree some special attention and give it another season to bear fruit.  If it does, great!  If it doesn’t, the owner can cut it down.  What has this fig tree parable got to do with the previous verses warning the people to repent? Well, the parable illustrates to the people the consequences of heeding the warning to repent or not heeding it.

The parable is perfectly placed behind the warning to repent because the parable explains the warning.  The parable illustrates how the grace of God works.  Ephesians 2:8 says,

“by grace you are saved;
through faith; and not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God.”

I heard a preacher around the Newark area, Rev. Overstreet, say “G-R-A-C-E” is an acronym for God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense.  There is nothing that we have done or not done and nothing we can ever do to deserve God’s grace.  The tree certainly didn’t deserve any grace, but it received grace for another season.  Imagine this… the owner of the vineyard is God the Father.  The gardener is Jesus and you are the fig tree. Just as the gardener advocates for the barren fig tree, Jesus Christ advocates for you in your state of unfruitfulness.  Psalm 103 says that he has not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. Please, Lord, not what I deserve!  If God gave us what we deserve as sinners, we would have been cut down last season for not bearing any fruit, just as the owner had decided to cut down the barren fig tree.

The owner said in verse 7 that he had been coming for three years to find fruit on the tree and had found none.  Some biblical scholars speculate that this refers to the three years of Jesus’ public ministry; some speculate that it refers to three seasons in the life of the Jews as the people of God.  The point is that God, the owner, has waited patiently for the fruit.  God has provided a vineyard of protection for his people.  He keeps the trees-his people--cultivated by providing minister gardeners that tend the trees, breaking up the fallow ground, bringing water and fertilizer in the form of the Word--the gospel.  And yet, after returning time and time again, he finds no fruit.

The owner also says that the tree should be cut down because not only is it unfruitful, but it is using up the soil.  That is nourishment that the other fruitful trees could be using! You may think that your complacency does no harm, but Christians who bear no fruit not only do a disservice to themselves, not only grieve God, but discourage other Christians who see their example.  Your barren life is a testimony that may hinder another person from seeing the possibilities in a life of faith. They look at you and see emptiness and think why should I give my life to a God who has done nothing for this person?  You become a hindrance to the growth of others because all you’re doing is taking up space, eating up the good soil and blocking the sunlight from the other trees.

And yet the gardener says wait.  Jesus says, ” Let me give that person some special attention.  Let me dig up the weeds from around my child.  Let me make a little irrigation ditch, so she gets the water she needs.  Let me fertilize him with the Word and the Holy Spirit.  Let me do all I can to encourage the fruit to grow.  Give him another season to bear fruit before you cut her down.”

And even though he finds no fruit, God graciously permits the tree--you--another opportunity to turn around and start bearing some fruit.  Jesus is telling the crowd in this passage and Jesus is telling you that he is willing to do his part as the Holy Gardener to help you bear some fruit.  You have been given another season by God the owner of this vineyard;  the God who created you.  You have not been given this chance because of anything you have done, not because you deserve it, but only because of God’s grace.

Grace is God’s unmerited favor. You can’t earn it.  You don’t have to perform well to receive it. It is not a reward system.  It is free and available because God loves us. Hallelujah! God is GIVING away GRACE!

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How do we know if we like the fig tree have been given another season?  If you woke up to see a new day, you have a chance to bear some fruit for your owner.  Don’t waste the love, the care, the nurturing, and the sacrifice that Jesus made on your behalf.  Be mindful of verse 8 when the gardener says “let it alone for one more year.” He did not say let it alone forever,  just one more year.  This reminds us that though God is long suffering and willing to be gracious for a while longer, even God will not hold back judgment forever.  After all this careful attention, after giving to you all the means necessary, all the knowledge necessary, all the truth necessary, after sacrificing his only begotten son for your sake, after keeping you, after sending you messengers and providing intercessors for you, after knocking on the door of your heart and being asked to be the Lord of your life, God expects some fruit! If the fruit does not appear, make no mistake--he will cut you down and the gardener will not intercede. Take the opportunity you have been given by another season of grace to push forth some fruit.  Remember how this passage started…REPENT or PERISH! Your repentance is the first sign of fruit.

Amen.