Luke 13:1-9
1 Now on that very occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus responded and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans just because they have suffered this fate?
3 No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
4 Or do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse offenders than all the other people who live in Jerusalem?
5 No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.
7 And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Look! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’
8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;
9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ”
The Need for Repentance
The need for repentance
A report was made that Pilate had mixed the blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices. This incident is not confirmed by sources outside the New Testament, but given Pilate’s character, it is entirely plausible. Jesus, in response, brought up a similar disaster – the example of the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell – in order to correct misunderstandings about judgment. (1) Jesus did acknowledge, as a general principle, that all people are sinners and that God’s judgment falls upon sinners. (2) However, Jesus rejected the idea that the victims of such disasters were more sinful than others. We must not look at the tragedies of others and assume they deserved judgment. John 9:3 records how Jesus viewed the tragedy of one blind man: “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (3) However, anyone who does not repent is always at risk of encountering a similar disaster. The word “repent” in verse 3, grammatically, refers to a continuous action, while in verse 5, it refers to a one-time action. In other words, Christian repentance is both a one-time decision and something that should be practiced daily. When was the last time you genuinely expressed heartfelt repentance?
God’s patience
To teach about God’s patience, Jesus told the parable of the fig tree. A grown fig tree, contrary to the vineyard owner’s expectations, bore no fruit for three years. Waiting any longer seemed not only hopeless but also a waste of the soil. “Cut it down!” (v 7) is the owner’s command. However, the vineyard keeper intercedes, asking that the tree be given one final chance: “Sir, leave it alone for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down” (v 8-9). If it still doesn’t bear fruit, then that will be the end. However, even in that case, the vineyard keeper intends to leave the task of cutting it down to the master. Here we see the patience of God. God waits until the very end for the sinner to repent. Right now, for whom are you being led to offer intercessory prayer?
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, I thank You from the bottom of my heart for Your patience. If not for Your patience, I would have long since become like a tree that was cut down. Please transform me into one who bears abundant fruit. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.