How do you respond when Jesus speaks harshly?
Stand in the crowd gathered around Jesus to hear him teach. Gasp out loud as some interrupt Jesus with news that Pilate has executed faithful Galileans in the very act of sacrificing. Join every eye fixed on Jesus but ask yourself what you expect him to say.
"Enough injustice! Rome's rule must end!"
"Pilate stands in authority. They shouldn't have defied him, but sacrificed only with his approval."
"The whole Temple system oozes corruption. Come away with me to build a holy community that God will approve and deliver."
No, Jesus responds more like this, "Tyrants are killing and towers are falling. People are dying, but none of you are innocent. Repent." It seems the tragedy is not in their death, but in their unrepentant life.
The parable teaches us to repent. The prophets use the barren fig tree to symbolize God's judgment on Israel (Joel 1, 2; Habakkuk 3; Haggai 2). And the fruitful fig tree symbolizes God's delight in and restoration of Israel (Hosea 9; Micah 4; Zechariah 3). The care given by the vineyard worker symbolizes the repentance that will move us from being barren to being fruitful.Lent focuses on these metaphors of repentance. Remove the plants and weeds that steal spiritual nutrition from the base of your life . Feed the soil of your heart with spiritually rich nutrients. Then you will bear fruit and be pleasing to the master. We exist to produce good fruit for the master, not to stand as ornamental shrubs in his garden.
Why do we often think of repentance as an act of contrition for being caught in sin, as opposed to regularly needed spiritual maintenance?
