There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
Luke has been showing us how Jesus was teaching His disciples what it means to follow Him in every area of our lives. He does this by laying out some sort of encounter Jesus has, followed by some teaching. Following Him affects the spin we put on the news. Obviously, those who asked the question wanted Jesus to go off on some tangent about this news of persecution, but Jesus insists that we look at things from a totally different angle: Both good and evil people have bad things happen to them. All need to repent. He then gives a parable that many may had missed the point. He had come seeking fruit in the hearts of His own people, the people of Israel, but found none. They were self-righteously "taking up space" in His kingdom; room needed to be made for others who would bear fruit. But there was also room for mercy. God is patient, making every possible effort for His people to respond to him. Jesus was going to be around a little longer before He would suffer unjustly at the hands of Pilate. Though that was bad and unjust, it would be even worse if these hearers were still unwilling to repent.
No comments:
Post a Comment