fig tree

Gospel for March 20, 2022

This stained glass window detail of Luke 13:6-9 is in Ely Cathedral. [Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P., photographer]

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 13:1-9
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

When Jesus came into the world, he did not come on to an empty stage. And when he taught, he spoke in the context of a world that was violent, dangerous, desperate for hope, and sometimes even strangely beautiful.

In this passage, current events of that time intersect with the life and teaching of Jesus.

First, there are the atrocities committed by the order of Pontius Pilate, the Roman Military Governor of Judea:

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Adding to the horror of this atrocity is that it was committed in the Temple itself, which was an act of desecration.

These kinds of violent acts carried out by Pilate’s troops were consistent with his tenure in Judea. The Jewish historian Josephus, writing only a few years after the events, points out that Pilate was repeatedly undiplomatic and crude in violating the sanctity of the temple and the sensibilities of the Jews.

His soldiers were ordered to carry the eagle standards of the legions into the temple, violating the second commandment against graven images.

According to Philo, golden shields were introduced into the temple grounds as well, eliciting the same negative reaction from the Jews. They publicly protested, and Pilate had to back down.

According to Josephus, Pilate also pocketed money from the temple treasury for the purpose of paying for construction of a Roman aqueduct. When the Jews again protested, Pilate gave the signal for his soldiers to attack the crowd.

So, the incident reported in Luke 13 is very much in character with Pontius Pilate’s temperament and practices.

Instead of condemning Pilate and weighing in on the political scandal, Jesus uses the opportunity to make a spiritual application to his listeners:

Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.

Jesus essentially is saying to them that “you’re not morally superior to those who were killed. There are consequences for all sinners unless you repent.”

Jesus himself brings up another current news item — the collapse of the Tower of Siloam. The Tower of Siloam was likely in the southern part of Jerusalem, perhaps overlooking the Pool of Siloam, and may have either been a part of the aqueduct bringing water into the city or a fortified tower.

In any event, Jesus makes much the same point about the death of the:

eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—

They are no worse and no better than his audience — and he drives home the point:

do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.

Jesus uses a parable to illustrate his emphasis on the importance of true repentance.

The owner of a garden has just about lost his patience with an unproductive fig tree after three barren years, so he tells his gardener to cut it down.

But the gardener intercedes for the fig tree, promising to dig around it and fertilize it. If it doesn’t bear fruit after that, he agrees that it should be cut down.

The fig tree in Scripture usually symbolizes peace (shalom) and prosperity ( 1 Kings 4:25 and elsewhere). The fig tree was valued not only for its lovely, spreading shade in a hot country, but also for its sweet delicious figs.

But the point is clear — if the fig tree bears no fruit, it may be cut down. The intercession of the gardener is a reprieve, but only if the fig tree bears fruit in the next season.

Jesus is driving home his message — you are all unfruitful sinners, and you will be “cut down” (like the Galileans killed by Pilate or the eighteen crushed by the tower), unless you repent and bear fruit!

APPLY:

Jesus is focused on one thing — the Kingdom of God, and calling sinners to repentance so they may enter that Kingdom.

He doesn’t allow himself to get caught up with tangential matters that aren’t his direct concern, like the political butchery of Pilate or the building codes in Jerusalem. His interest is the souls of those who have been killed.

Sometimes it is possible to get so caught up in what we think are “big issues” — like political races (in which the United States finds itself embroiled right now), or the sensationalism of disasters — that we forget what is really important to Jesus: people.

Jesus’ main concern here is to summon people to repentance.

In the parable that he tells, we find elements that may be somewhat allegorical. Is the owner of the vineyard God the Father? And is Jesus the gardener who has come to proclaim the advent of the Kingdom of God, and calling people to repent during his three year ministry?

This interpretation may be a bit too mechanical for us, but the message is still clear — we are all sinners who must repent. And repentance doesn’t mean mere remorse but, as John the Baptist said, bearing:

fruits worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8).

One thing is clear from this passage. Jesus has come to call us to repentance, and God is merciful and will grant a stay of execution. But because he is also just, there is a limit to his mercy. If repentance and fruits don’t follow the “second chance,” there will be judgment.

RESPOND:

I have been a preacher in a “nice” denomination for almost 36 years. By that I mean that my church tends to focus on God’s “unconditional love” and the “universal atonement” of Christ.

I happen to like both of those concepts when they are rightly understood. God’s love for us is unconditional:

God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

And I absolutely believe that Jesus died for all humanity:

if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).

But there is also the other side of the story. Although God loves us, he loves us enough not to compel us to spend eternity with him. He loves us enough to allow us to reject him. And his sacrificial death on our behalf is a gift that must be accepted by us through faith and obedience.

All we need to do to confirm this is to read on just a little in 1 John 2, the very next verse after the one cited above:

Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection (1 John 2:3-5).

I always come back to the same place. “God loves me just the way I am; but he loves me too much to leave me just the way I am.” And one more thing — God doesn’t really condemn anyone to hell; we choose that for ourselves.

Lord, I can’t ever allow myself to be arrogant or ‘uppity’ when I consider sin and judgment. Without your grace I am liable to judgment as well! I repent daily, and thank you for the ultimate price paid for my salvation in Jesus Christ. Amen.

PHOTO:

“Jesus tells the Parable of the Barren Tree” by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for December 12, 2021

Note from Celeste:

Before we look at today’s lectionary reading, I’d like to draw your attention to my Advent Bible Study books.

Getting Ready for Christmas is part of the Choose This Day Multiple Choice Bible Studies series, available in paperback and ebook.

The daily devotionals take 10-15 minutes and include:

Scripture passage (World English Bible)
Fun, entertaining multiple choice questions focused directly on the Scripture passage
Short meditation that can be used as a discussion starter.

Like an Advent calendar, Getting Ready for Christmas begins on December 1 and ends December 25. However, these 25 devotionals focusing on the Messiah can be used any time of year.

Use this book personally during a coffee break or with the family in the car or at the dinner table.

Order Getting Ready for Christmas today to prepare your family for this year’s Christmas season!
CLICK HERE for Amazon’s Kindle book of Getting Ready for Christmas.
CLICK HERE for Amazon’s Paperback of Getting Ready for Christmas.

And here’s the link to its puzzle companion book: Getting Ready for Christmas Word Search Puzzles for Advent.

It’s a large-print puzzle book with over 1,200 hidden words taken straight from the same 25 Scripture readings. (30 puzzles in all.)

If you’re not in the U.S., you can still order the books from your country’s amazon platform. Simply search for “Getting Ready for Christmas” by Celesta Letchworth.

Thank you for your consideration! And thank you for faithfully following Tom’s SOAR blog!

AND NOW, BACK TO TODAY’S LECTIONARY READING:

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 3:7-18
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

We have been introduced to John the Baptist as the transitional figure who prepares the way for the coming of the Messiah. Now, we catch a glimpse of his message.

This passage may be divided into three sections.

John’s austere message of repentance.
His specific instructions to answer the people’s question “What then should we do?”
His announcement that his role is to prepare the way for one who is mightier than he is.

John begins his message without any sugar coating. He denounces the very crowd who comes to hear him and he insults them:

You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

He then tells them that their credentials as children of the covenant and their Jewish pedigree mean nothing without true repentance:

Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

John uses a metaphor that would have spoken to their memory of the Hebrew bible. Israel is often compared to an olive tree or a fig tree:

Like grapes in the wilderness,
I found Israel.
Like the first fruit on the fig tree,
in its first season,
I saw your ancestors (Hosea 9:1-10).

But the tree is to bear fruit, or it will be cut down:

Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

John’s words hit their mark. The people respond:

What then should we do?

John takes this opportunity to bear down on his theme of repentance and give specific examples. In general, he says to all that they must be generous to the poor:

“Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.”

Note this next group:

Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

Luke gives a broad hint here that tax collectors were universally despised, not just because of taxation but also because they were in league with the hated Roman conquerors.

John recognizes that a large part of the tax collectors’ revenue was derived from collecting over and above even what the Romans demanded, and keeping the excess for themselves:

Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.

And, speaking of the hated Romans, even soldiers came to him! Luke doesn’t make clear whether these were Jewish soldiers from Herod’s army or Roman legionnaires — but we will see in Luke’s Gospel that there were several Roman soldiers who would be drawn to the ministry of Jesus. And John’s answer to them reveals that he understands the reality of corrupting power:

Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

John is obviously very keenly aware of the social and political realities of his time, and he isn’t hesitant to name the oppression he sees in his culture.

Needless to say, his dynamic ministry begins to raise the expectations of the Jewish people, and they begin to speculate about his role:

all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah . . .

But John is very quick to differentiate between his own ministry and that of the Messiah. His role is to baptize for the sake of repentance. And he acknowledges his subordination to the Messiah:

I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.

Again, John returns to vivid metaphorical language in order to illustrate what the Messiah will do:

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

The imagery is borrowed from the harvest and the process of separating wheat from chaff. The winnowing fork was used to throw the wheat into the air at the threshing floor. The unwanted chaff blew away, and the heavier grain fell back down to the floor so that it could be gathered into the granary.

John is unblinking in his description of judgment — not only is the Messiah to baptize with the Holy Spirit (the presence of God) but also with fire which will destroy the rejected chaff.

APPLY:

Today’s lectionary passage concludes with this statement:

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

We may be permitted to wonder, “where’s the good news?”

John has been extremely direct with the crowd, the tax collectors and the soldiers. They must repent or face the consequences. “Turn or burn,” as the cliche goes.

And repentance is not merely a sense of remorse, or a “spiritual” feeling. His definition of repentance applies to social justice and relationships with the poor, to fair practices, and to the abuse of power. True repentance produces fruit that makes a difference in society.

Furthermore, we must be aware that our relationship with God doesn’t depend upon how many generations our families have been Christian, or on our church membership.

Here’s the paradox — repentance is an individual decision, but it has social consequences.

When we repent, our lives are amended and other people will see and experience the difference.

And that is good news!

RESPOND:

I wonder what would happen if pastors across the world began to preach more like John the Baptist. Oh, I know that many pastors will declare that they are “hell-fire and brimstone” preachers.

But John is not merely a “turn or burn” preacher. He applies the message to the real circumstances of the lives of his audience. He gives them something concrete to do when he describes repentance.

We hear so much these days about the need for “revival.” But so many churches, especially in the U.S., try to be “seeker sensitive,” and make people feel comfortable and welcome when they come to church.

Not John! What if we were to greet people the way he does?

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

This can’t be described as spiritually warm and fuzzy!

One thing seems very clear to me. Historically, I can’t think of a single instance of true revival in the Christian movement that did not include true repentance, both personal and social, among Christians. And that is what will be needed today if we are to be:

baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Our Lord, I confess that I may well fall into the categories that John the Baptist denounces — relying on my past spiritual experience, and not repentant of my current sins. Convict me of sin, lead me in true repentance that bears fruit, and fill me with your Holy Spirit and purify me with celestial fire. Amen.

PHOTOS:
“True Repentance” by timchallies is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for November 28, 2021

Note from Celeste:

Before we look at today’s lectionary reading, I’d like to draw your attention to my Advent Bible Study books.

Getting Ready for Christmas is part of the Choose This Day Multiple Choice Bible Studies series, available in paperback and ebook.

The daily devotionals take 10-15 minutes and include:

Scripture passage (World English Bible)
Fun, entertaining multiple choice questions focused directly on the Scripture passage
Short meditation that can be used as a discussion starter.

Like an Advent calendar, Getting Ready for Christmas begins on December 1 and ends December 25. However, these 25 devotionals focusing on the Messiah can be used any time of year.

Use this book personally during a coffee break or with the family in the car or at the dinner table.

And here’s the link to its puzzle companion book: Getting Ready for Christmas Word Search Puzzles for Advent.

It’s a large-print puzzle book with over 1,200 hidden words taken straight from the same 25 Scripture readings. (30 puzzles in all.)

If you’re not in the U.S., you can still order the books from your country’s amazon platform. Simply search for “Getting Ready for Christmas” by Celesta Letchworth.

Thank you for your consideration! And thank you for faithfully following Tom’s SOAR blog!

AND NOW, BACK TO TODAY’S LECTIONARY READING:

“Watch and Pray” Fr. Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. took this photograph of a detail from a medieval window in York Minster.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 21:25-36
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is a dramatic reminder that Advent is not merely a season of preparation for Christmas.

Advent prepares us to observe the nativity of Jesus and his first coming in history.
Advent also prepares us now to anticipate his coming at the end of time.

This section of Luke’s Gospel is part of a passage known in the discourse of Jesus as the “Little Apocalypse,” from Luke 21:5-36.

Parallel teachings are also found in the other “Synoptic Gospels” (synoptic means that Matthew, Mark and Luke include many of the same stories, with a similar sequence of events, in distinction from the Gospel of John). Those passages may be found in Matthew 24 and Mark 13.

In this passage, there is not much subtlety about the signs presaging the coming of the kingdom of God:

There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

The heavens and the earth will point to cosmic events that are to come.

Jesus describes the coming of the Son of Man — a term he uses frequently throughout the Synoptic Gospels as a Messianic title to describe himself. The phrase originates in the Hebrew Bible, especially in the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel.

Jesus makes it quite clear that he expects to return after his death and resurrection as the conquering Messiah:

Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.

These are intended to be words not of foreboding but of comfort to those who follow Jesus:

Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Then, as is a common practice in the teachings of Jesus, he uses a parable to explain his meaning:

Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

The analogy is clear. Just as there are signs in nature that spring has come and summer is coming, so he is saying that there will be events in heaven and on earth that will presage the coming of the kingdom of God. He isn’t more specific about what those signs are, perhaps because he feels that those signs will be self-explanatory.

But there are some aspects of this passage that are not at all clear to us. Jesus says:

Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Does he mean that the generation living at that time 2,000 years ago would experience the apocalyptic events that he predicts? If so, he either wasn’t speaking literally, or he was wrong. I’m not willing to accept the notion that Jesus was wrong.

On the other hand, does Jesus mean that the generation who will be living when these events begin to unfold will witness these things? If so, then these are events that are still to happen in the future. This could mean that the generation living in that future time will witness those cosmic events and see these things come to pass. These events might happen 2,000, 4,000 or 100,000 years in the future! Or they might happen today.

But what Jesus doesn’t leave open to question is his own belief that his words are infallibly true:

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

What Jesus insists is that his followers must be prepared for these events whenever they may come — by their moral choices, their lifestyle, and their sense of spiritual alertness:

“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Jesus advises his followers to be prepared for his inevitable return that will be revealed to the whole world.

APPLY:

Advent was not originally a season of Christmas lights, revelry and commercialism. Originally, Advent was a season of solemn preparation for the final coming of Christ.

We celebrate Christmas because Jesus was born to save us through his life, death and resurrection. But our experience of his redemption is not complete until we see:

‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.

The conclusion is inescapable if we take the words of Jesus seriously. Christ’s words are guaranteed by himself. Jesus fully expects to return in history at the end of the age.

The application for our lives is that we are to be ready at all times for his return. We are living in the interim time, between the first coming of Jesus and his final coming. And we are not to be absorbed with self-indulgence, dissipation, or even with the anxieties of everyday life. Those choices are all a trap.

We are to watch and pray at all times as we await the return of Christ.

RESPOND:

Apocalyptic literature in the Bible is always controversial. I came to faith in Christ in 1974 when “End Times Prophecy” was a growth industry, with books that became best sellers because they promised to interpret the signs that would surely tell us all when Jesus would return.

Since my conversion more than 40 years ago, there have been multiple predictions by “End Times Experts” of the exact date and time Jesus would return. Each time the “prophets” have been wrong.

My take is this — Jesus has promised to return, and he will return. But prognosticating how and when is none of my business. Jesus has told us that on several occasions.

There are two things that I firmly believe Jesus teaches about the Second Coming:

First, he tells us that he himself doesn’t know when these events will take place:

But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24:36).

If Jesus doesn’t know when he shall return, how can we have the audacity to determine the when and the where?

Second, Jesus tells us that we have a job to do while we await his return:

When Jesus is preparing to ascend into heaven as described in Acts 1, the disciples ask the question,

“Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

Jesus answers this question by saying:

“It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).

I sometimes joke with folks when they say to me “Preacher, why don’t you do something about the weather?” I answer, “I’m in sales, not in management.” That may be a rather facetious but accurate way to approach speculation about End Times. We Christians are in sales, not in management. Our task is to pray, watch, work, and witness. The management of times and dates is none of our business.

I do believe in the doctrine of the Second Coming, but I confess I don’t live as though I anticipate Christ’s imminent return. I need to be more aware of the distinct possibility that he could come at any time, and I must live accordingly.

Lord, forgive my self-indulgence, and my misplaced anxieties. Help me to remain vigilant and to pray unceasingly, and to live as one ready for the end. Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Watch and Pray” by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for March 24, 2019

This stained glass window detail of Luke 13:6-9 is in Ely Cathedral. [Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P., photographer]

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 13:1-9
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

In this passage, current events of that time intersect with the life and teaching of Jesus.

First, there are the atrocities committed by the order of Pontius Pilate, the Roman Military Governor of Judea:

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Adding to the horror of this atrocity is that it was committed in the Temple itself, which was an act of desecration.

His soldiers were ordered to carry the eagle standards of the legions into the temple, violating the second commandment against graven images.

According to Philo, golden shields were introduced into the temple grounds as well, eliciting the same negative reaction from the Jews. They publically protested, and Pilate had to back down.

So, the incident reported in Luke 13 is very much in character with Pontius Pilate’s temperament and practices.

Instead of condemning Pilate and weighing in on the political scandal, Jesus uses the opportunity to make a spiritual application to his listeners:

Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.

Jesus essentially is saying to them that “you’re not morally superior to those who were killed. There are consequences for all sinners unless you repent.”

In any event, Jesus makes much the same point about the death of the:

eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—

They are no worse and no better than his audience — and he drives home the point:

do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.

Jesus uses a parable to illustrate his emphasis on the importance of true repentance.

The owner of a garden has just about lost his patience with an unproductive fig tree after three barren years, so he tells his gardener to cut it down.

But the gardener intercedes for the fig tree, promising to dig around it and fertilize it. If it doesn’t bear fruit after that, he agrees that it should be cut down.

But the point is clear — if the fig tree bears no fruit, it may be cut down. The intercession of the gardener is a reprieve, but only if the fig tree bears fruit in the next season.

APPLY:

Jesus is focused on one thing — the Kingdom of God, and calling sinners to repentance so they may enter that Kingdom.

Jesus’ main concern here is to summon people to repentance.

fruits worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8).

RESPOND:

I have been a preacher in a “nice” denomination for almost 36 years. By that I mean that my church tends to focus on God’s “unconditional love” and the “universal atonement” of Christ.

I happen to like both of those concepts when they are rightly understood. God’s love for us is unconditional:

God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

And I absolutely believe that Jesus died for all humanity:

if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).

All we need to do to confirm this is to read on just a little in 1 John 2, the very next verse after the one cited above:

Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection (1 John 2:3-5).

PHOTO:

“Jesus tells the Parable of the Barren Tree” by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for December 16, 2018

Author’s Note: I encourage all of my readers to prepare for the Christmas season with the Choose This Day Family Bible Study for the Advent season. It’s a fun, short (10-15 minutes) Bible study that the whole family can enjoy daily from December 1 to 25. You can visit that website by clicking this link.

And now, back to today’s lectionary reading:

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 3:7-18
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

We have been introduced to John the Baptist as the transitional figure who prepares the way for the coming of the Messiah. Now, we catch a glimpse of his message.

This passage may be divided into three sections — John’s austere message of repentance; his specific instructions to answer the people’s question “What then should we do?”; and his announcement that his role is to prepare the way for one who is mightier than he is.

John begins his message without any sugar coating. He denounces the very crowd who comes to hear him and he insults them:

You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come

He then tells them that their credentials as children of the covenant and their Jewish pedigree mean nothing without true repentance:

Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

John uses a metaphor that would have spoken to their memory of the Hebrew bible. Israel is often compared to an olive tree or a fig tree:

Like grapes in the wilderness,
I found Israel.
Like the first fruit on the fig tree,
in its first season,
I saw your ancestors (Hosea 9:1-10).

But the tree is to bear fruit, or it will be cut down:

Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

John’s words hit their mark. The people respond:

What then should we do?

John takes this opportunity to bear down on his theme of repentance and give specific examples. In general, he says to all that they must be generous to the poor:

“Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.”

Note this next group:

Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

Luke gives a broad hint here that tax collectors were universally despised, not just because of taxation but also because they were in league with the hated Roman conquerors.

John recognizes that a large part of the tax collectors’ revenue was derived from collecting over and above even what the Romans demanded, and keeping the excess for themselves:

Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.

Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

John is obviously very keenly aware of the social and political realities of his time, and he isn’t hesitant to name the oppression he sees in his culture.

Needless to say, his dynamic ministry begins to raise the expectations of the Jewish people, and they begin to speculate about his role:

all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah . . .

But John is very quick to differentiate between his own ministry and that of the Messiah. His role is to baptize for the sake of repentance. And he acknowledges his subordination to the Messiah:

I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.

Again, John returns to vivid metaphorical language in order to illustrate what the Messiah will do:

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

John is unblinking in his description of judgment — not only is the Messiah to baptize with the Holy Spirit (the presence of God) but also with fire which will destroy the rejected chaff.

APPLY:

Today’s lectionary passage concludes with this statement:

So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

We may be permitted to wonder, “where’s the good news?”

John has been extremely direct with the crowd, the tax collectors and the soldiers. They must repent or face the consequences. “Turn or burn,” as the cliche goes.

Furthermore, we must be aware that our relationship with God doesn’t depend upon how many generations our families have been Christian, or on our church membership.

Here’s the paradox — repentance is an individual decision, but it has social consequences.

When we repent, our lives are amended and other people will see and experience the difference.

And that is good news!

RESPOND:

I wonder what would happen if pastors across the world began to preach more like John the Baptist. Oh, I know that many pastors will declare that they are “hell-fire and brimstone” preachers.

Not John! What if we were to greet people the way he does?

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

This can’t be described as spiritually warm and fuzzy!

baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

PHOTOS:
“Repent and believe” by Cathy Stanley-Erickson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for December 2, 2018

“Watch and Pray” Fr. Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. took this photograph of a detail from a medieval window in York Minster.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Luke 21:25-36
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is a dramatic reminder that Advent is not merely a season of preparation for Christmas. Advent prepares us not only to observe the nativity of Jesus and his first coming in history; Advent also prepares us now to anticipate his coming at the end of time.

This section of Luke’s Gospel is part of a passage known in the discourse of Jesus as the “Little Apocalypse,” from Luke 21:5-36. Parallel teachings are also found in the other “Synoptic Gospels” (synoptic means that Matthew, Mark and Luke include many of the same stories, with a similar sequence of events, in distinction from the Gospel of John); those passages may be found in Matthew 24 and Mark 13.

In this passage, there is not much subtlety about the signs presaging the coming of the kingdom of God:

There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

The heavens and the earth will point to cosmic events that are to come.

Jesus makes it quite clear that he expects to return after his death and resurrection as the conquering Messiah:

Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.

These are intended to be words not of foreboding but of comfort to those who follow Jesus:

Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Then, as is a common practice in the teachings of Jesus, he uses a parable to explain his meaning:

Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

But there are some aspects of this passage that are not at all clear to us. Jesus says:

Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Does he mean that the generation living at that time 2000 years ago would experience the apocalyptic events that he predicts? If so, he either wasn’t speaking literally, or he was wrong. I’m not willing to accept the notion that Jesus was wrong.

On the other hand, does Jesus mean that the generation who will be living when these events begin to unfold will witness these things? If so, then these are events that are still to happen in the future. This could mean that the generation living in that future time will witness those cosmic events and see these things come to pass. These events might happen 2000, 4000, or 100,000 years in the future! Or they might happen today.

But what Jesus doesn’t leave open to question is his own belief that his words are infallibly true:

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

What Jesus insists is that his followers must be prepared for these events whenever they may come, by their moral choices, their lifestyle, and their sense of spiritual alertness:

“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Jesus advises his followers to be prepared for his inevitable return that will be revealed to the whole world.

APPLY:

Advent was not originally a season of Christmas lights, revelry and commercialism. Originally Advent was a season of solemn preparation for the final coming of Christ.

We celebrate Christmas because Jesus was born to save us through his life, death and resurrection. But our experience of his redemption is not complete until we see:

the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.

The conclusion is inescapable if we take the words of Jesus seriously. Christ’s words are guaranteed by himself. Jesus fully expects to return in history at the end of the age.

We are to watch and pray at all times as we await the return of Christ.

RESPOND:

My take is this — Jesus has promised to return, and he will return. But prognosticating how and when is none of my business. Jesus has told us that on several occasions.

There are two things that I firmly believe Jesus teaches about the Second Coming:

First, he tells us that he himself doesn’t know when these events will take place:

But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24:36).

If Jesus doesn’t know when he shall return, how can we have the audacity to determine the when and the where?

Second, Jesus tells us that we have a job to do while we await his return:

When Jesus is preparing to ascend into heaven as described in Acts 1, the disciples ask the question,

“Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).

Jesus answers this question by saying:

“It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).

Lord, forgive my self-indulgence, and my misplaced anxieties. Help me to remain vigilant and to pray unceasingly, and to live as one ready for the end. Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Watch and Pray” by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel for Feb. 28 2016

This stained glass window detail of Luke 13:6-9 is in Ely Cathedral. [Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P., photographer]

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Luke 13:1-9

CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

In this passage, current events of that time intersect with the life and teaching of Jesus.

First, there are the atrocities committed by the order of Pontius Pilate, the Roman Military Governor of Judea:

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

Adding to the horror of this atrocity is that it was committed in the Temple itself, which was an act of desecration.

His soldiers were ordered to carry the eagle standards of the legions into the temple, violating the second commandment against graven images.

According to Philo, golden shields were introduced into the temple grounds as well, eliciting the same negative reaction from the Jews. They publically protested, and Pilate had to back down.

So, the incident reported in Luke 13 is very much in character with Pontius Pilate’s temperament and practices.

Instead of condemning Pilate and weighing in on the political scandal, Jesus uses the opportunity to make a spiritual application to his listeners:

Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.

Jesus essentially is saying to them that “you’re not morally superior to those who were killed. There are consequence for all sinners unless you repent.”

Jesus himself brings up another current news item: the collapse of the Tower of Siloam. The Tower of Siloam was likely in the southern part of Jerusalem, perhaps overlooking the Pool of Siloam, and may have either been a part of the aqueduct bringing water into the city or a fortified tower.

In any event, Jesus makes much the same point about the death of the

eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—

They are no worse and no better than his audience — and he drives home the point:

do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.

Jesus uses a parable to illustrate his emphasis on the importance of true repentance.

The owner of a garden has just about lost his patience with an unproductive fig tree after three barren years, so he tells his gardener to cut it down.

But the gardener intercedes for the fig tree, promising to dig around it and fertilize it. If it doesn’t bear fruit after that, he agrees that it should be cut down.

But the point is clear — if the fig tree bears no fruit, it may be cut down. The intercession of the gardener is a reprieve, but only if the fig tree bears fruit in the next season.

Jesus is driving home his message: you are all unfruitful sinners, and you will be “cut down” — like the Galileans killed by Pilate or the eighteen crushed by the tower — unless you repent and bear fruit!

APPLY:

Jesus is focused on one thing — the Kingdom of God, and calling sinners to repentance so they may enter that Kingdom.

Jesus’ main concern here is to summon people to repentance.

This interpretation may be a bit too mechanical for us, but the message is still clear: we are all sinners who must repent. And repentance doesn’t mean mere remorse but, as John the Baptist said, bearing:

fruits worthy of repentance (Luke 3:8).

RESPOND:

I have been a preacher in a “nice” denomination for almost 36 years. By that I mean that my church tends to focus on God’s “unconditional love” and the “universal atonement” of Christ.

I happen to like both of those concepts when they are rightly understood. God’s love for us is unconditional:

God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

And I absolutely believe that Jesus died for all humanity:

if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).

All we need to do to confirm this is to read on just a little in 1 John 2, the very next verse after the one cited above:

Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments. Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection (1 John 2:3-5).

I always come back to the same place. “God loves me just the way I am; but he loves me too much to leave me just the way I am.” And one more thing: God doesn’t really condemn anyone to hell; we choose that for ourselves.

PHOTO:

“Jesus tells the Parale of the Barren Tree” by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic license.