I recall a back-road forestry route between Maryborough and Childers. One year, heading to Yamba from Stanthorpe, we took what proved to be some very rubbly road through Busby's Flat - nothing there but a tick gate! The old Gwydir Highway from Glen Innes to Grafton takes you through a rough rocky road tunnel.
Sometimes on these back routes we come to a fork or a T-junction and must make a decision. In general, it is often wise to take the road that looks more used. On other occasions we may come to the embarrassing realisation that we are on the wrong road. Our only option is to turn around and go back.
The message of Jesus began with a very simple call - "Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near" (Mt. 4.17). In Matthew's account this preaching began before he called the four fishermen to follow him (vv. 18-22).
Somehow we have tended to get that all mixed up - as if there are two optional ways of becoming and being a Christian. Some may need to "repent and believe the gospel." But many of us just have to "follow Jesus".
In fact, the "following Jesus" bit was specific training and preparation for preaching the gospel. In Acts 2 we hear the preaching of Peter, one of the four fishermen whom Jesus called to follow him. Peter called on the crowd to "repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ…" (v. 38). Following Jesus, Peter had learnt well his own need of repentance (John 21.15ff). He also learnt well the importance of calling all people to repentance.
The word for "repentance" literally refers to a "change of mind". It is much more than being sorry for your sins. In fact, J.D.G. Dunn points out that New Testament usage of "repentance not just as a feeling sorry, or changing one's mind, but as a turning round, a complete alteration of the basic motivation and direction of one's life. This is why the best translation for metanoeo is often 'to convert', that is, 'to turn round'. It also helps to explain why John the Baptist demanded baptism as an expression of this repentance, not just for obvious 'sinners', but for 'righteous' Jews as well -- baptism as a decisive act of turning from the old way of life and a throwing oneself on the mercy of the Coming One" (New Bible Dictionary).
When we find ourselves driving down the wrong road, it is possible we may feel bad, but keep on going anyway. We might pull over to the side of the road and lay our head on the steering wheel and give vent to our feelings of lostness. In a Biblical sense, this could be the beginnings of repentance. However, it only becomes "repentance" when we turn around and start going the other way.
In other words, repentance involves a two-fold turn - a turn away from sin and a turn to God for forgiveness and a new life.
Pontius Pilate was not exactly the most popular of Roman governors. Some people reminded Jesus of atrocities Pilate committed.
According to D.H. Wheaton, "Josephus [Jewish historian] and Eusebius [early church historian] allege a further grievance of the Jews against Pilate, in that he used money from the Temple treasury to build an aqueduct to convey water to the city from a spring some 40 km away. Tens of thousands of Jews demonstrated against this project when Pilate came up to Jerusalem, presumably at the time of a festival, and he in return sent his troops in disguise against them, so that a large number were slain. It is generally considered that this riot was caused by the Galileans mentioned in Lk. 13.1-2 (whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices)… It is not known whether the tower at Siloam which collapsed (Lk. 13.4) was part of this aqueduct" (New Bible Dictionary).
There is an evident inference in bringing this story to Jesus. There must have been something wrong with these people - some underlying sin - that this kind of calamity occurred. The first, of course, could have simply been sheeted home to the unpopular Pilate himself. Even so, why did it happen to these people? The second occasion is more like an "act of God" - perhaps caused by building negligence.
In John 9 we hear the disciples asking Jesus, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" The answer of Jesus is clear - "His blindness has nothing to do with his sins or his parents' sins…", as the Good News Bible puts it (Jn 9.1ff GNB).
Here, in Luke 13, Jesus is also refuting this kind of thinking. And he does it with a very pointed challenge to his hearers, "I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish" (vv. 3,5).
David Beswick puts it very pertinently, "So what about you? It is all very well to speculate about the providence of God, and it may well be important to straighten out twisted ideas about how God deals with his creatures, and even to learn from that how we should relate to others as Children of God; but do not hide behind those generalities. First face the facts about yourself. Repent! Turn away from the evil that you do. Turn to God and you will live" (Beswick, "Are those who suffer worse sinners?").
Jesus continues by telling the parable of the unfruitful fig-tree. This fig-tree was in a vineyard. Many fig-trees grew by the wayside, but it was not unusual to have a fig-tree in a vineyard. In Matthew's account, Jesus cursed a fig-tree the morning after his Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem and cleansing of the Temple (Mt. 21.18-22). There, as here, the fig-tree seems to be symbolic of Israel and their failure to respond to his ministry. What is striking in the present parable is the fig-tree in a vineyard. Israel was accustomed to being called the vineyard of the Lord (as in Is. 5.1-7; 27.2-5; Jer. 2.20-25; Ezek. 19.10-14). The vines are central to the purpose of the vineyard, whereas the fig-tree is a sideline - and might have to be removed to make way for something more productive.
The parable makes two main points. At the end of this chapter we have Jesus' lament over Jerusalem - we hear the Lord's searching, pleading love. Here again we are reminded of the patient love of God that longs to see "fruit" - lives fulfilling the very purpose for which they were made.
But the parable also speaks of the certainty of judgment if the gracious love of God is finally rejected. Both of these - the patient love of God and the certainty of judgement - come into Jesus' lament over Jerusalem.
Peter was writing about the coming Day of the Lord, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3.8-9). There we have it again - the patient love of God, always searching, pleading, and the certainty of judgment. "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation…" (2 Pet. 3.15a).
The gardener does not have forever to save his tree. And we don't have forever with our lives either. The Lord in his searching pleading love is looking for our response to him - both in the repentance and faith that receives salvation and in the "fruit" that demonstrates the reality of saving faith.
And he has called us to reach out with the message of salvation to the world about us. We don't have forever to fulfil his mission either. For each individual the time of reckoning will come. And for society, civilisation and the world as a whole, the time of reckoning will come.
Judgment is inevitable, but I don't believe we can call it "the Father's good pleasure". There is something perverted in those Christians who take delight in the thought of sinners sizzling in the fires of hell. Such was not the attitude of Jesus. And yet it is a serious distortion to ignore the reality of judgment. Jesus spoke about it many times.
Jesus is calling us to repentance and faith - and fruitfulness. He is also calling us to express his own searching, pleading love towards others in our society - and to the cultivating and manuring which will open to people the possibility of responding positively to his redeeming love.
Let us all hear and heed his call.
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