Irregular Fruit
Irregular Fruit
Luke 13.1-9
This week's Gospel opens with a report of state-sanctioned terror. We know very little of “The Galileans whose blood Pilot mingled with their sacrifices”. This event is not corroborated and is only found in Luke’s Gospel. The people reporting the event appear to refer to a massacre of a group of Galilean pilgrims in the Temple of Jerusalem. It is quite possible that this horrific event was becoming well known amongst the people. Jesus is quick to point out that this evil did not befall the victims because of any kind of moral lack or divine judgement. The victims of evil are often innocent and commonly random. What a dangerous and challenging thought for people who believed otherwise. Jesus highlights the fact that death can come at random to anyone, at any time. For this reason, Jesus focuses on the importance of repentance, this is not something to put on the back burner. Jesus then shifts the focus to the parable of the Fig Tree. This parable tells of a man who planted a Fig Tree in his vineyard but even though the tree was growing well, and was being looked after, it still did not bear fruit. The man made a deal with the gardener that they would pay closer attention to the care of the tree and if after another year it did not bear fruit, they would cut it down.
The parable of the Fig Tree serves to support Jesus comments about the nature of life and death. The fig tree was able to grow for years without bearing any fruit. Similarly, people may be fortunate enough to live a long and luxurious life while being devoid of the fruit of compassion, mercy, and repentance. Long life and luxury, however, are not a guarantee and not a sign of divine blessing, just as tragedy is not a sign of Gods wrath.
It is easy to mistake repentance as a simple regret and rejection of past moral actions but this is not the case. Repentance is a whole new way of seeing the world, through the eyes of one who has heard the call of God. When someone begins to live in this new sight, life-giving fruit is a natural product of such living. Jesus is not urging people to hurry up and repent to avoid judgement. Jesus is inviting people into a transformed way of seeing the world, thus rising above the often-random nature of long life and tragedy. The kind of repentance Jesus calls people to looks beyond the symbol of a "punished" or "blessed" group to the real-life people behind this image. This powerful act frees us from being used as a symbol and reminds us to not use others in the same way.
Rowan Williams in his essay "Against Symbols" writes; “When we strike out at a symbol such as a flag, we hurt nothing except perhaps the self-esteem of those who use the language of which it’s a part. When we decide to treat people as symbols, the story is different”[1]. This reflection from Rowan Williams reminds us of the trap that Christ's call to repentance offers deliverance from. Our faithfulness is not to be defined by holding ourselves as an example against others, but by seeing all as interdependent members with us of creation.
Lent is an invitation to explore the reality of repentance in our lives. As we journey through this season, we should take this invitation seriously and seek out how we are called to see things anew. This is a difficult calling in a world that seemingly invites us to put ourselves in opposition to others. There is a very real sense in which we can be twisted and led off by course apathy and judgement of other people. An example of this can be seen in the reaction of some towards the student strike for climate change. The charge of apathy has frequently been levelled at the younger generation. It is a wonderful counter to this charge that such a movement has been established and so many have taken up this cause. Of course, like anything, there are those who choose to dismiss this action and instead focus on diminishing be people behind the cause with statements such as "Shouldn't they all just be in school". This strike is an invitation into a serious discussion about an issue that affects all humanity. It is a call to repentance, a call to see the world with refreshed eyes and to treat it as a precious creation. If this invitation is taken seriously something beautiful and counter-cultural will happen; a deep and cooperative discussion on how we can better live together.
We are all called to walk the path of repentance. This is not a threat, but an invitation and a gift of Grace. As we continue our Lenten journey may we seek ever more keenly to joyously accept this gift.
Rev Claye Middleton
[1] Rowan Williams, "Against Symbols", in Writing in the dust: After September 11 (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing C., 2002; London: Hodder and Stoughton, 2002)