Being a pastor for several decades has allowed me to be present with people in the holy time of their death. I have been given the privilege of ministering to families during these moments, and I truly feel God’s spirit there. I was once interviewed by a troop of Girl Scouts who asked me about my favorite aspect of pastoring, and they were very surprised when I responded that “ministry with the dying” was where I felt closest to God. They asked me if it was easier after someone had been sick for a long time or when it happened all of a sudden, and there really is no answer for that. But when we experience the sudden death of a loved one, the shock and incomprehensible nature of what has occurred can leave us disoriented, in denial, and unable to move forward for a very long time. A factor in that disorientation can be the loved one’s lack of preparation for their death, making it a sticky tar pit of overwhelming red tape, paperwork, and details that are almost impossible to wade through. This bodes the question of us today: Are you prepared? What will happen to your loved ones if you were to die tomorrow?
Today’s lectionary reading begins with a startling description of two types of “sudden death.” One occurred by the evil hand of Pilate when he slaughtered Galilean jews who were on their way to bring their sacrifices to the temple in Jerusalem. The second involved the sudden death of innocent bystanders when the tower of Siloam fell on them. Jesus responded to his questioners by pointing out that both cases sound a warning blast about our need to change our hearts and lives immediately. He reasoned that anyone might die in the same state of unreadiness, so repentance is the only way to be prepared.
Luke 13 (Common English Bible)
13 Some who were present on that occasion told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices.2 He replied, “Do you think the suffering of these Galileans proves that they were more sinful than all the other Galileans? 3 No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did. 4 What about those eighteen people who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think that they were more guilty of wrongdoing than everyone else who lives in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did.”
There was a pervasive thought at the time that suffering and death were a punishment for sinful behavior, while those who were good received only blessings and long life. Jesus assured them that this is not the case, and they must all turn away and choose real change in their lives by offering God true repentance.
Jesus uses two Greek words for repentance in this passage. In verse 3 he speaks of the need for “continuing” repentance and in verse 5 he refers to the need for a “once and for all” repentance. His point was that we may all die at sometime without warning, so repentance must be our first priority.
6 Jesus told this parable: “A man owned a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 He said to his gardener, ‘Look, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for the past three years, and I’ve never found any. Cut it down! Why should it continue depleting the soil’s nutrients?’ 8 The gardener responded, ‘Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer. 9 Maybe it will produce fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.’”
The parable that he tells after this offers them an invitation to be truly ready to die. Like the fig tree, many of them (and us) have failed to bear God’s fruit. God always comes looking for fruit!
Galatians 5 (Common English Bible)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this.
God-as-Gardner is patient and comes every year to help the tree grow. He waters it with his word and fertilizes it with his spirit. He offers a second chance. But God-as-Vineyard Owner has a limit: At some point, no more chances will come. Look at the list again. Are you bearing God’s fruit in your life? What needs to change?
The lesson here? Sudden death doesn’t get a second chance. Don’t delay your repentance. It is time to turn around and turn your life over to God.
At Water’s Edge 