Change

In order to change, you have to first believe the current situation needs changing.

At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, "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. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--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." Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?' He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'" - Luke 13:1-9

Today's Gospel reading starts with word coming to Jesus that some Galileans were killed.

It is thought that this news is about a protest against Pilate for using Temple funds to build an aqueduct.  Pilate supposedly sent his soldiers into the crowd disguised as protesters and they killed some of the people.

This may be what they meant by the commingling of blood.

Jesus responds with a parable, which makes them think, not about Pilate, but about themselves.

Walking in the vineyard is the man who owns the property and his gardener. The owner spots a fig tree that is not producing and he tells the gardener to cut it down.

The tree has not produced for three years and during that time, the gardener apparently did not tend to it.  But now that the owner wants to cut it down, the gardener pleads for more time to try to revive it.

Isn't that a lot like us?

Don't we wait until the moment when we have to act to think of what we could do?

Jesus's point in saying the people who died were no more guilty of sin than those who didn't is to give all of us a wake up call.  We can and will all be called to task.

Maybe the message is that we should assess our own situation now, while we can, before the wolf is at the gate.  Then we can change.

More to come...