**Sermon Title: It’s Rarely, If Ever What it Looks Like**

**Sunday March 23, 2025. Third Sunday in Lent**
**New Testament: Luke 13:1-9 New Revised Standard Version**

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

2 He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?

3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.

4 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?

5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."

6 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.

7 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?'

8 He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it.

9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

I am thankful this morning for a number of things. I’m especially thankful this morning to journey with members who are so deeply vested in the life and culture of the Church. The Lenten season is moving along very quickly. If you haven't had an opportunity to join us for Soup & Substance on Wednesday evenings, I encourage you to do so.

The meals, fellowship and the prayer experiences have been absolutely wonderful. I want to take a brief moment to thank Sandra for leading us the past three weeks in Lectio Divina or Sacred reading.

This week I will lead us in prayer. I encourage you to carve out some time to be in fellowship with us as we deepen our personal prayer lives and as we enrich one another by our shared presence in the chapel.

Speaking of enriching our spiritual lives, let’s get to the text this morning. I have admittedly spent more time with this particular passage of scripture than I have other texts throughout the month. It occurred to me after the first couple of readings, that we don’t hear a whole lot about repentance in the church very much. At least not anymore.

Growing up in various Christian denominations the topic of repentance seems to have been one of much greater preaching frequency than I am accustomed to hearing today. In fact, I wondered if and when I myself had broached the subject of repentance in my own preaching career. Amazingly, I could only recount very few instances.

Not to suggest I do not value, importance of repentance in the life of the Church, because indeed I do. Even still, I found myself searching desperately the recesses of my mind to recount an occasion on which I preached on the subject.

And here I was reading a relatively short passage in the Gospel of Luke where its recounted that twice, Jesus those following him to repent. Even more intriguing to me was how Jesus arrived at the place of urging repentance in this particular context.

If you visit the text with me, either in your bulletin or on your phone, and who knows someone might actually have a bible among us…. But however, you can, I invite you to look closely at the text with me.

Luke is recounting an encounter between Jesus and a crowd of followers that was gathered. This unidentified crowd of folks, again folks who were followers- of Jesus. Well some of those individuals took it upon themselves to report an incident to Jesus.

Based on the fact that these people were following Jesus, listening to his teachings and in close proximity to Jesus we can surmise a few things about them. It is safe to conclude that those following Jesus were Jews, and they were individuals who valued the teaching of Jesus. Individuals who perceived themselves to be morally upright.

I think it is also safe to conclude that they viewed themselves as religious, upstanding Individuals who to some extent had the ear of Jesus. Why else would they have bothered to make this report if they didn’t? Finally, they are giving a report of the actions of others, not their own actions or patterns of behavior.

The report brought to Jesus was simply this… Hey Jesus, there were some Galileans who Pilate murdered and not only did Pilate murder them but he actually mingled the blood of the Galileans with the blood of the animal sacrifices.

It would stand to reason when Pilate came upon the Galileans and killed them, and “their” blood was mingled with the blood of the animals that they were slaying for sacrifice. There is no indication that Pilate “offered” their blood in sacrifice. But instead, as the Galileans were sacrificing, Pilate killed them. This was indeed a horrific occurrence or as some commentators describe the event “an all-out Calamity.”

So we find the religious, morally upright Jews who generally speaking esteemed the Galileans less than, that is to say the Galileans were considered less civil, less cultured and less educated than the more refined Jews living closer to Jerusalem[1].

Of this human calamity, we find the morally and religiously upright reporting the event to Jesus. What scholars believe likely happened was while some Galileans were at the temple to offer their sacrifices, Roman soldiers who lived nearby converged upon them and killed them. It also stands to reason that folks were talking about it. Specifically, as some of the Jews mingled in pursuit of Jesus, they would naturally discuss the atrocity among themselves and when the opportunity presented itself, they would report the incident to Jesus.

What I find interesting was the tone and implication in the reporting. As they offered their report it was apparent that some suggested in their hearts the Galileans had brought this horror upon themselves. As such, some concluded that the Galileans were worse sinners than most and God let this happen to them because of it. Can you imagine a group of individuals in an act of worship being slaughtered and the report comes back… “They were the worst?” I love Jesus’s rebuttal…

Jesus basically says, so let me get this straight…, you righteous people are standing in front of me with the belief that because the Galileans suffered tragedy, it was because of their sin and not because of the sinful nature of the ones who killed them?

You are so religious that you have allowed yourself to believe that because you have escaped tragedy that you are somehow holier end more righteous than those who suffer great tragedy at the hands of other individuals and systems?

If you will allow me…. Please let me interject my sanctified imagination very briefly. I believe this morning if Jesus was to meet us for coffee fellowship, Jesus would ask the morally upright, the scholarly and religiously astute, and those who esteem themselves religiously superior followers of Jesus.

Pointing to the poor Jesus is asking us “Do you think because these Americans suffer poverty, that they are somehow worse sinners than all other Americans?”

Jesus would probably continue as he accompanies us on a slow, reverent stroll down the halls of local Emergency room, and an intensive care unit, assigning a hushed whisperer “My Beloved, do you think because these Americans suffer poor health, that they are somehow worse sinners than all other Americans?

Strolling the streets of Downtown St. Louis, Jesus would pause in reverent acknowledgement of the unhoused, and ask of me, “Do you think because these Americans suffer housing insecurity, that they are somehow worse sinners than all other Americans?”

Do you think because these Americans suffer sex trafficking, that they are somehow worse than all other Americans?

There’s a pattern here God’s Beloved UACC. First there was the report, Then Jesus gives us something to consider. While we’re considering…Jesus responds and tells us exactly what we must do. Can you hear the firm loving voice of Jesus?

“No, I tell you” Jesus says. No, they are not worse, But unless you repent

Unless you have a change of heart

Unless you have a change of mind

Unless you have a change of will,

Unless you...

First, take a good long look at yourself and second, make the necessary changes needed to draw closer to God and closer to one another, you will find yourself in the same calamity as those you want to hold responsible for their own tragedies.

Twice so far in this passage, we see the pattern.

First, There's a report of a situation

Second, Jesus offers significant points to consider draw our attention away from what it looks like

Then finally. Jesus calls us to repentance which demands we look at ourselves….

From where we stand in our positions of moral and religious superiority, from that platform it looks like…

All unemployed people are lazy

It appears all poor people are unworthy

It appears all single parent or non-traditional family structures are somehow both sinful and dysfunctional.

It appears all who are struggling to simply make it … are undeserving…

But my friends, Jesus disrupts this line of thinking.

Jesus points out, It’s rarely if ever what it looks like.

Jesus calls us to take a second look at individuals and situations we hold in judgement. And we’re being called to see those individuals, institutions and situations through the lens of self-examination and active change. Or dare I remind you we’re being called to invest in being who God’s calling us to be.

I love the conclusion of the parable of the fig tree.

6 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.

7 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?'

8 He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it.

9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

God’s beloved, It’s rarely what it looks like. The owner saw a barren tree. A disappointment. The Gardner on the other hand, saw potential and an opportunity to pour into another. I love this parable at this moment because I am reminded that my unmet expectations of a person or a situation does not necessarily warrant complete rejection.

Hmmm… Imagine that… .my unmet expectations of a person, and institution or a situation does not necessarily warrant complete rejection of individuals, institutions and systems that continue to disappoint me.

My friends, if we allow it, disappointment has the capacity to propel us to move in leaps and bounds for a cause greater than ourselves.

Perhaps we are faced with a disappointing situation or relationship that calls us to identify with the Merciful Gardner today. The Merciful Gardner who pleads for more time.

The request is not simply for more time for the tree to blossom,

More time for the Church to grow

More time for that annoying individual to change their annoying ways…

But the request is for more time AND opportunities to contribute to the nourishment and growth of the one planted in our midst?

If we are expecting more from one another than we’re actually getting...

If we are expecting more from the church than we’re getting

If we’re expecting more from our neighbors than we’re getting

If we’re expecting more from our leaders, pastors, and teachers,

The question becomes, are we willing to do the work on us, the work of self-reflection and self-correction, along with the work of changed perspective?

Are we willing to Change our minds, and perspectives and ways of relating to the world around us?

Are we availing ourselves to succumb to repentance with the understanding that It’s rarely if ever, what it looks like?

Repentance… Repentance, the act of relinquishing any practiced behaviors and or mindset from the conviction that we understand those behaviors and ways of thinking have offended God.

Are we willing to stand in support of rather than in judgment of?

Are we willing to commit to being in a Godly relationship over being right?

Are we open to repentance rather than self-righteousness?

God’s Beloved, we are not hopeless or helpless people, no matter what the circumstance looks like.

No matter the depth of fear our hearts and minds hold. No matter what another’s situation looks like. We are renewed through repentance, and we are reconciled to God by the power of our resurrected God through Christ Jesus

From the tragedy of delayed dreams, we continue to build

From the tragedy of disappointment and unmet expectations we turn to repentance and continue to grow

From the tragedy of Cross, our Jesus rose! This my friends, Is the Good News!

It is in this good news of the Cross and our resurrected Jesus the Christ, that we find reassurance time and time again.

No matter how bleak the day,

and no matter how dark the night;

It’s rarely if ever what it looks like!

For this reminder of God’s faithfulness to us, and forever, we say,

Thanks be to God!

[1] The bloody galileans and the tower of siloam - Bible Walking