Ample Time to Repent & Live for God?
Ample Time to Repent & Live for God?
We are in the season for hurricanes and severe weather effects. Gustav just touched down this week doing great damages and killing people in Cuba and southern parts of Louisiana. Now, hurricane Hanna is on the way. Who can forget the 2004 tsunami that wiped out thousands in Asia? In spring of this year, an earthquake struck China killing thousands. There is calamity after calamity. After a while, you begin to wonder where it will strike next and not whether it will strike again. There is the temptation to think that those affected by these calamities have done something terrible and offended God in a way no one else ever did. You may not think so but in the Jewish tradition, there is the notion that calamity will befall only those who are extremely sinful. Even in my own African culture, I would hear as child, the elders say, “Who knows what they have done?” This implies that whatever calamity was as a result of the sins the affected people had committed.
Today in our lesson, Jesus quickly dismisses that wrong theology and basically tells us and everyone one to repent because we are all sinners anyway and to bear fruit for God for He has given us ample time to do so. Do you know how much time you have left?
Luke 13:1-9
1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
6Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'
8" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "
Here are my observations on the above passage in addition to the ones you may have.
1. The context is Jesus’ prolonged discussion of the end times, signs of the end and the need to be watchful and ready. Please read Luke 12: 35-59. One thing is for sure and Jesus states it clearly, “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” We must be ready. Usually, we think about the end of the world and the return of Jesus in the future sense but the moment we stop breathing, Jesus has come for us either to welcome us or to judge us.
2. Pilate, from what was known about him was ruthless and was more than capable to slaughter people as was narrated to Jesus. We see wicked leaders all around the world who for no reason kill and torture their people. Yes, God is aware and allows such atrocities to happen but God is not the initiator. Will bad things happen to good and godly people? Yes. Calamity does not discriminate. It is an equal opportunity employer. I believe this passage is one of the places where Jesus blows apart the “Prosperity Gospel” which says if you are a Christian, you must be rich, healthy and not suffer and if you are suffering and do not have riches and good health, there is something wrong with your Christianity”. We all have sinned and live in the same sinful world which spreads pain to all. Will God save us from the pain and suffering? Yes, God will save us but our salvation is beyond physical salvation.
3. How long do we have to make peace with God? Now! Tomorrow may be too late. In Jesus’ parable, three years and the extra one year are all figurative. Each person’s “three years” or “one year” is different. One thing is for certain, God gives us ample time to repent. He will even “dig around and fertilize” us so we can bear fruit of repentance. God goes out of His way to offer us kindness and grace that leads to repentance. Is there something God has been dealing with you about? The bigger question is whether you and I have made peace with God through repentance of sin and accepting Jesus as our savior from the ultimate judgment? You can pray to God now and He will forgive. Please pray for me too, for I need Him. Thank you.
4. Repentance (shunning and turning away from sin to turning to living right with God) leads to salvation. We must turn away from wickedness and turn to God as His sons and daughters. There is this new teaching that says, it does not matter what we do and God is all forgiving and his love covers it all therefore, we do not need to repent. In Jesus’ words, “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” I think he means business. Repentance is not the cause for our salvation but rather an evidence of our salvation. Yes, we are saved by grace through faith but we must also repent of our sins and turn to God. This is the Gospel of Christ.
It is for the Father’s pleasure that we bear fruit through the Holy Spirit. What fruit? The fruit of the Spirit we are to bear are, “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control” (Galatians 5:22). On the contrary, we must repent and turn from, “sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and like sins” (Galatians 5:19). The Bible is not vague. We are the ones who are vague and try to dismiss what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. You and I have a choice. Bear fruit or remain in our sinful behavior. When was the last time you exercised “self control” over your eating, spending and speech? We are very good at “other people control” but not “self control”. We need self control so we can be a blessing to others and show them God’s love. We all have a fruit or two that we can bear more or even begin to bear through the help of the Holy Spirit. We must be intentional in our walk with Jesus and deal with any “sin that so easily entangles” us so that we can “run with perseverance the race that is marked out for us”; with our eyes “fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). May God help us to repent and bear fruit within the ample time He has given us. Amen.
We are in the season for hurricanes and severe weather effects. Gustav just touched down this week doing great damages and killing people in Cuba and southern parts of Louisiana. Now, hurricane Hanna is on the way. Who can forget the 2004 tsunami that wiped out thousands in Asia? In spring of this year, an earthquake struck China killing thousands. There is calamity after calamity. After a while, you begin to wonder where it will strike next and not whether it will strike again. There is the temptation to think that those affected by these calamities have done something terrible and offended God in a way no one else ever did. You may not think so but in the Jewish tradition, there is the notion that calamity will befall only those who are extremely sinful. Even in my own African culture, I would hear as child, the elders say, “Who knows what they have done?” This implies that whatever calamity was as a result of the sins the affected people had committed.
Today in our lesson, Jesus quickly dismisses that wrong theology and basically tells us and everyone one to repent because we are all sinners anyway and to bear fruit for God for He has given us ample time to do so. Do you know how much time you have left?
Luke 13:1-9
1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
6Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'
8" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "
Here are my observations on the above passage in addition to the ones you may have.
1. The context is Jesus’ prolonged discussion of the end times, signs of the end and the need to be watchful and ready. Please read Luke 12: 35-59. One thing is for sure and Jesus states it clearly, “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” We must be ready. Usually, we think about the end of the world and the return of Jesus in the future sense but the moment we stop breathing, Jesus has come for us either to welcome us or to judge us.
2. Pilate, from what was known about him was ruthless and was more than capable to slaughter people as was narrated to Jesus. We see wicked leaders all around the world who for no reason kill and torture their people. Yes, God is aware and allows such atrocities to happen but God is not the initiator. Will bad things happen to good and godly people? Yes. Calamity does not discriminate. It is an equal opportunity employer. I believe this passage is one of the places where Jesus blows apart the “Prosperity Gospel” which says if you are a Christian, you must be rich, healthy and not suffer and if you are suffering and do not have riches and good health, there is something wrong with your Christianity”. We all have sinned and live in the same sinful world which spreads pain to all. Will God save us from the pain and suffering? Yes, God will save us but our salvation is beyond physical salvation.
3. How long do we have to make peace with God? Now! Tomorrow may be too late. In Jesus’ parable, three years and the extra one year are all figurative. Each person’s “three years” or “one year” is different. One thing is for certain, God gives us ample time to repent. He will even “dig around and fertilize” us so we can bear fruit of repentance. God goes out of His way to offer us kindness and grace that leads to repentance. Is there something God has been dealing with you about? The bigger question is whether you and I have made peace with God through repentance of sin and accepting Jesus as our savior from the ultimate judgment? You can pray to God now and He will forgive. Please pray for me too, for I need Him. Thank you.
4. Repentance (shunning and turning away from sin to turning to living right with God) leads to salvation. We must turn away from wickedness and turn to God as His sons and daughters. There is this new teaching that says, it does not matter what we do and God is all forgiving and his love covers it all therefore, we do not need to repent. In Jesus’ words, “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” I think he means business. Repentance is not the cause for our salvation but rather an evidence of our salvation. Yes, we are saved by grace through faith but we must also repent of our sins and turn to God. This is the Gospel of Christ.
It is for the Father’s pleasure that we bear fruit through the Holy Spirit. What fruit? The fruit of the Spirit we are to bear are, “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control” (Galatians 5:22). On the contrary, we must repent and turn from, “sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and like sins” (Galatians 5:19). The Bible is not vague. We are the ones who are vague and try to dismiss what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. You and I have a choice. Bear fruit or remain in our sinful behavior. When was the last time you exercised “self control” over your eating, spending and speech? We are very good at “other people control” but not “self control”. We need self control so we can be a blessing to others and show them God’s love. We all have a fruit or two that we can bear more or even begin to bear through the help of the Holy Spirit. We must be intentional in our walk with Jesus and deal with any “sin that so easily entangles” us so that we can “run with perseverance the race that is marked out for us”; with our eyes “fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). May God help us to repent and bear fruit within the ample time He has given us. Amen.
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