March 14, 2004; The Third Sunday in Lent Readings: Exodus 3:1-15; 1Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke: 13:1-9; Psalm 103:1-11.   The Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith Nourishment for Growth Once again this week, we were reminded about the uncertainty of life. Two hundred were killed and over 1,500 injured when bombs exploded on commuter trains in Spain. What can we say about such acts of violence? They are senseless and horrible, terrifying and brutal. Where is God in that? God is right there in the depths of the suffering. The message of our Christian faith is one that deals with suffering. Jesus suffered and died for us so that we would never be alone in our grief. God became man in order to experience all the terror that humans can inflict on each another. Being a Christian does not mean that we will not suffer, but, rather, that Jesus will be there with us to share our burden and to bring us to new life through the pain. When we encounter suffering, most of us search for an answer. We want to explain why things happen. Some people focus on God as the cause of all events. No matter what is happening they say, "It’s God’s will." How could suffering be God’s will? Some people believe that they suffer because of the sins that they have committed. I have found this to be the case outside of the Episcopal Church more so than in our denomination. When I was a hospital chaplain, I meet a number of people who believed that God was punishing them by giving them illnesses. Such an idea distressed me, and did not fit with my understanding of God. Interesting, that explanation gave them comfort because God was still in total control. You can see how one might come to such a conclusion. We do talk about God being just and judging our actions. So what is the relationship between our sins and God’s judgment? Jesus was faced with such a question in our gospel reading today. Two tragedies have occurred. The Romans have been killing Galileans. And a tower fell and killed eighteen people. The question presented is "did they deserve this because they were worse sinners than others. Jesus is very clear; he says no. These things did not happen because the people were sinners. Sometimes things just happen. Towers fall. Earthquakes occur. People get sick. God cries with us. Sometimes free will means that people choose evil instead of good. Pilate killed many. Terrorists act to disrupt and destroy. God cries with us. No, Jesus says, these who suffered were not worse sinners. But don’t miss the point, Jesus says, life is uncertain and you should repent. Those whom Pilate slaughtered were not worse sinners than others in Jerusalem and those who died when the tower fell were not worse. If these events get your attention, however, that is good because some live as though life will never end. Jesus challenges us to live each day as if it were our last when it comes to repentance. In his words, we hear a sense of urgency about our need to repent. Being reminded of the urgency is different than being threatened. There is urgency because God knows that as we grow in holiness our lives and the lives of those around us improve greatly. There is urgency because life is uncertain. That’s not a threat; that’s a reality. The Gospel reading says much about who we are and what we should be doing. It also says much about who God is and what God is doing. Who is this God that we proclaim? Jesus’ parables were meant to help his followers grasp the truth—the truth about life, the truth about themselves, and the truth about God. The truth presented by Jesus often called into question typical ways of understanding reality. Jesus had just stated that life is brutal and there is an urgent need to repent. In the parable he turns to God’s part in this dynamic. Rather than adding up the sins and imposing judgment, God seeks to encourage conversion. In the context of discussing repentance, Jesus tells those gathered a parable about a fig tree. The owner of the vineyard looked for fruit on the fig tree but found none. The usual action to take would have been to cut down the tree. Make room for a new tree. Start again. The soil is valuable and this tree is not producing fruit. After all, he gave the tree three years to produce and the tree let him down each year. The gardener has a different plan. He wants to care for the tree and nourish it. It is true that things cannot continue as they have. But maybe the answer is not to give up on the tree but to care for it in the way that only a skilled gardener can. Who is this God that we proclaim? This is God who has a plan for us that differs from the normal ways of the world. Our savior is a skilled gardener, who has mercy on us and nourishes us from the depths of his own being with every hope that we will bear fruit. God reaches out to us with a sense of urgency. We are invited to take that call to grow seriously and respond with the fruits of the Spirit. Amen.