Accountable
Luke 13:1-9
March 11,
2007
At that very
time there were some present who told him 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.’”
Webster informs one that a
synonym
for accountable is "responsible". The definition according to Mr.
Webster is "answerable". Luke speaks to both of these words in this
passage. The evangelist was and doing his best to inform the believers
that they would be held accountable for their actions in life.
Jesus
evidently was teaching one day when some people came to him to complain
about Herod’s actions toward some other folks. They were visibly upset
that Herod had caused the death of some Galileans in the middle of their
sacrifices. Tradition informs us that Herod realized that Jerusalem needed
a new water supply. Herod decided to use Temple monies to pay for the
building of the aqueduct to bring the water into Jerusalem. It was a good
idea to develop a new water supply system for Jerusalem. The people were
upset that Herod was going to use the Temple monies to pay for the
project. They opposed Herod’s plan. Herod was determined to get his way so
he instructed his soldiers to dress just like everyone else and when the
mobs gathered to oppose his idea then the soldiers were to spring on them
and disperse them. Unfortunately, the soldiers acted out with far more
violence than anyone would have imagined and they left some dead as they
drove the others out.
The actions of the soldiers were a horrible thing. Some people went to
Jesus to complain about it and to try to get
him to do something about it. I can hear someone shouting out in the
presence of Jesus: “Are we going to let that
old fox Herod get away with these murders.” At that point, Jesus turned
their attention from the deaths of the Galileans by pointing out a truth
to them. His response was: “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.” As the soldiers fell upon the mob that had
gathered to oppose Herod, some were spared their lives and others were
not. Some people thought that those who were murdered by the soldiers had
done something to deserve it and those who escaped the clubs of the
soldiers deserved to live. Jesus set that
false belief aside in the very beginning when he informed them that those
who died were not any worse sinners than the ones who had escaped with
their lives.
Jesus then looked at the people and used
another tragedy to explain his words to them. The story informed the
people then and the reader now that there were some people working on the
hated and despised aqueduct when the tower of Siloam fell on them and
killed them. Once again, tradition can help us understand the message.
Tradition teaches us that many believed that the folks that were killed
had sinned by working on the new water supply system, thus they deserved
to die. Once again, Jesus informed them that
were not the case. His message was loud and clear in both situations.
Neither group that perished were a worst sinner than those who survived
the tragedies. It is easy for some folks to equate human suffering to sin.
That is not the truth and Jesus pointed that
truth out to those who went to him that day.
He then point out another truth to them.
Jesus did let the folks know that those who
rebelled against God were heading toward
disaster. He went on to inform all who had ears to hear that one must
repent of his or her sins. If one does not repent of his or her sins then
one would face eternal separation from the love of God.
The word Jesus used to emphasize His message
was perish.
She was an active member of her local church. She was a Sunday school
teacher, a member of the prayer ministry group, a leader of her circle and
a participant in many Bible Studies. She raised her family in such a way
that they all participated in the faith walk. She was an active and vital
church member who loved the Lord with all of her heart and soul. She gave
her complete self to His ministry at work, at home and in the Church. One
day she said at a Bible study: “I know that there will be a day when I
leave this world and I meet the master face to face. At that moment, he is
going to hold me accountable for my actions in life. He really is going to
ask me: “What have you done to share my love with others? She then said:
“I want to be able to answer that question in a positive way.”
There once was a fig tree planted in a man’s vineyard. One day the man was
walking through his vineyard and he saw that fig tree and thought to
himself: “I certainly would like to eat a nice ripe fig.” He walked toward
that fig tree with his mouth watering for a delicious fig. He arrived at
the tree and low and behold he could not find any figs on it. He was upset
that the fig tree was occupying space in his vineyard and that it was not
yielding any fruit. The owner of the vineyard went looking for his
caretaker and after he found him, he brought him back to that useless fig
tree. He said to his caretaker, “ For three seasons now, I have been
coming into my vineyard to admire the beauty of the grapes and to taste a
few delicious figs. I have been disappointed every year when I approach
that fig tree and discover that is has not produced any fruit. It is a
useless tree. It is not serving any good purpose. Cut it down, now.”
The caretaker was a compassionate and caring person. He responded to his
master with a simple request. He said: Lord, please give me one more year
to dig around the tree and make the ground soft so that the roots may run
deep. Please give me time to fertilize this tree and do everything else
that I can to help it bear fruit next season. If it does not bear fruit
next year, then I’ll cut it down.”
The caretaker was a wise gardener. Even he knew that if the fig tree did
not bear any fruit the next season that it needed to be cut down and be
consumed by fire. Why destroy the tree. It was a beautiful tree. It was
also a tree that robbed the soil of its nutrients. The fig tree in the
story did not give back anything. It did not even give forth the fruit
that it was supposed to bear.
There are basically two types of persons in this world. There is one who
takes everything out of the world for himself or herself and gives very
little back to the world and to others. The second type of person is one
who gives back to the world far more than he or she takes out.
Jesus invited everyone to become His
follower. When one accepts His invitation to follow Him then one is
expected to live his or her life as Christ
like as humanly possible.
Jesus calls us to be bearers of His fruit. He
expects us to represent Him in this world. God
through Christ calls one to be a follower who
puts more into His world than one will ever take from it. He calls us to
give and to give so that our fruits of giving may bless others.
Abraham Lincoln said: “Die when I may, I want it said of me that I plucked
a weed and planted a flower wherever I though a flower would grow.” If we
make a pledge like Lincoln then we will fulfill our responsibility of
putting back into life at least as much as we have taken out of it. We
become bearers of the fruit.
This marvelous story and parable from Luke informs us of the gospel of the
second chance. A fig tree does usually take about three years before it
bears its fruit. If it does not bear its fruit in that third year then it
probably will not bear fruit in any year. Due to the compassion of the
caretaker the fig tree was given a second chance. Due to the compassion of
the creator God as revealed through
Jesus of Nazareth, we are given a second
chance. Jesus is always present ready and willing to accept and pardon a
person when he or she confesses his or her sins to Him. The love of
God as revealed through
Christ is always offering one that second opportunity to be in an
intimate relationship with God.
The parable that Jesus told that day does
make it quite clear that there is a final chance. One will be held
accountable for one’s action. If we refuse time after time to seek
God’s forgiveness and bear
God’s fruit in this world then there will be
that day that we will be held responsible for our actions.
God will not be the one who will be shutting
us out. We will be the ones who shut God out
due to our actions in life. On that day the opportunity to be received and
forgiven by God will pass by those who refuse
to seek it. The person who refuses to bear the fruits of
God and who refuses to repent of his or her
transgressions against God will be held
accountable.
Jesus said to those
who were lamenting to him on that day: “No,
I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”
There will be that day when all will be held responsible for our
actions during this life. On that day, each will have the opportunity to
walk into the light of God or to walk away
from it. That day of accountability starts this very second. Actually, it
started the day that we invited Christ into
our lives. It started the day that we professed to the entire world that
we accepted Jesus as God’s
savior into our hearts, souls and minds.
Through that acceptance, we promised to bear forth the
fruit of Christ in His world. At that point,
we became a people who started giving instead of taking. We started the
journey of being more Christ like each and
everyday.
The question, we need to ask ourselves today is am I a
giver for Jesus Christ
or am I a taker for myself. Our honest answer will hold us accountable in
the sight of God and in our own lives.
In the name of the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit.
Amen
