Rev. Wesley Menke
20 March 2022
Third Sunday in Lent
Because we are spiritual and physical beings sometimes there is a disconnect between how we feel in the moment and how we look and feel about ourselves. Once I traveled to Thailand and suffered terrible jet-lag. I remember feeling like I was made of sand bags dragging myself around, and feeling physically very bad. Looking back, however, I feel joyous and springing with energy at how I had that awesome experience.
The other night I couldn’t sleep. I got up and had a cookie. It tasted good and made me feel better. One cooke led to five, and then five led to almost the whole box. I felt great at the time. A few minutes later I felt terrible. Looking back I feel embarrassed.
Just because you are someone else suffers physically doesn’t mean that their soul is bad. Jesus is confronted with some news about Galileans being persecuted by Herod. Their blood was mixed with their other blood sacrifices. I think they were persecuted for not adhering to strict temple worship. Jesus said they weren’t worse sinners, nor where another group of people who died in a construction accident when the tower of Siloam fell on them. But then Jesus says that unless you repent you will suffer a worse fate.
Jesus talks about our souls. Whether you are rich or poor, healthy or sick, powerful or weak, your soul will stand before God in judgment. Jesus tells you to repent; to change. Change from what?
You are saved by grace through faith, and not by works. Whatever you accomplish on Earth and the measures of the world will not help you to face the judgement of God. Rather, God loves you unconditionally and forgives you of all of your sins. Believe it and have faith in God’s mercy!
Jesus goes on to tell a parable of a fig tree. It was planted in a vineyard for three years and yielded no fruit. Then the owner wanted to cut it down, but the gardener begged for one more year to care for it, and to see if fruit was yielded. Jesus was talking about Jerusalem and himself. The tree is Jerusalem and it is planted in the vineyard which is the holy land. The three years are his ministry. He will give his life on the tree. He will be the strange fruit that hangs from the tree upon which we feast at communion. It reminds me of the song, “Strange Fruit” as sung by Billie Holliday. This motif is explored in one of the most difficult, and most compelling works of theology in recent history: James Cone’s, “The Cross and the Lynching Tree.”
The repentance Jesus asks us to do is to change from violence and hate toward peace and unconditional love.
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