REPENT OR PERISH

Luke 13:1-9 / Keywords 13:3

I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

 

Repent or Perish

13:1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or 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? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So 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. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

1. As Jesus was teaching, people brought up a current event: the despicable act of violence perpetrated upon some Galileans by Pilate, a Roman governor with a reputation for cruelty (1). Jesus brought the focus of conversation to the people right in front of him: “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” He then brought up a local story that was perhaps equally tragic: a tower that fell and killed city folk. His application was the same: “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

 

2. Jesus teaches us how to engage with current events: not as rumors to be swapped, but lessons to lead us to repentance. We perish because of our sins. We repent to seek God’s forgiveness. Instead of speculating about others’ misfortunes, gospel faith leads us to repent of our own sins.

 

3. Jesus’ parable of the fig tree expresses God’s displeasure towards those who do not bear the fruit of repentance (6-9; 3:7-9). Yet the gardener’s proposed delay also reveals God’s desire, expressed fully through Jesus, that none should perish, but all be brought to repentance (2Pe 3:9). The ball is in our court. Will we bear the fruit of repentance in our lives, or settle for comparing with others and speculating on their sin?

 

Prayer Father, thank you for Jesus, through whom we have forgiveness of sins. Help me to bear the fruit of repentance today.

One Word Today is the day of salvation