Luke 13:1-9
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.”’
We are now on the 3rd Sunday of the season of Lent. One of the major themes, perhaps the
major theme, of Lent is repentance - and that is what all of today’s readings are about.
What do you think of when you think about repentance? To be honest, it is something that has
often made me uncomfortable. One of the first things “repentance” brings to mind is those bumper
stickers and billboards and Christian radio programs that are very much in your face on the subject. They
usually have the effect of making me mad, although some of them get me to laugh out loud - such as the
one along Interstate 95 in South Carolina that reads, “All MEN must repent or go to hell.”
Beyond these stereotypical images, I feel angry because they seem to focus on sins that are
individual and personal and most especially sexual. I think God is at least as much concerned (and I
would say more concerned) with the sins of society - what we would call systemic issues - sins that are
above and beyond individual guilt.
But too often when Christian speak on societal issues I hear more concern over the evils that
would happen if we allow gay marriage than the evils that do happen because we allow one in five
children to suffer the effects of poverty. Speaking as a preacher, I know that such issues are complicated
and make people uncomfortable. And as far as preaching topics go, I think preaching on hellfire and
damnation for personal sins is probably easier than taking on issues like poverty and racism.
But I think repentance from these kinds of sins is something we need to take as seriously as Jesus
did - and that means we need to take it very seriously. So I would like to talk about just one issue that
touches each of us.
Before I go any further, I want to lift up another image of repentance - a painting by Marc Chagall
that hangs in the Philadelphia museum.¹ The figures are shown against a dark sky. In the foreground is a
man. In the background are some buildings, possibly houses and a church. The man would look pretty
normal (especially for a 20th century painting) except for the fact that his head is on upside down - which
doesn’t appear to bother him - and up in the sky are words in Russian which translate to “Oh, God,” the
title of the painting.
I think that is what repentance and forgiveness are all about - those moments when we realize that
we have been seeing the world with our heads on upside down - and the truth has broken in - and we see
our own sinfulness - and all we can say is “Oh, God” - because there is a real sense in which it would be
easier to keep it upside down - and yet God’s grace offers something better.
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