Lent Week 4 | 3/19/2023 |

Imagine Jesus was holding his weekly press conference

A reporter for the Jerusalem Times put up her hand: “Jesus, did you hear about the Slaughter at the Synagogue? Some worshippers were offering sacrifices when Pilate’s troops came in and killed them for no reason. My question to you Jesus is simply this: “Why were those particular people killed and not anyone else?”

Another report from New York asks “What about the victims on the planes and in the buildings on 9/11 what sin had they done”

A Ukrainian reporter hand shoots out “More than 6.5 million people are displaced within Ukraine, as the besieged country faces power and heating outages and restrictions as winter nears. Why is this happening to them Jesus?”

Pushing aside the reports a mother weeping falls at Jesus feet and asks “Why would God need to take my child from me when so many others are running around healthy and fine”

Jesus watches as a small child raises his hand “Why did God let my Grandma and Grandpa die when all my friends still have their grandma’s and grandpa’s?”

Big questions...How does Jesus respond

Luke 13
About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ 8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. 9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”

Jesus Journey toward the cross – on the road to Jerusalem

• Jesus was questioned...
• Jesus was not surprised questions.
• He’d heard similar sentiments before...When a blind man came his very disciples asked “Is it is his fault or his parents’ fault that he is blind?”
• They wanted the suffering to make sense so there must be a reason for it...something happened, they did something or their parents did something and that’s why the suffering is happening...it only make sense right?

We do this...we try and put explanations behind suffering, give a reason for it...find the sin

• “It had to be her fault that she was raped. With that skimpy outfit she was wearing that day, she was asking for it.”
• “He died of AIDS, eh? I’m not surprised. That’s God’s punishment on him for being a queer.”
• “Serves them right for buying a house right on the fault line.”
• “Well if New Orleans wasn’t full of drugs and all those people in Drag. God wouldn’t have destroyed them with a hurricane.”

Jesus responds...

• 4 “And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?”
• Jesus is trying to get them to realize something!
• In both cases suffering happened
• In the first Pilate had men murdered while trying to make a sacrifice
• In the second a tower falls and people die
• But not all suffering is because of sin...and it is not YOU JOB or MY JOB to figure out why people suffer...it is our job to help the suffering, whoever they are!
• “Did you forget about how 5 people that died in the MSU shooting?”
• “Haven’t you seen the devastation of the hurricanes in Florida, people loosing their homes and businesses?”
• “Ever see the innocent children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit”
• “Been to the cancer ward lately?”
• Jesus is essentially saying this...“Are you trying to make a correlation between sin and tragedy? Are you implying that the victims were worse sinners than everyone around them? Are you trying to prove that God has this computer that matches every sinner with the appropriate tragedy and then zaps them?”

NEWS FLASH

• Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God... Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too
• Those of you who believe that people suffering because of there sin that they somehow...had it coming...that they deserved their fate are 1000million%
• Guess what...YOU ARE WRONG
• And what’s more...You are not looking at these stories from the right angle.
• Jesus tells these people AND YOU and I...to take a good hard look at ourselves
• Because, if you do not turn from this sin...of passing judgment, of playing spotting the sinners...
• that sin WILL kill you!
• Because that is the OPPOSITE of Love God with all you are and love you neighbor as yourself...

Nothing to say

• I love in scripture when Jesus says something...and no one has anything else to say...
• Jesus’ response was met with silence. There was no comebacker, no follow-up question
• They’d asked him a question. He’d given them a straight answer.
• Not the answer they wanted to hear, mind you.
• They would’ve preferred him to prove that every one of the victims deserved to die the way they did
• That is was the hand of God at work...so that what appears to mortal eyes as a tragedy is really part of God’s grand design... That’s what they wanted to hear.

What they NEEDED to hear

• Jesus told them what they needed to hear.
• That there was no rhyme or reason for those people to die at that time under those circumstances.
• It could’ve happened to anyone that was standing there.
  • Some of them could’ve been at the temple offering sacrifices when Pilate’s troops opened fire.
  • Some of them could’ve been at the construction site when the tower toppled.
  • One of you could have been on a plan on September 11th
  • One of you could have been born blind
  • One of you could have been in that accident, or diagnosed with cancer or have a medically needy child...
• It would have had had nothing to do with spiritual standing
• Rain falls on the just and the unjust
• Bad things happen to good people...

Jesus tells them and us: “When you read or hear or see these events happening, stop looking for reasons why something happened to others. Stop playing this sinister game called “Spot the sin.”

• “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? Matthew 7:3

Instead...embrace and extend the Second Chance

• 6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. 7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’ 8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. 9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”
• Jesus leaves the parable open-ended.
• He does not indicate whether the landowner gave in to the request...and if he did, whether the fig tree was fruitful and was spared, whether the gardener carried through with his promises or not, whether it failed to produce and was cut down or whether it failed to produce and the gardener pleaded once more and got an extension on his project.
• He does this purposely, I believe, to let us know that God keeps on giving us these extra opportunities to make our lives fruitful, but what we do with those chances is up to us.
• And when that SECOND CHANCE turns out to be the final chance is not something we know in advance...We never know.
• So, he says the best that you can do is stop all this sin hunting...and focus on the Second chance you have been given (or third or fourth or hundredth)

I would suspect that virtually everyone in here can give at least one example from your life that illustrates a SECOND CHANCE that God has given you.

• Perhaps, you came this close to being killed in an accident.
• Perhaps, your previous relationship ended in failure, but you’ve found yourself a soul-mate now.
• Perhaps, you were headed down a destructive path with an addiction or two, when God stopped you cold in your tracks and helped you get straightened out.
• Perhaps, found a way to make your life truly count.
• Perhaps the crowd you hung around with was dragging you down, and now you’ve made some new friends.
• Perhaps the church was headed for a slow decline, and has been given another shot at renewal.

Conclusion:

• What are you going to do with your second chance

Several years ago the Peanuts comic strip had Lucy and Charlie Brown practicing football. Lucy would hold the ball for Charlie’s placekicking and then Charlie would kick the ball. But every time Lucy had ever held the ball for Charlie, he would approach the ball and kick with all his might. At the precise moment of the point of no return, Lucy would pick up the ball and Charlie would kick and his momentum unchecked by the ball, which was not there to kick, would cause him to fall flat on his back. This strip opened with Lucy holding the ball, but Charlie Brown would not kick the ball. Lucy begged him to kick the ball. But Charlie Brown said, "Every time I try to kick the ball you remove it and I fall on my back." They went back and forth for the longest time and finally Lucy broke down in tears and admitted, "Charlie Brown I have been so terrible to you over the years, picking up the football like I have. I have played so many cruel tricks on you, but I’ve seen the error of my ways! I’ve seen the hurt look in your eyes when I’ve deceived you. I’ve been wrong, so wrong. Won’t you give a poor penitent girl another chance?" Charlie Brown was moved by her display of grief and responded to her, "Of course, I’ll give you another chance." He stepped back as she held the ball, and he ran. At the last moment, Lucy picked up the ball and Charlie Brown fell flat on his back. Lucy’s last words were, "Recognizing your faults and actually changing your ways are two different things, Charlie Brown!"

• Will you continue to spend the second chance God has given you sin hunting...pointing fingers and judging
• Or...are you going to do something worthwhile with that Second chance
• Maybe just changing your thinking...turning from judging others to loving them
• Maybe diving deeper in God’s word (Wednesday Bible Study, Sunday am study)
• Maybe serving others...
• Or maybe you’ll just not produce fruit and hope this chance wasn’t your last