"Another Chance"
Luke 13:1-8
Third Sunday of Lent, 3/11/07

Introduction: This year I am again coaching my son Tyler’s baseball team. I am not the manager, just the coach. But the manager has me do many things. One of the things that I do is pitch batting practice. When I was a youth I was a pitcher in baseball. And because I wasn’t big, I didn’t throw the ball too fast, so I had to learn how to have good control. Because of this, I am able to throw strikes to the kids most of the time. In the course of pitching to the kids, some of them do a very good job hitting. But then there are some who struggle to hit the ball. The more they struggle, the more frustrated they get, and the more frustrated that they get, the more they struggle. SO, I try to pitch the ball a little slower, or to an area where they can hit it more easily. WHY WOULD I DO THIS? Because I want them to have a CHANCE to hit the ball. I want them to learn to do well and gain confidence.

As I was thinking about the sermon topic this morning, “Another Chance,” I was thinking that if I feel this way about the kids hitting the ball, how does God feel about you and me? I mean, God wants us to do well and to have confidence. So in those times when we struggle, when we fail, when we fall, God is there to help give us success; to help us “connect with the ball” so that we will believe we can do it.

I. The Galileans- (Luke 13:1-3; John 9:1-3)

a. Sin and suffering- We have three stories here in our passage this

morning. The first story has as its main characters Pilate, some Galileans, and some Jews. Pilate had decided that Jerusalem needed a new and improved water supply. This was a good decision. But he decided he was going to fund it with Temple monies. This was not a good thing to the Jews, and so they were up in arms over this. The Jews came to protest, and there were some Galileans there as well. Pilate instructed some of the soldiers to mingle with the Jews wearing cloaks over their heads. With the soldiers mingled in, they were to wait for a command and then disperse the crowd. However, the soldiers dealt with the mob with greater violence than they were instructed, and many people were killed.

Obviously, the killing of the Jews and Galileans was a terrible action. And in this passage Jesus is asked if they suffered in this way because they were greater sinners. You see, many people connected sin with suffering. They believed that if you suffered greatly, it was because you had great sin in your life. For example, in the New Testament, in the gospel of John, chapter 9:1-3, it says, “As Jesus went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’”/ The disciples believed that this man was blind because of sin from either his parents, or from himself.

Now there is a sense that our sin causes suffering. It is not uncommon for us to bring suffering to ourselves because of our sinful choices. Maybe someone tells you a secret, and then you break that confidence. The person who told you that secret gets mad at you, and it negatively affects your relationship with that person. This suffering was caused by a sinful action.

But what is going on here is not because of sinful action. People are protesting what they believe is injustice, and the soldiers take it upon themselves to kill the people. The suffering comes about because of the sinful actions of the soldiers, not of those who were killed.

b. Repentance and forgiveness- And yet, don’t we have a sense of this

kind of thinking still today? We too believe that bad things happen to bad, sinful people. I know that I have heard on many occasions someone see a bad thing happen to someone. And this someone is a person who is not a good person. And the response is: “Well, that person deserved that.” In other words, that person, because of their sin, deserved to have suffering come upon them.

But, thankfully, God doesn’t think this way. What I mean by that, is while there is judgment, there is also forgiveness. Our God, the God of the Bible, the God who created all things, is a God of second chances. This is a good thing, because you and I are not perfect. You and I mess up all the time. But God provides second chances for us.

If God were to condemn this bad person, then God would have to condemn us as well. While we might not do things as bad as others, we have to admit that we aren’t perfect. We do things all the time that are hurtful to others. Maybe I am selfish, and don’t help Tami out around the house or with the kids like I should. I make Tami’s life more difficult. Or maybe I choose not to call someone back because I am tired, but that person would have really been blessed by my call…. The bad that we do isn’t as obvious, but it is real.

So Jesus tells those who asked him about the Galileans about the importance of repentance. If they didn’t repent, then they too would be led to put themselves in a dangerous place. If they didn’t repent, they too would have the same angry spirit. If they didn’t repent, they too would be led to take revenge and would perish. They needed to repent of their sinful feelings and attitudes, so that they could live right.

II. The tower of Siloam- (Luke 13:4-5; John 9:7; Psalm 32:1-3)

a. The eighteen- Jesus then goes on to tell a story about 18 men who died

when a tower fell on them. This incident that Jesus mentions is really an unknown incident. Historians don’t have much information about it other than Jesus’ mention of it here. But what is important is the fact that the tower of Siloam fell, and in its falling 18 men were killed.

Jesus brings up this story to re-emphasize the point of sin and suffering. Jesus asks the question: “Do you think they were more guilty than all others living in Jerusalem?” In other words, did they die because they had greater sin? Was it fate for them to be in that place to be crushed by the tower because their sin was so great? Jesus doesn’t answer this question directly, but the implication is clear; they did not die because they had greater sin.

Going back to the gospel of John, 9:7- “Jesus told the blind man, ‘Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam’…. So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”/ By healing the blind man, Jesus shows that those who have faith in Jesus can be saved of their afflictions, but even more, will not have their sin held against them. The blind man is no longer blind. The blind man is now able to physically see. But the blind man is also able to spiritually see. He can see the power that God has over all things.

Other versions of Luke 13:4 use the word debtor instead of guilt. Because we have sin in our lives, we become debtors to God. And because all have sin, all are debtors. And Jesus doesn’t make a distinction about the amount of sin. There is not the categories of some sin and more sin. It is just the category of sinner. And all fall into this category. In Jesus Christ, we have one who can overcome all of our sin. In Jesus Christ we have one who removes our guilt. In Jesus Christ we have one who takes us from being a debtor, to having our debt paid.

b. Repentance and forgiveness-

Story: There is a story of a Dutchman who came to South Africa to work. One night he was told about God, and told about the need for repentance, and told about the forgiveness of sin that comes from repenting of our sin. This man felt that God laid His hand on him and convicted him of his sin. He did indeed repent and ask for forgiveness. The next morning he went to a beautiful home of another Dutchman and said to him, "Do you recognize that old watch?" "Why, yes," answered the other. "Those are my initials; that is my watch. I lost it eight years ago. How did you get it, and how long have you had it?" "I stole it," was the reply. "What made you bring it back now?" "I was converted last night," was the answer, "and I have brought it back first thing this morning…. If you had been up, I would have brought it last night."

Jesus is talking about repentance. And the repentance that He is talking

about is both a once-for-all event, but also something that shapes our day to day living. In other words, it is a once-for-all event, in that when we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, and admit that we are sinners, we are forgiven by Jesus and cleansed of our sin. We can know that we will have access to heaven when we die.

But, it is also something that shapes our day-to-day living. Since we continually sin, we need to continually repent of our sin. And this understanding of God’s forgiveness should lead us to bring about resolution to those whom we sin against. Like the Dutchman who returned the watch, we may need to say “I’m sorry” to someone we have hurt. Or we may need to make amends to someone we have wronged. If we don’t learn to live in this kind of repentance, we will perish by not having the kind of life that Jesus has created for us. As Psalm 32:1-3, “Blessed is he whose trans-gressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.”

III. The Fig Tree- (Luke 13:6-9)

a. The parable- Then Jesus decides to tell a story; a story about a fig

tree. There is a fig tree planted in a vineyard. The owner of the vineyard goes to check on the fig tree to see if there is any fruit on it. But when he gets to the tree, he notices that the tree has no fruit….So the owner seeks out the man who cares for the vineyard to tell him about his frustration: “For 3 years I have come here, and for 3 years there has been no fruit on this tree. It is taking up space. Let us cut it down so that we may plant something else that will be fruitful.”

But the caretaker asks the owner for another year. He wants to care for it a little more. He wants to fertilize it and work the soil around it. So the owner agrees to this arrangement, and gives the caretaker another chance.

1. Work the soil- The caretaker wants to first work the soil. He believes that

by preparing the soil, the tree will have a better chance. The truth is, without good soil, a tree cannot produce. This is true for you and me. If we don’t have good soil (which Jesus likened to our hearts), then we will not be able to produce. So we must make sure that we are letting God soften our hearts to care for others around us.

2. Fertilize- Second, the caretaker wants to fertilize. Fertilizer helps to put

nutrients into the soil that will make the soil more able to nourish plants and trees. For us, fertilizer is the word of God and Christian fellowship. When we are reading the Bible and when we are around other Christians, we will be more likely to live in a way that will bless others around us, and help others understand the need to believe in and follow God.

3. Extra care- Last, the caretaker wanted to give the tree extra care.

Sometimes extra attention can help provide the right conditions for growth. Maybe there are insects that are affecting the tree. Or maybe the tree isn’t getting enough water. That extra attention can make the difference. This is true in our own lives. It is good to have someone in our life that is making sure that we are doing the things we need to do to grow. It is important to have someone checking up on us and loving us so that we might be all that God has created us to be.

b. God’s slowness to punish- NEWS STORY (FROM WAYODD.COM), “Man fakes kidnapping.” In an attempt to keep his wife from finding

out that he damaged her new car, a San Rafael, California man allegedly faked his own kidnapping. Jorge Alberto Mejia told police that he was held by two kidnappers at gunpoint at a San Rafael bar Saturday. Mejia, 35, said the kidnappers ordered him to drive to Santa Rosa, California and in the midst of the drive he purposely crashed the car into a wall to escape. However, during interrogation Mejia admitted to investigators he cooked up the story and there was no such kidnapping.

OR HOW ABOUT THIS STORY- A local woman is seeking financial help

from Abington Town Hall to pay her dentist's bill after she broke a tooth on a Tootsie Roll she took from a candy jar in the town clerk's office. The incident took place last month when Joanne Harding went to the town clerk's office in Abington Town Hall to get a license for her dog. Harding, who now wants the town to help pay her $4,000-$5,000 dental bill, told the Patriot Ledger of Quincy, "I took the candy, so it's partially my fault."/ Sometimes we don’t like to admit our mistakes. Other times we want to avoid punishment. The good news is that God is actually slow to punish. That is one of the big messages from the parable of the fig tree. This does not mean that God does not approve of what sinners do. It means that to the end, God is merciful.

This is a parable of second chance. A fig-tree usually takes 3 years to come to maturity and bear fruit. If it is not bearing fruit by this time it is not likely to bear fruit at all. But this tree was given another chance. Jesus wants us to know that He gives us chance after chance. If we struggle, if we stumble, if we fail, if we stray, there is still another chance.

Going back to my son’s baseball team. Last Saturday we had our first game. We played one of the better teams in the league. Up till this game we had only practiced. We had practiced a lot. The team played well and we were leading in the fifth inning 1-0. But in the fifth we made 2 errors and gave up 4 runs. In the end we lost 4-2…. In sports, just because you lose you don’t give up on the team. You encourage them, and remind them what they need to do better next time.

Conclusion: I have counseled many people who grew up in homes where they didn’t get second chances. If they made a mistake, they were punished greatly for it. Consequently, they struggled in their life to have confidence, and it kept them from really being fully productive in their life. I want to tell you this morning, that God gives us another chance. That is what the doctrine of repentance and forgiveness are all about. God sent His Son to take on human flesh, and to die so that we might have another chance. So I want to encourage you in 2 ways: first, know that when you fail, when you sin, when you feel like you don’t measure up, God is there to forgive you and lead you on forward. But second, God gives us the means to bear fruit if we would let ourselves be nourished, encouraged, and cared for by those around us. Let us make the commitment to receive this second chance today, and bring glory to God by repenting, and then seeking to glorify Him. Amen.