March 23, 2025 Text: Luke 13:1-9
Dear Friends in Christ,
I grew up on Elm Street in Argenta, Illinois. Our house had two massive trees in the front yard, one was an elm that leaned, the other tree was rotting from the inside out. Thank God that neither one ever fell on our house. The trees were so beautiful in the fall that my 2nd grade class took a walking field trip just see the wonderful colors of the Lueck’s trees. In the warm months you never saw the front of the house because of the trees.
When my parents moved out the trees were still there, but because of the rotting and leaning the new owners decided to have the trees cut down before something bad did happen. When we made it back to Argenta and saw the emptiness of the front yard, it was quite the change. Big trees gone; holes left in the yard.
Likes the holes in my former front yard, we can look around and see empty seats in the pews – seats that used to be occupied by someone whom God planted in his vineyard. When did the holes appear? Some it has been a couple of months, others a number of years. Have we all noticed? What happened? It is one of the great pains in ministry when people are planted in the faith and then the tree disappears. Many of us reach out, but get no answer. There is a hole . . . a hole in our heart.
When we are planted, what does the Lord want to see? What can your vineyard produce? With the Lord’s help, He can make it happen so that we bear . . .
“PASSION FRUIT”
Before we get to the parable, let’s take a look at the first section of our text. In the ESV Bible, the first five verses are entitled, “Repent or Perish.” That should get our attention. There are two tragedies mentioned, the Galileans and the tower in Siloam. Interestingly enough, there are no other historical records of these events. Jesus points out these tragedies as occasions for self-examination and reflection on our sinful frailty. Contrary to popular thought, tragedy does not always strike people because they somehow deserve it. Rather, in His wisdom God allows and uses even tragic events to warn of judgment, that He might bring us to repentance and eternal life through faith in
Jesus.
Now, let’s get to the parable. Jesus begins, “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.” (v. 6a). Jesus expects us to understand that God is the one with the vineyard and you – the believer in Jesus – are the fig tree in the vineyard of God’s grace. God plants with an expectation of harvest, “he came seeking fruit on it and found none.” (v. 6b). The Lord is looking for the fruit of repentance. The fruit where we humbly acknowledge our sinfulness and ask God for forgiveness.
We have been planted through Baptism. In the Baptism liturgy as sponsors and as a congregation we make a promise to help and encourage the newly baptized in their faith walk. Worship, learning the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer. We pray for them. We share the promise with one another.
The day is coming when God will arrive looking for the fruit of repentance in your life. What will God find a few years from today? Looking good isn’t good enough. God wants you to flourish. Jesus intervenes to save you. The Law digs to your roots and exposes your sin. The Gospel – verbal, written, spoken, poured out, drunk and eaten – Jesus provides spiritual growth and enables you to bear the fruit of repentance.
We pray you don’t leave an empty space in the pew you sit in today. At least not until you reach the heavenly garden with its lush fauna and beautiful surroundings. Until then, may the Holy Spirit help you to bear Passion fruit. Passion for the unbeliever. Passion for the one searching for answers. Passion for your fellow believers around the world. Passion for the people who sit in the pews with you today, so that pew stays filled with a soul saved by Jesus Christ. Augustine wrote, “The gardener who intercedes, is every saint who within the Church prays for those who are without the Church.”
That Jesus lays bare your innermost soul that He may apply the divine potting soil of His Gospel. His Word alone can produce fruit. Passion fruit acceptable to God.
Amen.
"But God demonstrated His love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
