The Invitation To Listen

Once again we hear the call to listen!  

The issue that Jesus is addressing, in Luke 13,  is the complex question about why there is suffering in the world.  Jesus is clear, there is no simplistic answer to the reality of suffering.

Today, as in ancient times, the popular assumption was/is that suffering is a punishment from God, as a result of our “sinful” (whatever that means!) behavior. 

I have heard it said many times, maybe you have too, “I must have done something awful to deserve this!”   

Jesus takes a strong stance on such thinking.  Rejecting such thoughts!  He makes it very clear that a person’s behavior — right, wrong or indifferent — has nothing to do with any suffering that may come into a person’s life.

Then he gives the parable of the fig tree.  Even though it has had three years of growth, ample time for the tree to bear fruit, there was no  fruit to eat.  

And even though, logically, it would be smarter to uproot the fruitless tree, that was wasting the soils nutrients, and plant a tree that would produce fruit. 

And even though that would make good farming sense.  

The gardener pleads the case for mercy!  “Sir, let it alone for one more year until I dig around i and put manure on it.”   Give it one more chance!

What do you suppose that little parable is all about?  What does Jesus want his listeners to hear?  The obvious?  Or something more?

I’m thinking that he wants them to hear that God is far more patient and forgiving.  Far more tolerant and accepting, of slow growth, than our small little minds that grave instant results.   Minds that are tempted to believe in a God of indignation, anger and judgment. "Wrath," is a good Old Testament word!

Hear God’s words though the Prophet Isaiah: My thoughts!  My way of reasoning!  Are not at all like yours. And my ways are not at all like your ways. (vs.8)

The fig tree parable was told, I think, to emphasize the extra ordinary gracious, and compassionate, nature of God’s character.

He tells this nice little story, that turns out well, because he wants his confused listeners to take notice.  To take notice that God is not a God who is against us.  God is not a God that sits up in heaven just waiting for us to fail to produce fruit.

At the same time, Jesus wants us to realize that God wants honesty from us.  That is,  wants us to take his call to follow seriously.  Or, as Isaiah puts it: “ Incline your ear, and come to me; listen so you may live.” (vs. 3) “Seek the Lord while he may be found. To call upon him while he is near.” (vs. 6&7)   

Isaiah was much more straight forward than Jesus’ parable telling!  

Isaiah is has an urgency in his Prophecy!  Because we may not have another year!   Heck, we may not have another another tomorrow! 

Point of interest!  I invite you to notice how Isaiah’s  passage begins: “Ho!”  A word that is not common today. However, in Isaiah’s day, it was a way of catching people’s attention.  Much like we might say: “Listen up!”

“Ho!” Come, listen, incline your ear!  Seek, call on God!  Return to him!

What Isaiah is doing here reminds me of a parent trying to tell a teenager to listen.  To listen to what mom and dad learned from their own experience.  Have you ever noticed, that never works all that well?  

As hard as parents try to save their children from making the same mistakes they did.  The child has to learn, just the way the parent did.  Their own way!  I will suggest that we never quite grow out of that stage.

Jesus and Isaiah are trying to help us to make our life easier!  Trying to give us, as adults, the same kind of wisdom as parent try to give their children.  Jesus does this be asking us to be honest with God about our need for forgiveness and mercy.  

Ho! 

Listen up!

    Pay attention! 

Know that I am a God that truly cares!  A God who want us to depend on him.  Who wants the best for us!   God wants us to live as he originally designed us to live.  That is a life where we find comfort and strength, love and understanding, mercy and grace.  

I believe it is only with God that we find the peace and meaning we all, well most of us anyway, search for.

The invitation is before us:  

1 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.

Why is it that we are unable to grasp this truth of God’s offer?

I just wonder why we don’t get, the truth, that God simply does not think, nor act, with our limited reason and logic. 

So we remain just stunned, astounded, stupefied at God’s unconditional reaction to our feelings of failure to live up to his expectations.  Actually our failure to live up to, what we think are, his expectation.  

That is the clue!  What we think!  What we think we know!  When all God truly wants for us is the tinniest desire to walk with him.

That all God expects!  At least in my understanding!

Then God lets his Spirit move-in and do the rest?

1 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4 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? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did." 6 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. 7 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?' 8 He replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.' “(Luke 13)

1 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts(Isaiah 55)