"O God of new beginnings and second chances, here we are again. Amen" Dear friends, I love mornings, especially Monday mornings. I enjoy getting up in the quiet of the morning even before the sun rises, which is good now that Daylight Savings Time has begun early. Each new day is a fresh blessing from God, a new start on life, another chance to find the joys and challenges of the new day. Call me a sick man for loving Monday mornings, but I still do!

         God is a God of new beginnings and second chances. Epiphany church is getting a second chance. Though the first pastor we called declined, God is giving us second chance, and that's good. God is always good, even when it seems He doesn't show it.

         This Gospel lesson seems a puzzle, because in it Jesus is harsh. His critics were trying to trap him, to prove Him a fraud, but people have been doing that since He came into the world. That much touted TV program about the "Tomb of Jesus" fizzled - few took it seriously. We're even hearing about Jesus the fraud in our Wednesday Lent dramas. But such arguments never hold up. Jesus is true, the very Son of God, and He will always give us a second chance.

         Here's what Luke records: "Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.' " (Luke 13:1-5)

         The incident of Pontius Pilate killing Galileans during their sacrifices is not well known, but it's consistent with his cruel governing. Some think Pilate to be a meek, spineless ruler, but not so! He ruled with an iron fist and his brand of justice was swift and harsh. The Pool of Siloam was part of the Jerusalem water supply system. This tower's collapse probably occurred during construction and was well enough known that people even knew the number of people - 18 - that had died there.

         Jesus raised the question they were all thinking: "What about those people who died tragically? Were they punished because they were bad?" Does God smite us when we sin? Does God really love sinners? Rather than answering this, Jesus warned them: "Unless you change, you too will perish!" Instead of pointing the finger at others, look at yourselves first.

         It's always been tempting for believers to find joy in the misfortunes of non-believers. We get a little glee in pointing at those with bad lifestyles and we faintly smile when they fall hard. At least, they're wrong and we're right, we think. Problem is, I doubt the Lord would join us. I'm not sure Jesus would be so fast to point fingers. Rather, He might remind us that whenever we point a finger, three other fingers are pointing back at ourselves.

         Not that Jesus would ever approve of Sin. He loves the sinner, but hates the sin. Many people today want to be accepted, not just for who they are, but also for what they do. "Love me, love what I do!" they say. "Accept me and my choices." But God doesn't do that. He loves us no matter what, but He does not love our wrong actions. Parents do that same with their children. We love them even when we hate what they do! If parents and children can't separate the person from the actions, they'll both hate each other. But God loves us for who we are, not what we do. He loves us no matter what, and yet He isn't blind to what we do.

         His critics were talking about the reason for why bad things happen. They wanted Jesus to defend His teachings and also to defend God. Jesus answers them with harsh words: "Why worry about why bad things happen to others? Better you should worry about what YOU are doing! Because unless you change your ways, you'll end up like them!"

         Jesus wasn't always a meek and mild rabbi. He could pronounce judgment with more power than Billy Graham or a court of law ever could. He's the Lamb of God, but He's also Judge of the world. Jesus is God and God is love. But God also brings justice.

         Then Jesus tells them a parable that goes to the real heart of the matter. It's about a fruitless fig tree. It wasn't producing, so the caretaker was told to cut it down and plant a new one. But this story is about people, not trees. Like the tree, if we people don't produce good works that show our faith, we'll eventually pay for it. God will cut us off. This is the judgment of the Law we dare never forget. You and I can't be a deadbeat Christian for long.

         God has limits! His rope of mercy is not endless. This is a side of Jesus we don't like to see. He is a God of love, but He's also a God of justice. He wants our faith to show itself. If we His followers don't produce godly deeds, we will hear from Him. God is not afraid to confront the slacker or the evil doer. He'll eventually call us to account for what we've done.

         Some in Christianity have tried to emasculate Jesus, to make Him a harmless old man, a neighbor who looks the other way when we sin. Big mistake! If we don't understand God's judgment on sin, we won't understand our need for His mercy. People need to show their faith. Being C & E Christians - coming to church only on Christmas and Easter - is not enough. Spectator Christianity is not enough. We can't just talk the talk, we must also walk the walk.

         But this talk is not popular in churches today. We've made over God in our own image to the point that we've made Him powerless. Again, big mistake! God's love for us in higher than the heavens, but His need for justice is still there. He says through St. Paul, "The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) Nothing will change that, and no cultural trend or church movement can diminish the damage of our sin. Just because we think God should be a nice guy won't take away His power. Human standards don't change God.

         Yes, God's Word demands perfection, but Romans 6 also says, "But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Jesus' words are more about mercy than justice. His parable is not so much about cutting down the tree as giving it another chance. "Leave it alone for one more year," says Jesus the Good Gardener, "and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down." That's mercy talking. He gives us another chance.

         God is patient. He wants to give us another chance. He doesn't want to deforest the world of unproductive people, but to help make them productive. And if there's hope for the fig tree, there's hope for you and me. But we need to be pruned. In the KJV of this text, the man asks to dig around the tree and dung it - fertilize it a little. You and I need some digging and dunging; it helps us produce. We all need a another chance, and in Christ, we have it.

         A few years ago my old Kodak copier needed repair. I got a repairman, an inept fellow who spent two and a half months on it. Several visits, repair parts and $400 later, he still couldn't get it to work. He was always late and came only when prodded. He promised me he'd "get the parts soon," but never did. Finally I said "Enough! Don't come back, I'll get someone else." I wanted to throw out the copier, but Carol encouraged me to try once more. So I found another repairman, and he came right away! He fixed it in 45 minutes - it just needed some connectors cleaned! And then, when I told him how much we'd already spent trying to fix it, he tore up his bill! He said we'd spent enough on it. And I am still using it. It weighs a ton, but it still works! That old machine got another chance, due to a good repairman.

         Do we have any more chances? Will we someday be called to account for all the bad things we've done? There I have good news - that won't happen to believers. On Judgment Day, when the time comes to give account for our sins, Christ will step forward and cancel our debt. He'll declare the books balanced. He died on the cross so we can be forgiven. In Jesus we don't have to worry that our sins will be recounted before God. In Christ, our sins are washed away. Judgment Day will be a great - even better than Monday morning! Because of Christ, Judgment Day is the door to heaven.

         Christ gives us a second chance, and we can do the same. Pass along what you have! If your neighbor has offended you, give him another chance. If your fellow worker sticks it to you, give her another chance. If your parents have messed up, give them another chance. If pastor disappoints you, give him another chance. Know when to say "Enough!", but whenever possible, give them another chance. God's done it for us, so let's pass it on. Amen.

Credits:
 
  Epiphany logo designed and provided by Dale Bargmann at daleb@ecentral.com