That's the question I always ask myself. What does this Bible story tell me I’m supposed to do? When I do that, I think I start out on the wrong foot every time. Because it’s rarely about what I’m supposed to do. It’s about what God did for me in Christ.
People we think were good people died in the Haiti earthquake, side by side with those we think were not so good. A seminarian died in one place, and a voodoo priestess in another. Yet, Jesus said God is not about retribution. A God of love doesn’t go after bad people and take down innocents with them. Our good actions don’t guarantee us the favor of luck.
Then why does Jesus throw in repentance as a means to prevent our own destruction? That seems contrary to the point he makes that it doesn't matter if you are good or bad. Isn’t repentance about turning our lives around and becoming a ‘good person?’
The way many people see repentance leads them to think this story is about judgment. If you don’t repent, you’ll get cut down and thrown in the fire. That’s a typically Jewish thought from the OT: do good and God will reward you; do bad and you’ll get the ax. This story would rub the Jews who were listening the wrong way. It goes against the Hebrew image of God from the OT.
But the word repent doesn’t suggest we force change on ourselves so we become good people. The word ‘repent’ refers more to the turning around of our attitude. Jesus is saying, “Change your attitude.” This change in attitude brings a reform in why we do the things we do. It’s the heart of being a Christian. Thomas Merton was right when he said, “In Christianity, motivation is everything.”
What is the change in attitude Jesus wants us to make? I think Jesus wants us to change our attitude about God being vindictive and punishing. We hear that so much. Bad things happen in nature because God is mad at something. Insurance companies have clauses for “acts of God,” defined as hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, etc. Jesus tells the parable to teach a different image of God, and how the change in attitude comes about.
The lesson for me comes from watching the rescue efforts of the gardener. He sees my life is meaningless when I don’t bear fruit. “Let me work with it. I will break up the hard ground around it, and nourish it. Let’s give it more time.” When I consider what Christ has done for me, how he shows me the truth in our God of mercy and love, I don’t fear the ax. Christ will always be the Mediator for me. Always giving me another chance.
Ultimately, this story is about perpetual second chances. One season, I may get it right. Only to sink back into a season of fruitlessness. The gardener never gives up hope. He made us. In his own image, he made us. He will always work with us.
A side note about fruit: Is there a way I can know if my actions are good fruit? I think so. Galatians 5:22-23 says “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control.” If my actions generate any of these for another person, I might be able to consider it a grace from God that something I did made a difference in their life. Maybe I was like Christ to them for a moment in time. If my heart is pure, the motive of my works will be for the good of anyone who might be impacted by my actions.
May we all recognize the second chances we are given. And be grateful. PWM
P.S. Sorry, there’ll be no weenie roast tonight.
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Good thoughts Paul. Reading your post I couldn't help but think how when we accept Christ, he plants a little seed of grace in our lives. That seed grows until it forms a tree. In Agape love, Jesus works and prunes our "grace tree" and forms it in his own image. This work of Agape love encourages us to grow our own fruit of Agape which can be shared with anyone who finds themselves in the shade of our tree. But if we do not allow Jesus to shape the form of our tree with his Agape pruning shears, then our tree exists only for ourselves, offering no fruit of love for anyone else. This is a tree whose form is not of Jesus. The only thing to be done is cut the tree down and allow the grace that is still in the root of the seed to begin again. Grace will alway push the tree to grow anew in hopes of producing a tree true to the gardener's loving form.
ReplyDeleteGreg,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your additions! It's His love that forms us, and I especially like the idea of grace remaining with the root. It may take a life tragedy, and the loss of who we think we are, for new life to begin again. Wonderful thoughts! Paul