Luke 13:1-9
At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 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? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’
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. 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?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”’
In today's passage, we get direct references to the New Testament world. And we're not really sure yet all about it.
In both the mention of what Pilate was doing and the Tower of Siloam, we get a glimpse into the everyday politics and religious life of Jesus's day, but we aren't sure exactly what Luke is referring to. In short, it seems to be some sort of tragedy and loss that needed some meaning discerned by religious leaders, and the leaders of Jesus's day weren't up to the challenge. The parable that follows may explain it further. The fig tree was a symbol of faith or the Temple system, much like the vine was a symbol for the people of Israel. And Jesus, through the parable criticises the system for not producing fruit – not providing the things that it should for people. The fertiliser may be him or he may be the one pleading with the owner not to cut it down. Whatever it is, time is short.
What sort of systems aren't working for our faith today? What is producing fruit and what isn't? Is their time as short as it was in Jesus's day? And in what ways could we respond to tragedy and loss that produces more life and more fruit?