Lent 3 Year C Bear Good Fruit

 Lent 3 C Bear Good Fruit

March 14, 2004

By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell

[Ernie with his dad, Ernie]

The word for today is Repent! In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a strong warning. Life is uncertain, we never know when it may end. Some Galileans were at worship when Pilate decided to mix their blood with the blood of their sacrifices…. (today, we call that terrorism). Then there were eighteen people in Jerusalem who were crushed when a tower collapsed and fell on them…. (we would call it tragic!). Jesus makes it clear that the victims were no better or worse than anyone else living in the city. A few months ago, I officiated at the funeral of a 54-year-old man who slipped while trimming a downed tree on his property. He was a safety instructor. 

Bishop Kellogg of the Diocese of Minnesota used to start his closing benediction with these words, “Lord, watch over us on this dangerous earth.”  We would be naïve to think otherwise. I was at a Community College, in the middle of a sermon at memorial for the 9/11 tragedy, and had just said the bishop’s words, when a phone buzzed and five paramedics got up and moved quickly for the door. We live in a dangerous world.

What I think the Gospel is telling us is that if there is some good waiting to happen; NOW, rather than later, would be the right move. God expects us to bear good fruit… now: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS and SELF-CONTROL. If we wait for all the stars and planets to spell out “do it now” it will most likely never happen. I don’t know about you, but procrastination is one thing that I’m pretty good at. As the man said, “Never do today what you can put off until next week.” 

However, when it comes to delivering good fruits, procrastination is just part of the problem. We can’t bear good fruit if our lives are polluted by the effects of anger, resentment or self-pity. Sin kills! The wages of sin is death; cruelty kills kindness – conflict kills peace – evil kills goodness. 

If we are ever going to be the good fruit bearers that God is calling us to be, we first have to deal with our sin. 

From 1st John: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We sinners need to be reminded that God, like the Gardner, is willing to spend extra time and effort to help us, like the fig tree, to produce good fruit. All the prodigal son had to do was head for home. I am sure that God is not cynical or sarcastic when one of his hurting children needs healing. I cannot imagine that the God of the New Testament saying to the penitent, “Yea, I bet you’re sorry!” or “Hear we go again!” 

My dad used to say, “The reason I don’t go to church is because I don’t want the roof to fall in on me. And, I don’t want that to happen to all the nice people assembled to worship.” 

If I could speak to my dad today, I would say, “Dad, that’s not the way I read scripture. Jesus died so all of us sinners could approach God without shame or fear. I see Jesus waiting at the church door with open arms! Dad…. God so loved the world that all who believe in him will not parish. In fact, they will be empowered to live the abundant life God had in mind when He created us.” 

Repentance is a call to rethink our understanding of God. If there is one theme that the New Testament really drives home it is the promise of forgiveness. From the Book of Joel: “Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”

From the prayer of Manasseh: “In your great goodness, Lord you have promised forgiveness to sinners that they may repent of their sin and be saved,” 

Does that sound like a God that hopes that the church roof will fall in on us? What God wants are lives that produce good fruit. If we can’t, or won’t believe that, could anyone risk saying, “I have a confession to make?”

If sin kills…. guilt cripples!

Example) I have seen people set free and be energized for life through the act of confession. Once a man made a confession to me during a Cursillo retreat weekend. He confessed how he had deeply hurt another. He discovered that sin is sticky, but once he put it in God’s hands, he was free! He appeared to me to dance through the rest of the weekend. 

St. Augustine wrote: “Before God can deliver us, we must undeceive ourselves.” If sin kills, then confession is good for the soul. Confession is good for the community. Why? Because living in a sin-filled environment is like; breathing second-hand smoke, neglecting your property, singing off-key (on purpose)! Does my sin bother you? Yes! Yes, because if your life is out-of-sorts with God, it will have an effect on everyone that comes in contact with you.

So, why repent? Because when we are at peace with ourselves and one another we have time and energy for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

In Romans Paul writes: “All creation eagerly awaits!” In fact, waits… standing on tip toe…. Hoping for God’s family to be family! In our prayer book confession we say, “We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us;

Why? So, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways.  And God says, “Your sins are forgiven.”

May Christ strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in eternal life.

The violence that we see reported daily in the news begins in a human heart. Only God can change our hearts and that change begins with a turn. A turn toward God.

Dear kind and merciful God, help us all to turn and to keep turning until we can see the love in our Lord’s eyes… the smile on His face, and the wounds in His hands.