The Story of My Life as told by Jesus
Christ
(Seed Sowers Christian
Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)
Friday, February 22, 2013 Repent. Fruitless Fig Tree
Page 201 Luke 13: 1-9
Do you remember the story of Job?
Do you remember how Job’s friends explained why bad things were happening to
Job? They said it had to be because there was sin in Job’s life. In Israel
2,000 years ago, the people still lived by this simplistic cause and effect
view of life. This would be especially true if someone were killed in the act
of worship; they would blame the victim. Certainly the person must have
committed some awful sin to be executed in this way.
Jesus says no. The people died at
the hands of a brutal Roman Governor, not the judgment of God. Then Jesus tells
his followers, who are also Galileans traveling to Jerusalem, a similar fate
may await them. I suspect the crowd following Jesus thinned out at that time. Jesus’
point is that unless the people repented and took upon themselves Kingdom
values, the Roman oppressors will continue to brutally put down any suspected
rebellion.
However, Jesus wanted the people
to know that ultimately they should fear the judgment of God. The parable of
the fig tree is Jesus’ way of saying there is a date certain for which God’s judgment
will come. Perhaps some of Jesus’ listeners recalled the prophet Habakkuk who
cried out to God for justice because of the sins of Israel. Habakkuk was
astonished when God answered his lament with a promise that judgment was coming
and that God would use the Babylonians to execute His judgment. Hopefully those
listening to Jesus repented and bore the fruit of repentance as revealed in the
prayer of Habakkuk:
“Though the fig tree does not blossom,
and no fruit is on the vines;
though the produce of the olive fails,
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock is cut off from the fold,
and there is no herd in the
stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my
salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the
feet of a deer,
and makes me tread upon the
heights.”
Habakkuk 3: 17-19
(NRSV)
Sē’lah
The second edition of my book, First Think – Then Pray has been released as an e-book on
Amazon Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGQL5JC
<>< <><
<>< <><
What word or phrase
in today’s reading attracts your attention?
Reflect on that word
or phrase.
What insights come to
you?
How does this passage
touch your life today?
<>< <><
<>< <><
(Selah is a word that appears in the
Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my
correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about
these things.)
These meditations are written by
Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life. In addition to this BLOG they are distributed
on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service
by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.
The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription
The Story of My Life as told by Jesus
Christ
(Seed Sowers Christian
Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)
Monday, February 25, 2013 Again, I Healed on the Sabbath
Page 201-202 Luke 13: 10-21
