From Safari…..
Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, cancer,
heart disease, SIDS, accidents. Why do
they happen?
Are such events God’s punishment for
sinful behavior?
Perhaps Jesus sensed that was the question underlining
the comment about the Galileans in today’s Gospel.
Did this happen because of their sinfulness? Jesus
doesn’t answer the question, but he does challenge the
notion that disaster, both personal and communal, is
God sending a punishment on account of sin. Not that
sin is not present.
The actions of Pilate which led to the killing of the
Galileans are sinful. Shoddy construction and shortcuts
may have led to the collapse of the tower. The same is
true today. People’s greed and intolerance contribute
to some of the violence we see; hasty construction and
shortcuts allow buildings to collapse, a disregard for
own health contributes to the onset of disease. But
disasters, personal or communal, are not punishments
sent by God. It is part of our human condition.
Yet there is the troubling response Jesus offers in the
Gospel, “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all
perish as they did!” Will repenting save us from
disasters and illness? Repenting isn’t a defense against
disaster and illness. Jesus’ point is that death comes at
unexpected times. Natural disasters, sudden deaths of
family, friends, and neighbors give us pause to recall
that our time is limited, and we do not know when our
death will come.
The parable of the fig tree stresses that God is patient
with us, but our time is limited. Each of us needs to ask:
is my heart set on God? Amidst the disasters of life, the
question is not why did this happen, but rather what
must I do now? Jesus encourages us to repent, to turn
from our current life through an interior change. As
Jesus notes, “Out of your heart comes evil thoughts,
vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in
marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy,
insults, pride, and foolishness.
All of these come from your heart, and they are
what make you unfit to worship God. “(Mark 7:1-23)
This process of conversion cannot be accomplished
solely on our own strength, like the fig tree in the
Gospel. We need to allow God to cultivate the
surrounding, to fertilize us through word and
sacrament.
The parable of the fig tree has no ending. Did the
tree produce or was it cut down? How will our story
continue? Will we be fruitless, or will we give back
to God useful and productive lives spent furthering
the work of Christ’s mission?
Continued blessings on your Lenten journey, Fr. Ron
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