Fr Kevin Kilgore

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Gospel: Luke 13: 1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices.
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way
they were greater sinners than all other Galileans?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!
Or those eighteen people who were killed
when the tower at Siloam fell on them—
do you think they were more guilty
than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem?
By no means!
But I tell you, if you do not repent,
you will all perish as they did!”

And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.’”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There’s a Buddhist concept called, “Mu,” which means, “un-asking.”

If a person asks a question that is too shallow or narrow, then one might respond, “Mu,” which is a polite way of saying, “Un-ask the question.” Or, “ask a better question.” 

There is a deeper truth to be found.

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For example, some people might have questioned this week, “Why did such terrible storms rip through parts of the southeastern United States? Why did innocent people lose everything they own? Why is there evil in this world?”

It’s fair to ask these questions. They’re deep, often rich in heartbreak, soul-searching, raw in emotion, and personal experience.

Others might ask similar questions on the battlefield, in cancer wards, or at the cemetery.

But as difficult as it is for us to accept, Jesus’ response to the question of evil is, “Mu,” because there are deeper questions he wants us to be asking, leading to more important and pertinent truths.

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Addressing his immediate listeners, Jesus mentions two different tragedies that occurred in his own day – not a terrible storm, but the death of several people at the hands of Pontius Pilate, and the collapse of the tower at Siloam, crushing eighteen people. 

Many of Jesus’ contemporaries, including his own disciples, would’ve wondered, “Why did these things happen?” 

But Jesus avoids answering their question. His focus is not on why bad things happen to good people, but on sin, grace, repentance, divine judgment, and eternal life. These are the things that are most important.

Thus, instead of asking: “Why does evil exist?” 

The Lord urges us to consider, “What is my response to evil? How do I come to the aid of my neighbor in need? How am I amending my life? Do I ponder the truth of divine judgment?”

As the Lord says elsewhere in the Gospels, “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

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What seems to frustrate Jesus throughout the Gospels is human apathy and indecision; the abuse of the gift of time; people who refuse to live in accordance with the Spirit; and those who do not amend their lives while they can in spite of his preaching.

Like the fruitless fig tree in today’s Gospel, the Lord accuses the unrepentant person of stealing nutrients from the soil – of squandering grace – while producing no good fruit.

Still, he tempers the truth of divine judgment with the abundance of his mercy. Sins can be forgiven – entirely washed away – so long as our lives are changed.

Consider the fig tree. The Lord allows it one more year to bear fruit. He even charges the gardener to make it as easy as possible for the tree to thrive: cultivate the ground, fertilize the soil; provide tender care.

But if the tree does not change, then it will be cut down. Thus, the fate of the tree – and by extension, the fate of each individual – lies within itself. God provides ample opportunities for us to grow, even in times of drought, but it’s up to us to change.

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In this Lenten season, perhaps we should ponder: “Do I take time or God for granted? Do I give more than I take? Is there any part of my life that’s like the barren fig tree? Do I need to repent?”

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The answer to these questions can never be, “Mu,” because they point to what is most precious in life – the gift of time, the grace of God, and our response to it all.

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(2) GK Mysterion (3) Lent is About Repentance, America Magazine

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Gospel: Matthew 21: 33-46

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“”Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?””
They answered him,
“”He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times.””
Jesus said to them, “”Did you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit.””
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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One of the most common teaching techniques Christ uses in the Gospels is parables. There are nearly forty of them in all. 

Today’s parable is undoubtedly directed at the religious authorities of his day, whom Christ accuses of being serpentine stewards, wasting God’s grace and misleading his people.

In the parable, God is the owner; Israel is the vineyard; the servants are the prophets; and Jesus is the Son whom they will kill.

This is not only one of the most direct claims Christ makes about his identity as the Son of God, but also a clear prediction of his Passion and death.

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But what, exactly, does this parable say about God? And what does it mean for us?

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God is not a micro-manager. In the parable, God does not force himself upon the tenants of his vineyard; rather, he allows them to use – even misuse – their freedom for a time. But, in the end, he returns, holding each person accountable.

Similarly, God allows us to use – even misuse – our freedom for a time. But Christ warns us that we shall all be held accountable on the day of judgment, which begs the question:

What are we stewards of? What will we held accountable for?

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Most immediately, we are stewards of our body. As Saint Paul says, “I beg you, brothers and sisters, by the mercy of God to offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1). We care for our bodies because they are temples of the Holy Spirit.

We also stewards of our families. God holds us responsible for raising our children in the faith, as well as teaching them how to live virtuous lives.

We are stewards of this parish. We are responsible for cultivating it and making it grow.

We are stewards of this earth – as well as for all who call it home, including the poor, naked, hungry, persecuted, and forgotten.

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Lent is the perfect time for us to contemplate what type of steward we are of God’s grace and creation, particularly through the lens of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

So, what kind of steward am I?

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Image credits: (1) Getty Images, Crosswalk.com (2) JW.org. (3) Kamloops Full Gospel Tabernacle, Facebook

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Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.'”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Jesus does not condemn this man for being rich; wealth is not a sin. Jesus condemns him for being selfish.

Whereas the rich man dressed in fine purple linen, feasted daily at his home, and guarded his property with a rod-iron fence, Lazarus was a poor cripple covered in sores. 

The only creatures willing to make contact with him were dogs licking his wounds, adding insult to injury.

In fact, the rich man doesn’t even acknowledge Lazarus until they are both dead. In stunning irony from the depths of the netherworld, the rich man calls upon Lazarus to be his servant, maintaining his sense of superiority.

“Father Abraham,” the man cries out from the flames, “send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” 

Have the fires of Hades taught this foolish man nothing? 

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Since the rich man preferred to separate himself from Lazarus in this life, the stakes are raised in eternity. As the Lord describes, “Between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing.”

Lazarus, on the other hand, was abandoned by humanity in this life, but God comes to his aid in death, granting him the unmerited gift of eternal life. 

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So, what might this parable mean for us?

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Perhaps two things. First, we all bear some sense of responsibility for the wellbeing of our neighbors, which we are reminded of in Lent.

Secondly, we shall live in eternity the way we have lived here on earth, either in harmony with God and his creation, or separated.

Based upon my actions, what might it look like for me?

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Image credits: (1) MIT Press Reader (2) Illustration of Lazarus at the Rich Man’s Gate, Fyodr Bronnikov (3) BibleLyfe.com