HOMILY 3rd Lent cycle C March 24, 2019

HOMILY   3^rd Lent cycle C    March 24, 2019

“There are several good protections against temptation: but the surest is cowardice.”  Samuel Clemens, also known as Mark Twain. 

          Mark Twain’s observation may not be particularly uplifting, but it does have a kernel of truth.  What parent has not tried to instill in their children some fear, dread and horror at the probable consequences of mis-behaving?

          I mention this technique of ‘Motivation by Fear’ because that seems to be what we have going on in the Gospel today.  Jesus hears about some Galileans, His own people, who got murdered by Pontius Pilate while they were making their religious sacrifices.  Jesus’ reaction in the Gospel is:

"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!"

          Clearly, motivation by fear.  Jesus agrees with Mark Twain.

          And there we would leave it, except for the parable of the fig tree that follows.  It follows in order to explain and to help us understand Jesus’ rather severe warning.  And as I see it, the issue is all about time. 

          A landowner plants a fig tree.  For three years he comes looking for figs, but no luck.  The tree is not producing any fruit.  What’s going on?   Well Jesus’ original audience would have understood that the fig tree was a traditional symbol of the community of the Israelites, of God’s own people.  And they would have understood that the fruit was not about edible figs,  but rather that the fruit is the righteousness and holiness that they were called to as God’s own special people. 

          Some Scripture scholars think the three years is a reference to the three years of Jesus’ public ministry, and for three years now Jesus has been looking for the fruits of repentance and of following the ways of the Lord in justice and piety from His own people. 

          But Jesus has been disappointed.  People want marvels and spectacles and shows, but are not really changing their lives for the better.  The religious leaders offer only opposition and criticism.  Jesus is not getting the expected fruit of His mission.  No figs. 

          Now after three years Jesus is frustrated, exasperated and disappointed.  Jesus recognizes that time is running out for the people to respond to Him as they should.  The point of the parable is to give them one more chance.  One more year.  In short, it is now or never.  Now is the time for repentance. 

          The gardener asks for another year.  He will dig around the fig tree to loosen the soil.  He will fertilize it, or in other translations, put manure on it.  If you have experience with ranching, or farming, or gardening, you probably know about manure. That is what this passage, this parable is talking about: manure. 

          So, with digging around it, putting manure on it, this is not going to be particularly pleasant for the fig tree.  It may be disturbing, smelly, messy.  But it is needed to get the tree to produce fruit.

          And so the same for us.  Jesus is not trying to frighten us into being good in today’s Gospel.  Rather Jesus is getting real about the fact that we do not have endless time to mess around.  Each of us has only so long here on earth, and it is time for us to get serious about reforming our lives, opening ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit, and to producing the fruits of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (See Gal 5).  Now is the time for repentance and reform. 

          During the rest of this holy season of Lent, what do you need to do to be more fruitful in the Holy Spirit?  What can you do to loosen the hard, compacted soil of your habits, your set-in-your-ways hard soil, your stubbornness and resistance to change?   How can you fertilize your person with the remedies of prayer, of fasting, of generosity and almsgiving?  Maybe it is attending weekday Mass a time or two each week.  Maybe saying a rosary or setting aside time to read Scripture?  Maybe it is fasting from gossip, or from some television program, or some news item.  Maybe it is stretching yourself to address some issue in your family or with a neighbor.  Maybe it is being more generous with compliments, or with listening to others, or even with money. 

          The point of the Gospel is not to scare us.  The point of the Gospel is to get us to be more realistic about the fact that we do not have endless time.  We cannot put this off.  We need to start producing spiritual fruit.  We need to do it now, this Lent.              AMEN.