The people in the Gospel today are wondering if the Galileans who were killed by Pilate had died because they deserved to. We can empathise with them as we know too well of accidents and tragedies of all kinds where we might ask the same question. Jesus insists that they have not done anything wrong. Their sudden death challenges those still alive to live to the full and to bear much fruit because life can end suddenly, life is fragile, no one is indestructible. The Galileans died because of Pilate, but the greater ‘sin’ here becomes inactivity. Jesus is calling us to action.
The image of the fruitless tree is a call to take a look at our lives and allow our comfortable lives be disturbed by the Gospel message. When the man comes looking for fruit on the fig tree what will he find? The call to follow Jesus is not an easy one. We need to look at ways to bring peace, hope, love, and justice into our communities every day. We use the gift of Lent as an opportunity to identify areas where we can produce more fruit. How are we living? What can we do to make the changes during this Lenten season and beyond?
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