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please rise for the gospel reading. Today's Reading is Luke 13 verses 1- nine. There were some present at that very time. Who told jesus about the galleons whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them. Do you think that these galleons were worse sinners than all the other galleons? Because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish, Or those 18 on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them. Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. And he told this parable, A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came seeking fruit on it and found none and he said to the wine dresser, look for three years now, I've come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground? And he answered him, sir, let it alone this year. Also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year well and good. But if not you can cut it down. This is the gospel of our Lord. Please sit. Yeah. Mhm. Mhm. One day the news or scream some people to tell the aliens killed. Is anyone to believe is this because they wherever there is trouble people us. Then jesus turned to say it's nothing they did wrong. That means their loved ones now are treating mournful songs. And yet you know it's true that tragic things abound since life is fragile, Now's the time. Turn around. Oh God! We pray for help to see what we should change. To see the values we ourselves should really range now help us know our sin. The when you have. Mhm. In christ, we see your grace, You give us one more day, another opportunity to live your way. May we again repent and turn our lives to you and may we love our neighbors. People die and when they die we grieve and give the family our condolences. But do we really feel grief for everyone? In our gospel reading today, jews came to jesus to talk about a recent incident? A known group of galleons were sacrificing animals when roman guards arrived and killed a number of them. It is likely that these galleons were pilgrims coming to sacrifice in the temple, and not that not all of them were killed by the romans. However, the text does not specify these jews were implying that the death of those particular galleons was on account of their sin. The others were spared because they were simply not as sinful. It just makes sense that God would punish those sinners with such a horrible death, jesus rebukes them. Do you think that these galleons were worse sinners than all the other galleons because they suffered this way? He brings up the example of the tower collapse in Salone killing 18. Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? The answer here is clearly no these tragic deaths were not because of an egregious sin they had committed. We are no better than any of these people. These deaths are nothing but calamity but God uh through these tragic events calls us to repentance. Even today we can fall into the same line of thinking as these jews. There are many christians today who believed that sts were sent as a punishment from God to the sexually immoral and say oh they shouldn't have been living that lifestyle. Anyway we see the drunkard drink himself to death and say he had it coming. The crooked politician is assassinated. We say well isn't it about time where we see the Gangsters targeted and shot on the frequent and we think yeah they deserved it. I too can struggle with these ideas in Toronto and Surrey there are frequent shootings but hardly do I worry about them because I know they are targeted watching the news. I wait to see a picture of the self suspect or just assume what they look like and say to myself yeah that looks about right. They had it coming now there's consequences here in this world for our sin when we lie there is distrust in our friends and family and community if we commit a crime we are fined or imprisoned but we need to look at our modern day galleons at a different angle, they come back to the same question that jesus asked, do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? Do we think that's sexually immoral? The drunkard, the crooked politician, the gangster or any other kind of center you can think of is any worse than the rest of us. We are all dead in our sins. We all need to repent and turn from our sin. But some of you may think I'm a good christian, I'm not like those sinners, you don't know me and all the good works. I get up to in my daily life, my righteousness and my good works are enough to get me into heaven, but it is simply not true. Our good works will never be enough when we acknowledge our sin and wickedness. When we accept that we aren't righteous and good, we must repent and turn away from our sin. Even so we continue to have people say God is unjust to condemn me for just a couple of lies. He wouldn't condemn me for that, would he? We love to relight right God's law and follow our own way all around us. We see it today hate. Well, it's okay if we hate intolerant people. It's okay if it's just a little white lie, Free mail, A little sex, it doesn't actually mean anything homosexuality did. God really say it's wrong. Maybe he was just talking about something else. Even over these thousands of years, we haven't changed from the time of Ezekiel. God is not unjust to condemn us. It is our own ways that are unjust. It is our sinful nature that prevents us from living out a good and just life just as God intended. When we think that we are good and righteous christians, we will inevitably fail at it and God will condemn us. Instead. We must come before God as a poor and helpless sinner, repent and turn to God's ways and not our own. This is the only way to eternal life and salvation. God will judge us each according to our own ways, Jesus illustrates our dire need for repentance and a parable in the vineyard which is Israel, there is a fig tree. This fig tree is not other than Jerusalem in Jerusalem. The throne of the Lord is totally barren. This tree, I don't know if any of you have a garden at home, but I can't imagine having a dead rose bush sitting in the middle of it. It goes without saying that absolutely nobody wants a dead and useless fig fig tree sitting in the center of their vineyard, Jerusalem has become the eyesore of Israel. Here. God! The father was thinking, I'm going to plant this great and beautiful tree and it is going to produce me. Lots of good fruits, but all we got. It was nothing, absolutely nothing. What a disappointment That must be. God has been patient! He has waited three whole years, checking to see if this tree will ever produce fruit? But there never was his patience had run thin, and he was ready to cut this tree down. But the wine dresser or vine dresser, jesus objects, he is willing to nurture and care for this tree. He is willing to show mercy and wait just a little longer in the hopes to see if there will be any fruit. The father, who was also patient and merciful, agrees with jesus. We are just like Jerusalem. God has made us and has waited and waited, but we will not produce any fruit. He is ready to cut us down. But God has patience. He isn't happy or pleased to see the death of anyone? God wanted nothing more than to see Jerusalem flourish and produce many fruits for his pleasure. God does not want to cut this tree down. He has invested so much time. He does not want to to be in vain. However, if Jerusalem won't produce fruit, then what is its use? God doesn't want to condemn us. But if we are fruitless? What use does he have for us? Ultimately, without fruit? We are worthless. But what is this fruit? Anyway? I asked this question myself. Is it good works. What if Luther got it wrong? Do we really need our own good works to be saved? Is salvation not a free gift from God after all? What if I don't have enough fruit or my fruits pleasing enough for God. Will I be spared? Or will he cut me down with his holy yaks and wrath? Where is the hope in this passage? Repentance? Is the fruit that God is expecting of us? Jesus showed Jerusalem mercy. He would nurture it to health in the hopes that it would produce repentance. He sent the law the scripture to Israel to point out their sin and to call them to repentance. Prophet after prophet was sent to Jerusalem to call Israel to repentance? Jesus came himself to call the whole world to repentance, blessing us with the Holy spirit and the sacraments everything that we need has been given to repent. Our repentance is the work of christ in us just like Jerusalem, We could not repent by our own ability. It is granted or given to us by God through jesus, nurturing us with his grace? Jesus gives us new life through repentance. But what does it even mean to repent? Does it mean that I need to go to a confessional booth and confess every little sin that I have ever done? Let's look at the situation we have in europe Right now. The european nations loved Russian oil, They couldn't get enough of it and they had become very dependent on it? Russia decided to annex Crimea a region of Ukraine? This isn't particularly great for the interests of europe? But it was just Crimea. It's not like they're going to invade the whole of Ukraine. So europe continued to support the Russian government and buy their oil Come to 2022. We can see how that has worked out for Europe. The Russian government has decided to invade the Ukraine. And I'm sure that many european nations are now regretting buying all that Russian oil. But now that we see what the effects of supporting a government like that, they are turning away from Russian oil, europe is planning on being free from Russian oil in the next few years with the after seeing the effects of buying Russian products are but what are they turning to? What are they putting their trust and faith in for their source of energy? They are putting their money into renewable energy and nuclear power. Their faith and trust is in this new plan to power europe by putting their faith in this new plan, they are hopefully going to be free from the Russian government's plan to continue the conquest in the Ukraine. Just like europe indulging in Russian oil, we indulge in sin. We love it and we keep on going back to it. But when we see the negative effects that sin has. When we see how sinful we are, we turn away from it, jesus and the prophets have called us all to turn to God. They have called us to turn to him and faith and trust that he will deliver us from our sin, this is what repentance is, It is turning away from our sin and putting our trust in God. Unlike europe, we cannot do this by ourselves and by our own ability. Look at Jerusalem in this parable call after call. And yet there was nothing to be found. Repentance is given to us by jesus, jesus through manure, God's saving grace. This is why it is so important to come to church, to hear God's word to be baptized and to receive his body and blood, but do not be mistaken. This is not a metaphor, Jesus literally waters us with baptism and literally nourishes us with his body and blood in the bread and wine in the Lord's supper through these means jesus turns us towards him and gives us eternal life. And unlike europe, who does not know if Russia will stop or not, we can be sure in God's promise of salvation, that for all who put their faith in him will have eternal life. Yeah, God's gonna cut you down, covered by johnny Cash tells a very harsh truth. If you continue to live in sin, God is gonna cut you down if you're a long tongued liar. A midnight writer, a Rambler, a gambler or a back fighter, You may run and run. But one day God, we'll get ahold of you. God will cut you down. If there is no fruits of repentance to speak of. And remember, God sees sinners as sinners, he does not see a worse or a not so bad center. We are at all, no better than the long tongued liar, Midnight Rider Rambler gambler, or back biter. When we trust in our own righteousness and our own ability to make it to heaven, God will cut us down. There is no repentance in that. When we change God's law and ask the question, did God really say that that was a sin? God will cut us down only when we repent only when we turn to God in faith, acknowledging that we are a wicked sinner and will continue in sin and trusting in God for our salvation only, then will we be saved? Do not let God's wrath get in the way of his abundant mercy for you both are very real and present. But neither our absolute jesus has been calling you and the rest of the world to repentance because of Jesus's love for you. There is nothing more that he wants than for you to come to him in repentance. This is why he has spared us the acts time and time again, and has given us more and more time to turn to him in repentance. Do not take this abundant mercy for granted repent. And God, who is just will grant you the forgiveness of sins. Turn away from your sin and pride and receive the grace and mercy that jesus has bought for you on the cross.