Fr. Manuel João, comboni missionary
Sunday Reflection
from the womb of my whale, ALS
Our cross is the pulpit of the Word
Before It’s Too Late!
Year C – Lent – 3rd Sunday
Luke 13:1-9: “Unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way”
After the first two Sundays of Lent, in which we recall Jesus’ temptations in the desert and his transfiguration on the mountain, the liturgical calendar presents a different Lenten theme for each liturgical cycle. This year, in Cycle C, where we read the Gospel of Luke, the dominant theme is conversion and mercy.
Today’s Gospel passage is unique to Luke. The first part contains a strong call from Jesus to conversion, using two recent events as examples. The second is the brief parable of the barren fig tree, which highlights both the urgency of conversion and God’s merciful patience.
Three Types of Death
“At that time, some people came to tell Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” These people wanted to push Jesus to take a stance on this event: either politically, by condemning Pilate’s bloody repression, or religiously, by justifying what had happened as a consequence of the Galileans’ sins. Indeed, despite the contrasting reflection found in the Book of Job, there was a strong belief that every misfortune was linked to a fault (see John 9:1-2). In fact, this connection between guilt and punishment is still present in the religious mindset of many.
“Jesus answered them: ‘Do you think that these Galileans were greater sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this fate? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.’” And, to this violent event, Jesus adds another, linked to a tragedy: “Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the other inhabitants of Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.”
At first glance, it seems that Jesus avoids the issue. This is not the case. Jesus responds as a prophet, urging his listeners to go deeper in their interpretation of events. Without this re-reading of life, facts remain mere news and do not become a history of salvation.
The Galileans killed by Pilate or the men crushed by the tower could have been anyone, Jesus says. It was a random event. However, as a prophet, Jesus warns that a far more serious threat looms over everyone: “I tell you, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.” And he repeats it twice!
Thus, there are three types of death: the first, caused by injustice (the Galileans killed by Pilate); the second, due to natural disasters or negligence (the eighteen crushed by the tower); and finally, the third, eschatological death due to a lack of conversion, which is undoubtedly the most terrifying! The first two depend on our vulnerability; the third depends on our responsibility!
But What Is Conversion?
We all have an idea of what conversion is and what it entails, but the etymology of the word can help us understand it more deeply.
In Latin, to convert/conversion (se convertere / conversio) means to change direction, path, or course. It emphasises the spatial dimension, the change in direction of a body: making a U-turn after taking the wrong road. If I have decided to convert, I ask myself: where is my path leading? Am I walking in the right direction?
In Hebrew, to convert/conversion (shuv / teshuvah) means to turn around, return, or go back. It is one of the most frequently used verbs in the Hebrew Bible (1,060 times). To convert means to change course, yes, but in order to return to God, the source of life, renewal, and joy. To convert means to return to the Father’s house and allow oneself to be embraced by Him.
In Greek (metanoein / metánoia), it means to change one’s mind or way of thinking. To convert means to change mentality, as St Paul affirms: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern the will of God—what is good, pleasing, and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
Conversion touches every aspect of life and implies a complete transformation of the person: behaviour (conversio), heart (teshuvah), and mind (metánoia).
The Urgency of Conversion
Jesus adds the parable of the fig tree to emphasise the urgency of conversion and God’s merciful patience.
“He also told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it but found none.’” The fig tree, like the vineyard, is a symbol of the people of Israel (see Hosea 9:10; Jeremiah 8:4-13; 24:1-10), but also of the Church and each of us. What makes us barren? The evil that dwells within us!
“So he said to the gardener: ‘For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and have found none. Cut it down! Why should it exhaust the soil?’” The three years could be an allusion to Jesus’ three years of ministry. John had announced that the Messiah would come with an axe in hand: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke 3:9). Jesus, however, postpones judgement until the end of time!
“But the gardener replied: ‘Master, leave it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and fertilise it. Perhaps it will bear fruit in the future; if not, then you can cut it down.’” According to Levitical law, fruit was only to be gathered from the fourth year onwards (Leviticus 19:23-25). So, by doing the maths, we have 3+3+1 years, which makes 7 years: the perfect number representing the fullness of God’s merciful patience!
The gardener is Jesus, who intercedes for us and “fertilises” us with his blood and his word! We too are gardeners, called not to condemn (cut down), but to implore God’s mercy and to fertilise the world with prayer. And, ultimately, to leave the final word to God: “Perhaps it will bear fruit in the future; if not, then you can cut it down”… You, Lord, not me!
Dear friends, in this Lent, God grants us extra time, the year of grace that Jesus proclaimed in the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke 4:19). Opportunities in life and in grace do not repeat themselves: we must seize them! Before it’s too late!
Fr. Manuel João Pereira Correia, mccj
