One Chance
Luke 13
Some people had heard the terrible stories about Pontius Pilate, the ruler in Jerusalem. They heard that he murdered people that were worshiping God and used their blood to offer a sacrifice at the temple. Despite how heinous the act is, Jesus shifts the focus. He reminds the people that those who were murdered by Pilate were no worse than anyone else - they did not die such a horrible death because they were bad people. Jesus makes the point a second time with another current event - a tower had fallen in Jerusalem and killed some people. He says that accident wasn't because those who died were any worse than any other citizen in Jerusalem; it just happened.
All people die. And because all people die there is only one way out and that's by finding your life in God. Its like an apple tree that doesn't produce any apples. A farmer will come and chop it down if it doesn't produce so a healthy tree can replace the dead one. But someone tells the farmer, "Wait, just give it one more chance. I'll put some fertilizer around it and try and help it produce. If you don't see any apples next year then you can chop it down." The story reminds us we have one shot at this. We only live once and we have one chance to turn to God.
A little later Jesus is talking to the religious folks who are following him around. One person asks, "Will only a few people be saved?" Jesus says that with our one opportunity we need to devote our mind - our whole way of life - to God. It requires everything in us. The religious folks think they will make it because they hang out with the right people and live in the right part of the country. But the true is far grimmer - "You'll protest, 'But we've known you all our lives!' only to be interrupted with his abrupt, 'Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the first thing about me.' Jesus is right - you only get one chance to know God.
Some people had heard the terrible stories about Pontius Pilate, the ruler in Jerusalem. They heard that he murdered people that were worshiping God and used their blood to offer a sacrifice at the temple. Despite how heinous the act is, Jesus shifts the focus. He reminds the people that those who were murdered by Pilate were no worse than anyone else - they did not die such a horrible death because they were bad people. Jesus makes the point a second time with another current event - a tower had fallen in Jerusalem and killed some people. He says that accident wasn't because those who died were any worse than any other citizen in Jerusalem; it just happened.
All people die. And because all people die there is only one way out and that's by finding your life in God. Its like an apple tree that doesn't produce any apples. A farmer will come and chop it down if it doesn't produce so a healthy tree can replace the dead one. But someone tells the farmer, "Wait, just give it one more chance. I'll put some fertilizer around it and try and help it produce. If you don't see any apples next year then you can chop it down." The story reminds us we have one shot at this. We only live once and we have one chance to turn to God.
A little later Jesus is talking to the religious folks who are following him around. One person asks, "Will only a few people be saved?" Jesus says that with our one opportunity we need to devote our mind - our whole way of life - to God. It requires everything in us. The religious folks think they will make it because they hang out with the right people and live in the right part of the country. But the true is far grimmer - "You'll protest, 'But we've known you all our lives!' only to be interrupted with his abrupt, 'Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the first thing about me.' Jesus is right - you only get one chance to know God.