The Friday after the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on November 22, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 13:1-9 (NKJV)
13:1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”
Devotion
Sometimes God allows great tragedies to befall people in this world. Our reading for today has two such examples: the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, and the eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam fell and killed them. It is tempting for us to believe that people who suffer such tragedies are worse sinners, and that they suffered so because of that. The message for us is clear: Repent! When we hear news of such tragedies we should consider whether we are doing something that we should not be doing. If we find that we are, we should repent of it. This is what we should be doing instead of trying to assess whether the people who suffered such things were more sinful than others.
God is even patient with us when we should repent, as is shown by the parable of the barren fig tree, also in our reading for today. The man pleads for another year for the fig tree, and gets it. Thus the fig tree has one more opportunity to bear fruit before it is destroyed. This shows how God is patient and merciful with us, as well. But let us not abuse His mercy and patience by continuing in sin for which we know we should repent.
Collect: O God, so rule and govern our hearts and minds by Thy Holy Spirit, that being ever mindful of the end of all things, and the day of Thy just judgment, we may be stirred up to holiness of living here, and dwell with Thee forever hereafter; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
