In this sermon on Luke 13:1-9, Fr. John challenges the assumption, common in Jesus' day as well as our own, that suffering is often linked to punishment for sin. Examining Jesus' response to both Pilate's massacre of Galileans and the accidental deaths from the tower of Siloam, the sermon highlights how Jesus redirects attention away from judging and speculating about others to examining one's own spiritual readiness. The message emphasizes that Jesus' consistent response to tragedy is not political commentary or assigning blame, but rather a call to personal readiness and repentance.
The sermon culminates in a hopeful exploration of what a life of repentance truly means—not merely feeling sorry for sins, but a complete reorientation of thinking and living. Repentance is about returning to God - coming back to him from where ever we're been and bringing our whole selves to him when we do. Through the parable of the fig tree, Fr. John illustrates both God's patient mercy and expectation of spiritual fruit. Drawing richly from Psalm 103, the message concludes by highlighting the "absurdly favorable exchange" offered in repentance: we bring our sins, infirmities, and grave-bound lives, and receive in return forgiveness, healing, redemption, mercy, and loving-kindness. We bring ourselves and in exchange receive God!
