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Advent Challenge Day 13

Luke 13

We sometimes assume that if something bad things come eventually to bad people – sometimes even as a punishment from God!  This is definitely the case at the start of chapter 13  when some of Jesus’ followers wondered what the Galilean had done to be killed by Pilate or the 18 who died in the tragic accident when a tower collapsed.  Jesus insists that accidents happen, and that the men were no worse than any of us, we are all sinners, and just as guilty in God’s eyes.

Following this, Jesus issues a warning that we all need to bear fruit to remain in God’s family.  “Bearing fruit”is an issue that sometimes puts a lot of people in fear, thinking that we need to be doing something difficult – but in reality what we really need to do is to show love to all who we meet.  Many more Christians will tell you that they were influenced by someone’s personal actions and values rather that by anything that was said or preached to them when they first accepted the faith.

Jesus continues to upset the religious leaders by continuing to perform miracles and healings on the Sabbath – in complete contrast to everything they held as “sacred”!  Jesus actions put their beliefs and practices to shame by asking how they would treat their animals, yet they don’t see God’s beloved people as more valuable!  The shame is astonishing, but their beliefs remain unchanged!

How many people still believe that being a regular attender in Church will ensure that they will get into Heaven – but Jesus warns his followers (and us) that this will not be the case!  We need to constantly work at being a faithful follower, constantly aware of our our actions and resulting circumstances.  We need to be very careful to keep our faith alive, and to constantly live as a true disciple of Christ.

While we constantly think of the Pharisees as a group of evil plotters, who would stop at nothing to get rid of Jesus – there were a few that actually believed that he was both a prophet and the Messiah.  One of them has heard that Herod is determined to capture Jesus and kill him, and so he approaches Jesus to warn him.  Jesus responds that he doesn’t worry about Herod, calling him a “fox” – but announces that he is now headed to Jerusalem, signalling an important change in his mission to defeat the devil, sin and death, and to save the world.

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