Reflection for March 23 Third Sunday of Lent: Luke 13:1-9

Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! 

But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them— do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” 

And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none.

So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

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Reflection:

The story is told of a corrupt government official who was being urged by his wife to leave behind his life of sin. The corrupt official would always tell his wife to be quiet and enjoy the fruits of his greed, for nobody would know about it. After years of enjoying his dirty wealth, he was eventually caught and imprisoned for the rest of his life. 

What does sin do to us? It gives us nothing but misfortune! But sometimes, the dangerous fruit of sin doesn’t immediately manifest, so we are tempted to enjoy it—until the point of reckoning comes, when both divine and civil punishment are served upon us. 

Sinful ways don’t pay. We may enjoy them for a short or long period of time, but the eventual weight of punishment will be upon us. We must realize that we will not gain anything by immersing ourselves in sin. 

Let us, therefore, examine ourselves regarding the many sins we have committed. If possible, let us write these sins on a white bond paper or a clean sheet of paper. And after we are done writing, let us cross out every single sin that has possessed us for so long, while silently promising God that we will not do it again. 

This will now serve as our initial step toward repentance, renewal, and reconciliation with Jesus and with those whom we’ve hurt. – Marino J. Dasmarinas