We have entered the Lent season for more than two and a half weeks. On previous Sundays, we read the Temptation and Transfiguration of Jesus. The theme of repentance was not mentioned. Two weeks into Lent, the gospel talks about the need of repentance for the first time. However, the call to repentance does not sound urgent enough.
Fr. Lejeune celebrated the 11 a.m. mass for us. I did not hear the vigour of his voice which he usually displays despite his age. Today, he sounded a bit soft. Later in the mass, he was not aware that he had turned one page more in his liturgy book. He missed the consecration of the Eucharist part! The altar boys reminded him before the Lord's Prayer. He quietly said the part himself and continued with the Mass.
My Lord, Your servant has been serving You well for a long time. I pray for his health and may he suffer less burden of aging. Amen.
My Lord, Your servant has been serving You well for a long time. I pray for his health and may he suffer less burden of aging. Amen.
In his homily, Fr. Lejeune explained Luke 13 in the traditional manner. The master of the vineyard who planted a fig tree in his vineyard is God the Father. The vinedresser is Jesus. For three years the fig tree did not bear fruit. The master told the vinedresser to cut it down.
And he said to the vinedresser,'Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?'(Luke 13:7)
The fig tree represents sinners. The vinedresser begged the master to spare the fig tree for one more year so that he would dig about it and put on manure, which Fr. Lejeune explained as grace and sacraments. If it did not yield any fig which represents good work, the master could then cut it down. I do not find this traditional explanation satisfactory.
And he said to the vinedresser,'Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?'(Luke 13:7)
The fig tree represents sinners. The vinedresser begged the master to spare the fig tree for one more year so that he would dig about it and put on manure, which Fr. Lejeune explained as grace and sacraments. If it did not yield any fig which represents good work, the master could then cut it down. I do not find this traditional explanation satisfactory.
Before Jesus told this parable, some people reported to him about what Pontius Pilate did to the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifice (Luke 13:1).
And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus?
I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:2-3).
No, those Galileans were not worse sinners than all the other Galileans. No, they were not worse sinners, but they were sinners nevertheless. We are all sinners before God. There are no better or no worse sinners, just sinners. However, our sense of self-righteousness tends to judge others more harshly than we judge ourselves. We tend to forget that we are sinners by pointing at the sins of others. We feel better this way but this is not a more nearly correct perception. In ancient time, it was naturally for people to association calamities as punishments sent by God. Nowadays, we are more 'civilized'. Thanks to the spread of Christianity, we are more sympathetic towards victims of disasters instead of pointing our fingers at their shortcomings.
Jesus warns us that we must repent. Otherwise, we will all likewise perish. He quoted a similar incident in Jerusalem and repeated an identical warning (Luke 13:4-5). Then Jesus told the fig tree in the vineyard parable.
And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered thus?
I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:2-3).
No, those Galileans were not worse sinners than all the other Galileans. No, they were not worse sinners, but they were sinners nevertheless. We are all sinners before God. There are no better or no worse sinners, just sinners. However, our sense of self-righteousness tends to judge others more harshly than we judge ourselves. We tend to forget that we are sinners by pointing at the sins of others. We feel better this way but this is not a more nearly correct perception. In ancient time, it was naturally for people to association calamities as punishments sent by God. Nowadays, we are more 'civilized'. Thanks to the spread of Christianity, we are more sympathetic towards victims of disasters instead of pointing our fingers at their shortcomings.
Jesus warns us that we must repent. Otherwise, we will all likewise perish. He quoted a similar incident in Jerusalem and repeated an identical warning (Luke 13:4-5). Then Jesus told the fig tree in the vineyard parable.
Therefore, I would rather interpret the parable in a different way.
First of all, why did the master plant a fig tree in a vineyard? I know no farming. Would some readers explain to me why a farmer would plant an alien tree in a homogenous field? Of course, I would also agree that the alien fig tree among vines symbolizes sinners because they would be cut down if they did not repent and bear the fruit of repentance. But don't forget, good people also perish!
Secondly, I agree that the master symbolizes God. But I disagree that the vinedresser symbolizes Jesus. The word vinedresser appears only twice in the gospels, once here and the other one in John.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser (John 15:1).
When Jesus is the vine, God the Father is the vinedresser. When sinners are the vine, who will the vinedresser be?
From the context of the parable in Luke, I prefer to interpret the vinedresser as us, Christians because I find it impossible to say that Jesus has not done enough for sinners and that Jesus needs to put in extra efforts to make sinners repent. On the other hand, we have not done enough to help our wayward brothers return to God. Like the people in the story, we finger our sinful brothers and enjoy seeing them punished. No, God knows our sins. He does not need our report. Rather, we need Jesus to teach us the right way to treat our brothers. Instead of proving our self-righteousness, we should be more patient to them (for one more year), improve the environment (dig around it) to make it more conducive for them to improve; give them encouragement and pray for them (put on manure). Of course, Christians work with Jesus. Therefore, it is still open to interpret the vinedresser as Jesus.
Lastly, the vinedresser leaves it to the master to cut down the fig tree. We should not take justice into our hand. Let God take care of the punishment of sinners.
First of all, why did the master plant a fig tree in a vineyard? I know no farming. Would some readers explain to me why a farmer would plant an alien tree in a homogenous field? Of course, I would also agree that the alien fig tree among vines symbolizes sinners because they would be cut down if they did not repent and bear the fruit of repentance. But don't forget, good people also perish!
Secondly, I agree that the master symbolizes God. But I disagree that the vinedresser symbolizes Jesus. The word vinedresser appears only twice in the gospels, once here and the other one in John.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser (John 15:1).
When Jesus is the vine, God the Father is the vinedresser. When sinners are the vine, who will the vinedresser be?
From the context of the parable in Luke, I prefer to interpret the vinedresser as us, Christians because I find it impossible to say that Jesus has not done enough for sinners and that Jesus needs to put in extra efforts to make sinners repent. On the other hand, we have not done enough to help our wayward brothers return to God. Like the people in the story, we finger our sinful brothers and enjoy seeing them punished. No, God knows our sins. He does not need our report. Rather, we need Jesus to teach us the right way to treat our brothers. Instead of proving our self-righteousness, we should be more patient to them (for one more year), improve the environment (dig around it) to make it more conducive for them to improve; give them encouragement and pray for them (put on manure). Of course, Christians work with Jesus. Therefore, it is still open to interpret the vinedresser as Jesus.
Lastly, the vinedresser leaves it to the master to cut down the fig tree. We should not take justice into our hand. Let God take care of the punishment of sinners.
Dear Lord, I pray for Fr. Lejeune. I also pray for all the pastoral workers and ourselves. May we repent and see Your mercy. We, the vinedressers as well as fig trees, need Your pardon. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment