Lent 3: Repent or Perish?
Scripture Reading Luke 13:1-9
The idea that tragedy happens to certain individuals because they are particularly sinful, is not a new theological concept. We see this in some of the responses Job’s “friends” had regarding Job’s suffering. They tell him he must have committed some sin and God is punishing him for that, if only he would repent, then everything would be made right. They keep harping on that until God basically tells them to shut the fuck up. (well not in those words. This is the Naiomi paraphrase).
In this Sunday’s gospel text, Jesus is told about a tragic event in which Pilate murders Galileans at the temple while they were sacrificing. Justo L. Gonzalez in his commentary on the gospel of Luke points out that some Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had a strong disdain towards the Galileans. They were viewed as second-class Jews, only marginally better than gentiles. The people telling Jesus about the tragedy may have been implying that the Galileans who died got what they deserved.
Jesus of course rejects that idea and warns the listeners that they too could face a similar fate unless they repent/turn to God. Then Jesus gives what (at least to me) seems like a pretty confusing parable about a fig tree.
Much more disturbing, at first glance, it seems as if Jesus hasn’t truly discarded the theological notion that threatens, “obey God or you will be destroyed.” In fact, Jesus seems to reinforce that belief with the parable. “Repent and bear fruit or prepare to die” is how I’ve often heard it interpreted and preached.
But what if, like last week’s gospel reading, instead of interpreting this verse as reinforcing the idea of an angry, judgmental God that will destroy those who disobey/don’t bring fruit, we view it as a warning of what will happen if we insist on aligning ourselves with the violence and oppression of the Empire. God is continuing to warn us that systems of Empire will destroy us too, not only those we consider to be “evil sinners” or “deserving” of violence and death.
I’ve talked a lot in my first two blog posts about Jesus critiquing the values of Empire: both during his time period and now. Jesus preaches a God that not only stands in stark contrast to the gods of Empire but who seeks to turn the world completely upside down: the powerful will no longer be the ones in charge. Jesus preaches a God whose deepest desire is to transform this world and bring new life to everyone but especially the marginalized and oppressed.
But many of us, particularly those with various forms of privilege, would rather align ourselves with the Empire. And then, if things happen to work out for us, we have the audacity to look at those who are being crushed under the weight of violence and oppression as being responsible for their pain. We tell ourselves, “I deserve my car, house, job etc because I worked hard and those who are struggling just aren’t doing enough. They are lazy.”
Even those of us who grew up in poverty or struggle still have that mindset: “I made it out, why can’t they?” and we don’t acknowledge the privilege that enabled us to escape when so many others did not. This privilege comes in many different forms: from race, to access to education, mentorship, and assistance programs, etc.
What if Luke 13 serves as a warning, not to say if we “disobey God something horrible will happen to us” but if we continue to align ourselves, with the Empire, we too will be destroyed? If we continue to propagate systems that lead to the subjugation of others-it will only be a matter of time before the tables turn on us and we are the ones being brought down by the Empire’s system of violence. Jesus is warning us that unless we repent-unless we turn away from Empire and turn to God-we risk being destroyed by the very system of evil we hold onto.
Again, I reject the notion of a God that arbitrarily decides to condemn and punish people. “Oh you didn’t listen to me, I guess I’m going to send a hurricane to flood this city and kill hundreds of people. “ That would make God no different than egotistical dictators and leaders who demand complete obedience from others or they will have them jailed, exiled, or brutally tortured and killed.
Instead, I view God as desiring a different world and working with us to create this world-but if we decide we want to endorse the status quo-we will be destroyed by it. Not because God is up in the sky deciding, “ok enough, time to die” but because systems of domination and violence, eventually kill all.
Systems of Empire first go after the marginalized and oppressed, but those categories are often fluid. Individuals and groups of people can find themselves being blessed and favored by the Empire one day, only to find themselves, the next day on the receiving end of its wrath. By its very nature Empire annihilates all it encounters. It will only be a matter of time before those who previously benefited from Empire are in turn destroyed and killed by it.
When we align ourselves with Empire we open ourselves up to judgment. Not by a God in the sky arbitrarily deciding whom to punish. But by the very systems of evil, we hold onto. Empire kills all-including its most loyal adherents.
