Luke 13:1-9

Pilate was an extremely violent and evil governor. He was deposed by the Roman government for how he treated the people he governed. 

People have perceptions about regions of people. The perception of Galileans was that they were contentious and prone to riot. 

People don’t realize that Jesus is talking about himself in the last section about fire and judgement. They bring up the event of Pilate killing the Galileans thinking this is God’s judgement. Their response reveals the tendency of fallen and sinful humans to categorize other groups and think that they deserve judgement while I deserve mercy. 

Jesus response knocks down retribution theory. Hebrew wisdom literature starts to unveil how retribution theory on the individual level falls apart. 

Jesus says it is NOT the case that those who are suffering have greater need to repent than those who are comfortable. All of us are equally in need of repentance. 

Our American world view is you get what you work for. You earn what you have. We need to be confronted with the same teaching of Jesus. 

Vs 6-9

Jesus is speaking to a Jewish, Israelite reality. Israel was meant to bear fruit for the world. This was a call to repentance for Israel, however, we have been grafted in to the kingdom of God and we also are expected to bear fruit. The parable is left open ended to quietly review ourselves and wonder if we are guilty of being barren and if Jesus is sent to help us. 

The order of these teachings: repentance followed by bearing fruit, is not on accident. The nature of repentance is necessarily followed by bearing fruit. It is a radical turning from sin toward a new way of life.