Second Chances
based on Luke 13:1-9
by Rev. Randy L Quinn

Once there was a couple who won a free two week trip to Ireland. They had a whole year to make the trip.  "Well," said the wife, "let's not do it this summer, because we don't want to interfere with our summer at the lake.  And we can't go in September because that's when the kids go back to school."

Then it came to be late October, before anyone knew it, and the husband said, "Well we can't go over the holidays."

"That's right," his wife agreed.  "Let's wait till after the first of the year."

However, someone told them that the days were terribly short in Ireland in January and February and besides the weather wasn't very good (as though it is predictably good any time!).  So they said, "Well, let's wait till spring when we know there'll be good weather and we won't have to worry about the snow closing airports in this country."

So finally they made reservations for the first week in May.  The weather was supposed to be good in Ireland and the days were long and it was the best time in the year to go (and if you believe there is any best time, you'll believe that chickens have lips!).  They admitted they were cutting it close because their prize ran out on June 1, but they were sure nothing would go wrong.

When April was almost over, the husband had a gallbladder attack and required surgery.  The doctors said he would be able to travel, oh, by the middle of June[1].

There was a time, not so long ago, that we made weekly trips to the "day old" bread store; and if we lived closer or had more reasons to go to Yakima, we might still do it today.

Having worked in a grocery store years ago, I know where the "day old" bread comes from -- it is unsold bread from the shelves of stores in the region. As the bread approaches it's "best sold by" date, it is replaced in the store with fresher bread. But since there is still the possibility that someone might buy it the bread is made available to people who use a lot of bread and aren't concerned that it will "go bad" before being eaten.

Our problem was we didn't always eat it in time. We'd reach for a slice of bread and realize the mold had beaten us in the race of time

In various eras of history, and by a handful of theologians throughout history, people were encouraged to be baptized as near their death bed as possible so as to limit the possibilities of offending God by sinning again.

The problem was that people often died before they had time to be baptized. It's hard to procrastinate and put things off until the last minute if you don't know when the last minute is. That's true for those "once in a lifetime" opportunities to travel and day-old bread as well as God's saving grace

In our text today, some people come to Jesus and comment on an outrageous act of horror committed by Pilate. It would be like coming to Jesus this morning and railing against the terrorists behind the subway bombs in Spain.

Jesus apparently perceives their desires -- the same we have when we begin a conversation that way. They want Jesus to join them in railing against the source of their terror. Maybe they want him to rile the mob into a riot and overthrow the Roman occupation forces.

Instead, Jesus reminds them that they could have been among those killed by Pilate. Instead of dying that same day, the survivors were given a new day to choose how to live.

He then reminds them of a construction accident in Jerusalem where 18 men died. In many ways it's no different than referring to a fatal school bus accident caused by icy roads or sudden mudslides. There are and always have been freak accidents in which no one person is at fault but lives are lost nonetheless, an accident that could happen to any of them or any of us. Jesus reminds them again that they are given the gift of life today as a new opportunity to serve God and to glorify God.[2]

Rather than rail against the political powers or military soldiers or terrorist networks, Jesus says in effect, "Make sure you are ready when your final day arrives.

And the best way to do that is to confess your own sins rather than the sins of others and to repent of your own behavior rather than railing against the behavior of others.  God is giving us a second chance by giving us the gift of today.

Some of us work better with deadlines and ultimatums. Sometimes we live by the adage that says "why do today what you can put off until tomorrow." In contrast, Jesus is harkening to the Psalmist who says "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Ps 118:24)

Today is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2). Today is the day of repentance.

The fig tree serves as a poignant reminder that the Day of Judgment will come for each of us. Jesus is pleading with God to postpone that day, but like that trip to Ireland it cannot be put off forever. Like the day-old bread, there is an expiration date, even if we don't know what that date will be

"So," Jesus says, "Use today wisely.

Search your own souls and confess any sin that may reside there. And should you be in a fatal car accident on your way home from church or discover a fast growing, non-treatable cancer on Tuesday, you can face it with the assurance that God's forgiveness is already yours

One of my favorite lines in our church's funeral service is in a prayer that asks God to "help us live as those prepared to die."[3] That can only happen when we begin and end each day confessing our sin and repenting of our sinful nature.

Let's pray:

God of grace, God of love, God of judgment and God of mercy: hear us as we pray. You know our hearts; you know our minds; you know our history. You know where we have been and you know what we have done. We know as well as you do that we do not deserve your grace. But today, God, we confess our sin. Forgive us. Make us pure, make us clean, make us holy. May your grace live in us and begin the work of transforming us, that we may be recreated in your image, that we may serve the rest of our days in honor of you. Amen.

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[1] Story told by author/priest Andrew Greeley that I found on his website: www.agreeley.com

[2] Neither incident can be confirmed outside of this text so there is no way of knowing the details of what happened in either place. Both are historically probable, but not verifiable.

[3] The United Methodist Hymnal (Nashville: United Methodist Publishing House, 1989), p 871.