Jesus was asked if the Galileans were sinners because they were slaughtered by Roman soldiers as they sacrificed in the temple. Jesus knew people believed a violent or tragic death was a sign of God’s punishment for a sinful life. He mentions the incident of the people killed by the collapse of the Tower of Siloam and ask if they were greater sinners than others who lived in Jerusalem? Jesus then tells the parable of the landowner who ordered his gardener to cut down a non-producing fig tree. The gardener pleads to give it another chance. Jesus is teaching the people, and us, that the manner of our death is not necessarily an indication of the good or evil we have done in our life, and our failure to be all God created us to be does not need to be permanent. We can always choose to use all of God’s gifts to us to the best of our ability. In this Lenten season we should reflect on the God who created us and who does not condemn us, we condemn ourselves. But our Merciful God wants to forgive us, if we ask.
