Ukraine...

 

“Ukraine”

 

Luke 13:1-9
13:1 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

13:2 He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?

13:3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.

13:4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?

13:5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."

13:6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.

13:7 So he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?'

13:8 He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it.

13:9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

 

Ukraine and the great injustice being savagely imposed upon it by the Russian army is on everyone’s hearts right now. If you speak to anyone who has friends among the people of Ukraine, or take stock of the cultural impact of this independent country, you are even more saddened by this atrocity. The Ukrainian people and their heritage are world treasures, indeed. From the iconic “Ukrainian eggs” of Easter to the aeronautical contributions of Igor Sikorsky (the helicopter), the Ukrainian people have enriched the world. Pittsburghers know that our most famous artist—Andy Warhol—was of Ukrainian dissent. Did you know that Bob Dylan and the late opera star Beverly Sills were from families that hailed from Ukraine? 

 

And now, in the name of political power and one man’s ego, the beautiful land of Ukraine is being laid waste, and thousands of its citizens—ones not among the millions who have fled to neighboring countries—have been sacrificed to a pointless and cruel war. The Russians are systemically attacking civilian sites, hoping this “reign of terror” will scare the Ukrainian people into submission to “Mother Russia.” In fact, it just seems to have steeled their resolve. What did the Ukrainian people do to bring this calamity upon themselves? 

 

Jesus’ answer to questions like this is what we find in today’s lectionary passage from Luke. His answer? They did nothing to “deserve” this. Not the people of Ukraine, not the Galileans Pilate slaughtered, not the eighteen killed when the tower of Siloam fell. People don’t get terminal illnesses because they angered God. Businesses don’t fail because of revenge visited upon them by an overly mean deity. Bad things don’t happen to “good” people for any reason, at least according to Jesus. Oh, and the man born blind we read about in this gospel wasn’t born blind “because of his sin or his parents’ sin.” He was just born blind. It happens. 

 

Jesus does use this occasion to promote repentance, which is a balm for all kinds of things, including a deep soul cleansing. Repenting of the stuff we do wrong doesn’t make us do right—this is an acquired skill. And repenting doesn’t “vaccinate” us against tragedies or just bad outcomes from time to time on our journey. This simplistic dualism—that well-behavior breeds blessings, while errant or “sinful” behavior necessarily leads to immediate judgment via bad events—is just too easily bought and believed by way too many people. As in Jesus’ day, human nature loves to jump to conclusions, especially when the “jumper” stands to gain a leg up on someone else. As was the case of the man born blind, God chooses to minister to the victims, often claiming solidarity with them. Jesus chose his lot with the poor, the suffering, and the misunderstood. When he performed his “mission work” among the religious leaders, he attempted to help them see the futility of pushing dogma and judging sinners, and the joy of helping “the least of these.” Some of them, like Nicodemus, became Christ-followers, while others refused to yield their power and banded together to oppose Jesus, even provoking his trial and crucifixion. 

 

Today’s passage has a brief parable attached to it. We could dub it the “Patience Parable,” or the “Story of Second Chances.” Note that it doesn’t promise a full pardon, unless the fig tree protagonist produces, but it does offer a temporary reprieve with the hope of permanent rescue. 

 

As we now add the Ukrainian people to this biblical story, we pray for, work for, and hope for the divine spark in humanity to stand up and help save this nation. And what if Russia is the fig tree in the parable? Just as it is so easy to buy the “good behavior=blessings; bad behavior=judgment and retribution” duality, so is it easy to just develop and culture a global hatred of Vladimir Putin, his army, and even the Russian people for standing by as “their” nation obliterates a neighbor. But does the parable Jesus tells remind us that “there but for the grace of God go we?” Even as we pray for the salvation and rebuilding of Ukraine, so shall we pray for the reconciliation of the soul of Russia and its leader. Jesus would not have it any other way.  

 

The sentence that has often been misinterpreted in this Lukan narrative is in verse 5: “…unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.” If read wrongly, it starts to sound like Jesus IS saying that the tower falling was some kind of divine retribution for the sins of the 18 who died. No, Jesus is just bringing the positive action of repentance into the story, turning a sad and tragic story into an opportunity to basically say, “Because of happenings like the tower falling, none of us really knows how much time we have left in our lives. We could get hit by a bus tomorrow. SO, let’s make sure we are right with God, right with others, and right within our own soul and psyche.” He basically negates that older adage, “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” No, repentance is always the first door to a new and better life. Confession, forgiveness, and “turning over a new leaf” puts on a path to be a better person, and to make our life count for something. Interesting—that “turning over a new leaf” saying fits in with our fig tree parable! Turning over a new leaf can lead to fruit production, and “fruit production” is a wonderful biblical image for doing God’s will, loving one’s neighbor, and helping usher in the just realm of God in the world. 

 

So, today we remember the people of Ukraine. We pray for their triumph over the tragedy that has befallen them, from no fault of their own. We ask God to change the heart of Mr. Putin, and to reawaken the divine spark of compassion in the Russian people. We pray for all world leaders including our own President, as they seek to bring aid and relief without escalating the war. And, we read this passage in Luke over a couple of times to see where each of us may be delivered from our sinful tendency to absolve ourselves, judge others, and then label that judgment as being from God. We have been given another year to bear fruit before our “tree” is just wasting earthly nutrients. And, if nothing else, may this sermon be a bit of manure heaped on the struggling tree! Amen.