This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Lent, Year C. All week long we have considered the need for repentance and what follows: the fruit of repentance. Based on Luke 12:1-13:9, the “fruit” might be summarized as referring to our relationship with God, our relationship with self (especially concerning money), and our relationship with others. And clearly in our passage there is a very strong accent on “repentance.” But what is it that we expect regarding our Christian “fruitfulness.”  In his book Purpose Driven Church, Pastor Rick Warren has a section dealing with “Myth #7: All God Expects of Us Is Faithfulness.” His answer to the meaning of fruitfulness is provocative and challenging:

This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Lent, Year C. The previous post looked at the parable of the fig tree in the orchard in detail.  The parable highlighted Jesus’ teaching on the need for repentance that has been indicated throughout the section 12:1-13:9. A clear message of the teaching and the parable is that such repentance has its fruits as well as fruits we are expected to bear into the world.

• Fear not of the one who can harm us in life, but righteous fear of the One who can cast into hell (12:5). 
• Consider ourselves valuable because we are the ones in Creation that God sees as “very good” (v. 7) 
• Acknowledge Christ as Savior before others (v. 8) 
• Be on guard against greed (v. 15) 
• Be rich towards God (v. 21) 
• Don’t worry about your life (v. 22) 
• Strive for the kingdom (v. 31) 
• Sell possessions and give alms (v. 33) 
• Be ready for the Son of Man’s return (vv. 35-40) 
• Be doing what the master wants (v. 47) 
• Interpret the present time (v. 56) 

This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Lent, Year C. In the previous post we explored how Jesus responded to the people in their conversation about the tragedies that were “in the news.” One tragedy was intentional, a brutal event instigated by the Roman rulers; the other was an accident. Jesus’ response is that neither are indications of divine judgment against sinners. Rather, in view of the uncertainty of life and the unpredictability of the future one must be warned to examine one’s own life and repent.

In our passage, the verb “to repent” (metanoeo) is in the present tense (subjunctive), which implies continuous action = “be repentant” or “continue to repent” or “keep on repenting.” In other words, this does not speak to a once-for-all-time event that saves one from “perishing,” but rather a lifestyle of penitence.

This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday in Lent, Year C. In the previous post we considered the series of admonitions and warnings that Jesus offered to the disciples, highlighting that whatever the cauldron of life brings their way, never doubt the providential care of God. And so don’t be consumed by worrying about earthly concerns, but bear fruit in what matters to God.

At the start of the gospel narrative, people bring Jesus an account of Pilate’s horrific actions among the Galileans. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus describes Pontius Pilate in two key passages in his work Antiquities of the Jews (written around 93–94 AD). His depiction presents Pilate as a harsh and insensitive ruler, often clashing with Jewish customs and provoking unrest. Josephus recounts how Pilate offended Jewish religious sensitivities by bringing Roman military standards bearing the emperor’s image into Jerusalem. This was seen as idolatrous by the Jewish people, who protested intensely. Eventually, Pilate was forced to remove the standards to avoid a larger uprising. Later, when Pilate sought to fund a new aqueduct in Jerusalem using money from the Temple treasury the Jewish populace protested. Pilate responded by sending disguised soldiers into the crowd, who violently suppressed the demonstrators, leading to many deaths.