The Tribune. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1951-19??, 1956-01-14

did not expect its immediate and
universal success but endeavored to
present 1T to mankind so that its
nature and methods could be under
stood and appreciated.
He had sufficient faith in the
ultimate response OF men that he
could give his life in order to illus
trate more perfectly his mission
and purpose. AS he preached and
taught during his three active years
of ministry, he was constantly seek
ing to explain and make more COM
prehensive the Kingdom of God.
He 'had sufficient faith in the
ultimate response of men that he
could give his life in order to
illustrate more perfectly his
mission and purpose. AS he preach
ed and taught during his three
active years of ministry, he was
constantly seeking to explain and
make more comprehensive the
Kingdom of God.
The thirteenth chapter of Luke's
gospel begins with telling us how
Jesus exposed the prejudices and
errors of some Jewish critics. They
wanted to know if some Galileans,
who had been slain by PLATE, had
been punished for their individual
sins. The reply of Jesus showed
that disaster should not always
be considered a direct and positive
retaliation for wrong doing. We
have never been alberto understand
how some people believe that God
of love would be SO vindictive as to
inflict terrible suffering on human
beings. We do not believe that these
things come through the direct in
terposition of divine authority.
Rather, we believe they result from
error, ignorance and sin. not
necessarily always by the injured
parties, but certainly as a result OF
the violation of Gods laws some
where, at some time
Jesus declared that neither these
Galileans, who were killed by Herod,
nor the eighteen men who were ac-
cidentally killed when the tower OF
Sloan topped over on them, were
any more wicked than the rest of
them. But he warned his hearers
that unless they put themselves in
to right relations with God, Sy re-
penting of their sins they would
suffer, not only physical death, but
eternal neutrality-suspicious. from
God forever
Then Jesus gave them the par
able of the barren fig tree. which,
although not as familiar as many
other parallels of Jesus, is one OF
the most important of them all. The
fig tree, which was mentioned from
the early beginning of creation on
down through the pages of the Old
Testament, was one of the most
familiar trees to the listeners of
Jesus that day. 1t is one of the
most common trees of the Near East
and its fruit, in various forms, has
been part of the diet of that
area for thousands of years. There
fore, Jesus was on familiar ground
when he told this particular story.
The master or owner OF this part
ocular tree had noticed that, for
three years, the tree had failed to
have any figs on it. Disguised with
it. he ordeded his vinedresser to
cut it down, SO that its. place could
be taken by tree which would bear
fruit. The vinedresser begged the
master to leave it just one more
year and he would tend it. dig
around its roots and fertilize it. If
it then failed to bear fruit, he
would willingly dig it up and cast
it forth.
There is no argument but that
this fig tree stands for Israel the
Jewish people from whom fruit was
expected They were the Chosen
People of God, to whom he had
sent his Son. But. Instead of ac-
cepting him, they were on the verge
of killing their anointed Messiah
But, not only does the fig tree
stand for Israel and the Jews, it
has a special application to each
man, woman and child who has
accepted Jesus Christ as his, or
her, Savior AS His follower. He has
the right to expect fruit-in service
to him. This service can be rendered
only through service to ones fellow
men.
Jesus incurred the singing wrath
of the religious leaders by healing
an afflicted woman in the Syna-
gogue on the Sabbath Day. He then
gave to them the Parable of the
Mustard Seed, in which ne likened
the growth of the Kingdom of God
to that OF the tiny seed. which,
when cultivated properly, grew into
a large bush, or tree, large enough
for birds to rest in its branches
Warned by certain Pharisees that
Herod had sworn to kill him, Jesus
sent blistering message to Herod
He reminded him that He had been
sent by God and that no one could
harm him unless God was willing.
His whole life had been ordained
and scheduled by God He knew
that he was soon to die and that
ne would die in Jerusalem. the be-
loved city of the Jews which. &C
cOrding TO Isaiah. had been the