Good day brothers and sisters. It is always a joy to wake up to a new day and knowing that this beautiful day, we are walking with the Lord in freedom, and not in slavery to sin. It is a very great feeling, and it is my hope and prayer that we all would remain faithful to the Lord, and to not fall back into sin. For when Christ comes again in great glory and power, he will make everything right, and so we must prepare for this great event that is going to happen.

One of the best-known Bible passages of all time is Luke 13:1-9, in which Jesus Christ stresses the importance of repentance from sin, and gives a short parable illustrating how God is patient with sinners.

In this parable, Jesus uses the image of a barren fig tree, in which the owner of the vineyard kept looking for fruit that is on the tree for three years, but found no fruit. So then the owner of the vineyard came to his vinedresser (someone who nourishes vines and grows them), and says to him, "For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and have never found any. Cut it down! Why should it continue to use up the soil?" But his vinedresser replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year while I dig around it and fertilize it. Perhaps it will bear fruit next year. If so, well and good. If not, then you can cut it down."

It is important to realize this Parable in context. Just before this Parable, Jesus was speaking about how we all need to repent of our sins, or else if we do not, we will all face a fearful end. And so to better illustrate this, he gives this parable, of which the Patience of God is highlighted toward sinners, but of course shows what its fate is if it does not bear fruit by next year. The great mercy and patience of our Lord is shown in this parable, when the owner of the vineyard agreed to let it live for one more year, even though for the past three years it had zero fruit, in the hopes that it may bear good fruit. And if it does not change, yes, it will be cut down, and it will decay.

Brothers and sisters, whenever we sin, we must radically change ourselves to never commit that sin in the eyes of the Lord. Remember that the Lord is very patient with us, and so we must use this time wisely to bear good fruit of the Lord, which is keeping his ways, and his virtues, which include patience. We all must be patient brothers and sisters, for Christ was patient and humble, and we saw that he rose from the dead three days after his death and ascended into heaven 40 days after his wonderous resurrection. We were once like the barren fig tree, but if we repent (and I hope you did), and repent in such a manner to really make an effort to not commit sin of any type again, we will be the fig tree that bears fruit the next year. The master would be rejoiceful, and celebrate with everyone that his tree has finally bore fruit.

If you have not been to Holy Confession, GO! If you do not immediately repent after you know you have sinned, REPENT RIGHT NOW! It is very important that we keep the ways of the Lord my brothers and sisters. So go and use this knowledge of the Lord to glorify the Lord with your life. Amen.

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!!!!