HEARTFELT REPENTANCE
In Luke's Gospel,
Jesus Christ gives a clear warning to take responsibility for our actions and
moral choices, putting sin to death right now before it destroys our hearts,
minds, souls, and bodies, as well.
An unrepentant spirit allows sin to
spread like cancer, which corrupts us from within. If it is not eliminated
through contrition - sorrow for sin and seeking God's forgiveness and healing
grace - it leads to spiritual death, which is far worse than a physical
death.
Jesus' parable of the barren fig trees,
illustrates His warning about the consequences of allowing sin and corruption
to take root in our hearts and minds. A fig tree normally matures within three
years, producing plentiful fruit. If it fails, it is cut down to make room for
the healthy trees. A decaying fig tree and its bad fruit have come to
symbolize, for the Jews, the consequences of spiritual corruption caused by the
lack of repented sin. The unfruitful fig tree symbolizes the outcome of
Israel's unresponsiveness to the Word of God. Jesus depicts the patience of our
heavenly Father, but He also portrays the warning that we should not be
presumptuous of God's patience and mercy.
During our reflection time, today, let
us ponder on the process of repentance. The process of true contrition is
described in Christian Scripture by the Greek word "metanoia," which
can be understood to mean "a change of heart or mind." The real
action of repentance happens in the deepest recesses of the heart. As you
reflect upon your actions, recognize your weaknesses, and resolve to act in a
new and virtuous way. Tolerating sinful habits will result in bad fruit and
could eventually cause destruction. God, in His mercy, gives us both grace and
time to turn away from sin.
May that time be right now!