In 1928, a group of physicists gathered at a conference where they announced that atomic particles possess a  random quality fundamental to their movement. Now, many of us may not fully grasp the implications of atomic  physics, but Albert Einstein had a lot of concerns about such claims. “God does not play dice,” he famously  declared. He repeated this so often one of the other physicists eventually responded: “Albert, stop telling God  what to do.”

As Christians, we tend to believe that the world, God’s creation, is meant to be coherent and orderly. That’s  why some of us may find ourselves bewildered by the chaotic and sudden events of life, especially when tragedy strikes good people. Are such events truly random? A writer, James Bryan Smith, began to wrestle with  this very question when his daughter, Madeline, was born with a rare chromosomal disorder. She lived for just  over two years. One day, his friend invited him over for dinner. While they were eating, his friend leaned in and quietly asked:

“Who sinned, Jim? Was it you or your wife?”

“Excuse me…what do you mean?” Jim replied, taken aback.

His friend continued, “Well, one or both of you must have sinned at some point for this to happen.”

Many people still believe that when we do wrong, God punishes us. They imagine an angry, punishing God. In  their minds, God is a divine bookkeeper, meticulously tracking every action, ready to issue consequences. But  if that were the case, not one of us would be able to survive in the world.

In today’s reading from Luke, we hear of a tragic event: Pilate had slaughtered some Galileans, mingling their  blood with their sacrifices while they were worshiping. People brought this disturbing news to Jesus. Knowing what they were thinking, Jesus asked: “Do you think they were worse sinners than the others?”He answered  his own question: “No!” And he insisted, adding: “But unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

In other words, Jesus was saying, “God doesn’t do things like that. Those people were not killed because they  were bad. Pilate, the Roman governor, was angry at them and sent soldiers to kill them.” He was pointing out  that their deaths were the result of human violence, not divine punishment.

Many years ago, there was an earthquake in Taiwan. A building collapsed, and around 100 people died.  Among the victims was a young couple who just happened to be passing by when the building suddenly  crumbled. They both died. Now you might think, “That’s random”. Was God playing dice? Was it just bad  luck? Why did this happen to them? We don’t know. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.  And sadly, things like this happen all the time.

It happened in Jesus’ day, too. The tower of Siloam fell and killed 18 people in Jerusalem. People were talking about it, but again, Jesus said, “No!” They were not worse sinners than anyone else, including the disciples.  “God doesn’t do things like that,” he would have said. “The tower collapsed because it wasn’t built properly. It  was weak.”

So when random tragedy strikes, let us stop ‘telling God what to do.’ That kind of thinking is an attempt to  control God or fit God into a box. Trying to explain why such things happen can lead to endless, futile  arguments, just like the ones between Einstein and his fellow physicists. The truth is, we may never fully  understand why random accidents happen.

The two tragedies in today’s scripture are based on the common assumption that punishment and sin are  directly linked. But Jesus challenges that idea. He denies the connection and instead calls everyone to  repentance. He implies that God doesn’t hurt people because they have sinned. Rather, God longs for us to be  honest about our wrongdoings and to strive to live in better, more loving ways. God desires our happiness and  wants good things to grow in our lives.

And so, we return to the parable of the fig tree – a lesson about mercy and hope for the future. The gardener  asks for one more chance, one more year, for the barren tree to bear fruit. It is a story of God’s grace – of  second chances and the promise that our future can be different from our past.

In today’s parable, we hear of a landowner who has a fig tree planted in his vineyard. In the cultural and  religious history of Israel, the fig tree has long been a symbol of blessing. It is the only tree mentioned by name  in the Garden of Eden in Genesis. The fig tree is also part of Israel’s prophetic vision of future blessings, closely tied to the restoration of the Davidic kingdom. In this way, the fig tree becomes a vivid symbol of hope  and promise.

The landowner, having waited for years, comes once again, hoping to find fruit. But the tree remains barren. Deeply disappointed, he says 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?” The owner has given up. He sees  no value in the tree any longer.

But the gardener sees things differently. He still holds on to hope for the barren tree. He replies, “Give it one  more year. I will dig around it and put manure on it. I will care for it well, hoping it will bear fruit next year. If not,  then you can cut it down.”

Now, let us pause and consider the gardener. As a hired worker, he could have simply obeyed the landowner and avoided the risk of possibly losing his job. But instead, he advocates for the fig tree. Despite the uncertain  outcome, he chooses to hope. His hope becomes an act of faith – a way of shaping the future.

The landowner’s judgment is based on the past: no fruit, no value. But the gardener shifts the focus from past  failure to future possibility. He believes in what might still be, and this changes the story.

Our lives, too, are not defined by what we’ve done or failed to do. Rather, our lives are shaped by what we  nurture and hope for. Like the gardener, we are called to tend to the possibilities within ourselves and others— with patience, care, and hope.

The stories in today’s passage remind us not to explain or justify suffering with simplistic answers. Instead,  they call us to turn toward God, who desires our growth, healing, and renewal. Just as the gardener gives the  tree another year, so does God give us time – time to grow, turn around, to live with purpose.

This Lenten season is not only a time to reflect on the past but an invitation to tend to our hopes. Even when  we cannot make sense of the “whys” behind the tragedies in our lives, Jesus reminds us this: we are not alone,  and we are not without hope. Our future, individually and as a community of faith, is not determined by past  fruitlessness but by how we nurture the soil of our lives today.

So let us move forward, not with fear, but with faith, compassion, and the grace of one more year, one more  chance. Thanks be to God, who never gives up on us. Amen.