Current events are the topic of Our Lord’s interactions in our Gospel today. Some bearers-of-bad-news bring Him word of the slaughter of Galileans by Pontius Pilate. Reading the hearts of His interlocutors, Jesus warns that the tragedy was not brought on by the victims’ sins and that if His listeners do not repent, the same tragedy will befall them. We’ll take a cue from Cyril of Alexandria who sees deeper meaning in the image of blood mingled with sacrifice and we’ll make the case that the figure of the vinedresser who begs for the fig tree’s life is none other than Christ Himself.