Luke 13:6-9
Welcome to the third Sunday in Lent, known to some people as ‘Second Chance’ Sunday. We are over halfway through the season of Lent, a time for reflection and transformation of our hearts and minds and souls.
We just heard one of the many parables – stories that use everyday things and events to teach a lesson. Jesus often told parables to help the disciples and crowds understand his message. But usually, these stories, although they had a moral, were not easy to understand.
Parables are a tricky business. We have to be careful about how we interpret them. We have to be especially careful about associating each of the characters within the parable.
So, when we hear this parable, it might be very easy to interpret it this way: the fig tree owner is God. The caretaker or gardener is Jesus, and the tree is us. The tree isn’t producing fruit—in other words, we aren’t living a righteous life. So God is angry and wants to cut the tree down. But Jesus says,
“No, let’s give it one more year. Then you can cut it down.”
I want to tell you that is the wrong interpretation of the parable. God as the owner is not the God we know. If the fig tree owner represents God, then this is a God who’s angry, impatient, and vengeful.
Is that the God we believe in?
Is that the God we find revealed in scripture?
No!
When we listen to this parable, we must be careful about which character we choose to represent God. In my opinion, God is not the owner of the fig tree.
We are the owner of the fig tree. We are the ones who are impatient and can be cruel. We are the ones who see a person suffering and assume they deserve it. We are the ones who want to write people off, to ‘cut down’ the fig tree.
We are the owner of the fig tree. God is the caretaker; God is the gardener. God is the one who says,
“No, I don’t think we should cut this tree down. Give me a chance. Let me tend to the soil, spread some grace around, and see what blooms.”
God cares for the suffering. At times, we are the fig tree—we are suffering, we are withered, and we cannot thrive. But God still cares for us; God tends to us. God digs around in our lives and spreads grace around our roots so that we can grow.
God, as the caretaker says,
“Sir, leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”
Does that mean God only gives us one chance when we’re suffering? Is God interested in cutting us down if we take too long to recover?
No. Certainly not. I don’t think that’s the point of the parable. If God is the gardener, I don’t think God is giving the tree a second chance. I believe God is giving the owner a second chance. God is telling the owner (us),
“Do you really think this tree deserves to be cut down? Do you really think I should give up? I’m going to keep caring for the tree, and in a year, I’ll ask you again. You can give up on this tree if you want to, but I will keep working.”
Jesus told this parable to a group of people who probably did not get it. This parable is not about the poor fig tree but what God expects of His followers.
First of all, the owner is not God, but us!
God is the caretaker. He feeds and nourishes us and expects that we become fruitful, good faithful members of His Kingdom. He provides us with everything we need. You may have noticed that the fig tree was planted with grapevines in the vineyard. We are ‘planted’ among those not like us to allow us to flourish and prosper as examples of God’s love.
We need to cultivate our relationship with God – let him water, and feed and prune us until we bear that fruit. We need to read the Bible, say our prayers and listen to those who can teach us about God’s love. And God expects us to eventually grow and bear ‘fruit’ to be good active members of our community and of His Kingdom.
We need to pay attention to our fruit as it begins to grow–
those good figs that make us a good Christian and a good person. . .
and those ‘rotten’ figs that we need to get rid of.
We all have good traits, and we need to remember those and count them daily. We need to give thanks for them and live, using them as a yardstick for our daily lives. Those rotten figs which are not good (like always being negative or angry or vengeful) should also be counted. And we need to try to decrease those rotten figs so that there is less each time we count them.
We also need to measure how many good figs we have. Too many of us run around, being ‘busy.’ But that is like running in circles with one foot nailed to the floor. Sometimes I find myself so ‘busy’ but realize that I have not accomplished a single thing. I have run around frantically, like a chicken with its head cut off. I have not achieved a single thing. This is a wasted effort! We need to make our busyness productive – to create good figs, not rotten figs or even emptiness.
We need to learn from those who are really fruitful, who produce good figs with everything they do. We all know people who seem to be doing everything right and making the world a better place. We need to study them and see how they are bettering the Kingdom of God. Hang around them, ask questions, learn from them.
We need to become active. . . not sit around waiting for the good figs to appear suddenly. Get out on the streets, spread God’s love, help others who need it. No one ever produced anything good from sitting on our duff and waiting for something to drop in our lap miraculously; generally, all we get is a bigger lap. All of us can do something in the community to make it a better place. Get up and get moving. . . but bear good fruit when we do it, not just be active to look busy.
We all know that things grow better when they are fed with nutrients. And as God the gardener told the owner, use your manure. We all have manure in our lives, things that stink or seem useless. But that stinky stuff can often make us a better, more fruitful person. Think about it this way:
God gave us this manure, these hardships so that our roots can be fertilized, enriched, and encouraged to grow – so that we can grow more figs. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen. But we have to use that manure, not to create more manure, but to feed us and make us grow stronger. As we grow stronger, the amount of manure grows less. . . and doesn’t stink as much.
One of my favorite illustrations is a little boy in a stable digging through horse manure like crazy. When asked what he was doing, he said, “I know there’s a pony under here somewhere.” So we need to keep shoveling until we find our pony.
And, MOST OF ALL, we must never forget, even when we aren’t fruitful or still have rotten figs or run around to look busy, God does not ‘cut us down.’ He is the gardener who knew what the fig tree needed. He doesn’t give up on us, no matter how many rotten figs we may have. He continues to feed and nourish us until we do bear good fruit. His love is eternal; all we have to do is stay close to Him and let him nourish us.
Although the fig tree is still expected to bear fruit, it is given a little tender care to help it get there! Even suffering and failure need not prevent us from being fruitful if we are offered and accept God’s mercy and support.
Bearing fruit is something that all of us can do. We don’t have to have a university degree; we don’t have to be gifted in terms of leadership or technical abilities or gifted as speakers. All we need is Christ’s heart giving us sensitivity to the needs of others and the willingness to serve.
THERE IS ONE AREA OF LIFE WHERE ALL OF US ARE EQUALLY GIFTED. That is in following Jesus and bearing spiritual fruit.
The question is, is it that important to us?
Are we willing to give it our best?
Do we love Jesus that much?
The point is that life does not ask us to become what we are not. God only requires the fig tree to produce figs. No more. You and I are asked only to accomplish what our natural gifts allow.
BUT WE ARE ASKED TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
God expects each of us to be accountable for the character of our lives and what they produce. Life is uncertain; you, me, anyone here at any time, could die at the hands of some mad man or in some accident or of old age.
While we have the chance right now, we need to change our lives. Follow Jesus. Look to our future. What do you want your life to stand for if you were to die right now?
Resurrection Day is coming. Today and going forward in this barren time of Lent, may we all pray earnestly for God’s gift of fruitfulness and promise. Jesus has the ability to restore our faith, our hope, and our passion. Will we be ready?
Sometimes we are like the owner of the fig tree. When we judge people by their circumstances, when we are blaming victims for their suffering, when we are writing people off and giving up on them, God gives us a second chance. God’s not giving the suffering person a second chance to thrive—or else. God’s giving us another opportunity to repent from our victim-blaming attitude, selfishness, and cruelty. God’s giving us another chance to learn something about caring for those in need. God’s giving us another chance to follow in the footsteps of God the gardener.
What we learn from this parable is that God is a good gardener. God has grace and care for those in need and mercy for those who fail to care for those in need. God is our good gardener, whether we are like the struggling tree or the harsh owner. God does not give up on us. God does not stop caring for us. God always has grace to share with us.
So on this ‘Second Chance’ Sunday, what will you do with this ‘second chance’ we have been given?
Are we willing to accept this ‘second chance’?
Are we willing to be watered, and fed and nourished by God?
Are we willing to produce more good fruit?
Let us pray:
Dear Lord, we often let the bad fruit overtake us and forget that you are there to feed and nourish us so that we can become good fruit. Help us to replace all that is not pleasing to you with good fruit. Guide us and remind us that we are yours and your love is eternal.
Amen.
Delivered at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Columbus, OH; 20 March 2022
deni doulos 