Exodus 3:1-15Psalm 63:1-81 Corinthians 10:1-13Luke 13:1-9
All quotations from scripture come from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in theUSA
All quotations from scripture come from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the
“Worth the Wait”
The Rev. Nicholas S. Szobota
March 3, 2013
Christ Church , West River , Maryland
Third Sunday in Lent
Many of us have heard the cliche, "Money doesn't grow on trees." Perhaps a parent told this to us as a child, when we begged for something outside of the family budget or that wasn't an appropriate use of resources. Perhaps some of us have said this to our own children.
In today's gospel reading, figs don't grow on trees, at least not when they're supposed to grow. Jesus tells a parable, a story using symbols to get a point across, about a man who owned some land and had planted a fig tree in his vineyard. The landowner complains to his gardener that the fig tree has not produced any fruit in three years. He wants to gardener to cut down the tree, so that the good soil can be used for better purposes.
The gardener pleads with the landowner to give him another year to dig around the roots and fertilize the soil. If the tree bears fruit then, that's great. If not, then the gardener will cut down the tree. This fig tree story contrasts with passage involving a similar tree in Matthew and Mark (Matthew 21:18-22, Mark 11:12-24). In these passages, Jesus actually encounters a fig tree instead of telling a story about one. He goes up to the fig tree looking for something to eat, but finds only leaves. Both Matthew and Mark clearly state that this is because it's not the right season for figs. In each case, Jesus curses the fig tree and says, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." In Matthew's version, the fig tree withers immediately. In Mark's telling, Jesus and his disciples return the next day to find the fig tree withered over night.
In each case, there's probably something more than figs of importance here. Jesus tells his disciples in each case that whatever they ask and believe they will receive will come to pass. If that were the case, and he really wanted figs, he could have asked for the fig tree to produce some fruit. Instead, Jesus uses the fig tree as a lesson. Perhaps he intends to make a comment on the state of the temple, from which he drives out people buying and selling around the time of his incident with the fig tree. The temple should produce spiritual fruit all the time. There's no season for that. Yet, Jesus asserts that the temple has become corrupt. If a fig tree withers even when it's not supposed to bear fruit, what will happen to the temple that doesn't produce fruit when it should?
The fig tree story in Luke takes a reverse point of view from the stories in Matthew and Mark. Here, the gardener appeals for the fig tree to be spared. We don't get the landowner's response and, if the gardener gets his year with the tree, we don't hear what happens a year later. Nevertheless, the parable implies that the fig tree may be worth saving. There's hope.
Some suggest that the landowner doesn't represent God in this story, but that the gardener represents God instead. In this case, God has hope for those of us not yet bearing fruit. God has hope to transform the challenges and difficulties in our lives. Sometimes, God causes instantaneous miracles that change things, but God may also work miracles overtime. Just because no fruit has appeared now, it doesn't mean God won't cause some to appear later. May God give us patience to wait for this fruit, for it will be sweet indeed. Amen.
Many of us have heard the cliche, "Money doesn't grow on trees." Perhaps a parent told this to us as a child, when we begged for something outside of the family budget or that wasn't an appropriate use of resources. Perhaps some of us have said this to our own children.
In today's gospel reading, figs don't grow on trees, at least not when they're supposed to grow. Jesus tells a parable, a story using symbols to get a point across, about a man who owned some land and had planted a fig tree in his vineyard. The landowner complains to his gardener that the fig tree has not produced any fruit in three years. He wants to gardener to cut down the tree, so that the good soil can be used for better purposes.
The gardener pleads with the landowner to give him another year to dig around the roots and fertilize the soil. If the tree bears fruit then, that's great. If not, then the gardener will cut down the tree. This fig tree story contrasts with passage involving a similar tree in Matthew and Mark (Matthew 21:18-22, Mark 11:12-24). In these passages, Jesus actually encounters a fig tree instead of telling a story about one. He goes up to the fig tree looking for something to eat, but finds only leaves. Both Matthew and Mark clearly state that this is because it's not the right season for figs. In each case, Jesus curses the fig tree and says, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." In Matthew's version, the fig tree withers immediately. In Mark's telling, Jesus and his disciples return the next day to find the fig tree withered over night.
In each case, there's probably something more than figs of importance here. Jesus tells his disciples in each case that whatever they ask and believe they will receive will come to pass. If that were the case, and he really wanted figs, he could have asked for the fig tree to produce some fruit. Instead, Jesus uses the fig tree as a lesson. Perhaps he intends to make a comment on the state of the temple, from which he drives out people buying and selling around the time of his incident with the fig tree. The temple should produce spiritual fruit all the time. There's no season for that. Yet, Jesus asserts that the temple has become corrupt. If a fig tree withers even when it's not supposed to bear fruit, what will happen to the temple that doesn't produce fruit when it should?
The fig tree story in Luke takes a reverse point of view from the stories in Matthew and Mark. Here, the gardener appeals for the fig tree to be spared. We don't get the landowner's response and, if the gardener gets his year with the tree, we don't hear what happens a year later. Nevertheless, the parable implies that the fig tree may be worth saving. There's hope.
Some suggest that the landowner doesn't represent God in this story, but that the gardener represents God instead. In this case, God has hope for those of us not yet bearing fruit. God has hope to transform the challenges and difficulties in our lives. Sometimes, God causes instantaneous miracles that change things, but God may also work miracles overtime. Just because no fruit has appeared now, it doesn't mean God won't cause some to appear later. May God give us patience to wait for this fruit, for it will be sweet indeed. Amen.
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