Sunday 03 March 2013
- Bible Book:
- Luke
"He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'" (vv. 8-9)
Background
I am a very tentative gardener at the best of times, so the moveto my current house brought with it the heavy responsibility ofhaving to tend and care for a fig tree. Its lack of edible fruitperhaps goes to show that I am not the best inheritor of this finetree, but it serves as a regular reminder about Jesus' teaching onfigs and fruitfulness (if not a helpful parable for my owndiscipleship!).
Our passages this week are book-ended with accounts of figtrees. This is not just a horticultural interlude in proceedings,however. For Jesus' hearers this would have serious implicationsfor their own understanding. The fig tree is a well known metaphorwithin Jewish history, used as an image for the safety and securityof the Jewish nation.
In Deuteronomy 8:7-8, fig trees are part of therealisation of the promised land, and in
The audience to whom Jesus addresses this first fig parable weregrumbling about how Jesus was investing his time. They wereconcerned that Jesus was not making good decisions about hispriorities, and might not have been showing due care towards somepeople in favour of others.
To this complaint, Jesus tells a story about a gardener who iscommissioned to look after the fig tree. A three-year process oftending to the tree had resulted in no fruit and a very frustratedlandowner. Now the landowner wants to cut down the tree and use theland for more profitable purposes. But the gardener is more patientand requests one more year.
The parable unmasks the reality of Jesus' ministry and hisdesire to continue to tend, nurture and care for his Jewishbrothers and sisters - but also begins a tenor of judgementregarding the requirement of Israel to become fruitful andgrow.
To Ponder
- What is taking our time away from investing in the things thatmatter?
- Where would you like to see growth over the next year?
- What do you need to invest in, in order to encouragegrowth?