Parables are marvelous stories that Jesus uses to teach about God and God’s kingdom. Through everyday images, they help us come to understand complex concepts. Parables have a richness and depth that can lead us to discover something new each time we revisit them.
In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus hears about the violent death of some Galilean visitors to Jerusalem. He raises the question of whether they were in some way responsible for their unfortunate outcome, asking his listeners, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?” Jesus answers his own question with a resounding “No” and an invitation to repentance, then this parable built around a fig tree, a traditional symbol of abundance and God’s blessing.
A man had a fig tree in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit and found none. The owner complained to the gardener, “Hey! For three years I’ve been looking for fruit on this tree, and still nothing. Cut it down!” he tells the gardener. The gardener does not agree. He responds, “Leave it alone. Give it another year – I’ll loosen the soil and put manure on it.” Maybe it will bear next year – if not, the gardener tells the owner, “you can cut it down.” The parable ends there, a little abruptly, leaving us to wonder what happens next year.
Humans are forever trying to understand the world. We’d like life to make sense and for people to be rewarded when they do good things and punished when they do bad things. That is not how things work, though. Despite our human desire for clear and well-matched consequences, life does not always reward good behavior or punish bad behavior. Life is random and inconsistent. Outcomes do not always match our choices or behavior.
I think we hear God in both the voice of the owner and the voice of the gardener in this parable. Like the owner, God is eager to see us grow and share the abundant and life-giving gifts we have with the world. Like the gardener, God is patient and willing to feed and nurture us while we are growing toward fruit-bearing. While sincerely believe that God tends and waits for us, I also know that God is eager (and maybe impatient sometimes) for us to give and care for the world around us. God is looking for us to reach out to the world with love, compassion and forgiveness. To share the good news of God’s faithfulness and God’s call to love. Like the owner and the gardener want the tree to reach its full potential, God is eager for us to be part of helping the world reflect God’s transformation.
Peace,