Parable of the Fig Tree
In our first reading from Isaiah, we hear these words, Hear, everyone who thirsts; come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 55:2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your earnings for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 55:3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 55:4 Jesus often echoed the words of the prophets as he invited his listeners into a deeper understanding of the relationship to which they too had been called by God. Isaiah speaks of the invitation to drink and be fed by that which will satisfy us. …Incline your ear and listen, God says…I will make you an everlasting covenant. We have been called to that same wondrous relationship with God, one based in love, in grace, in hope. Jesus reminds us that the hope is that we might bear fruit, much like that fig tree, but he understands that we too need to be fed and watered; we need rest; we need to be cared for. Let us pray, We come to you this morning exactly as we are, perhaps weary, perhaps rested but always in need of hope, of sustenance, or inspiration. Be with us and grant us your peace. Amen.
Who among us likes figs? I actually love dates, but I understand that bananas, berries, and avocadoes are the most popular fruit in this country, but according to one writer, “It didn’t used to be that way. Back in the 19th century, doctors believed that most illnesses were associated with poor digestion. The proposed remedy was a combination of fruit and dough, which in 1891 led an entrepreneur named Charles Rosen to conjure up an exceedingly popular “fig paste roll” that he named after the town of Newton, Massachusetts – hence the birth of fig Newtons. Since 2012, they’ve been marketed by Nabisco simply as Newtons.
Figs have long been a staple in the diet of Middle Easterners. The good life, according to the Old Testament prophets, is that “every man shall sit under his grapevine or fig tree with no one to disturb him” (Micah 4:4). The fig tree even became symbolic of the nation of Israel. “When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert. When I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree” (Hosea 9:11).
So when Jesus weaves this parable of the Fig tree into his conversation, everyone there would have known exactly what he was speaking about. Fig trees are mentioned in some way over fifty times in the Bible. In fact, fig leaves are mentioned right around the time of creation as they were believed to be used by Adam and Eve to hide their nakedness. Figs were one of the fruits the spies brought back from Canaan to show Moses and the Israelites. Fig trees were used in prophecies of destruction in Jeremiah, but also prosperity in the book of 1 Kings. Jesus cursed a fig tree in Gospels of Matthew and Mark to teach about the worthlessness of works done without faith. And this morning, we have another fig tree, not cursed, but used in a parable to give hope.
Of course, the parable this morning is perplexing, probably more for us as listeners today than it may have been for the listeners of Jesus. He tells the parable after a conversation in which he explains that our God is not a vindictive God, that the ones who perished at the hands of Pilate or died when the tower fell were no more sinful than others, including those listening in that moment. And he reminds them to beware of judging others or imagining that God has exacted some kind of divine retribution on the ones who have died. No, all people fall short, he explains, too many do not incline their ear to the word of God: we all need to be aware of the the ways in which our lives do not always reflect the teachings of Jesus. He then shares this parable in which the gardener in the vineyard reminds the landowner of something he likely already knew… in order to produce fruit, the fig tree needs rest, nutrients, and time. Growth does not happen overnight, the tree must be tended carefully and given the time it needs to thrive, which is also true for us. If we are always striving for more growth without taking time to rest, we will burn out. But if we are only ever resting, we won’t bear fruit or grow. The fig tree also teaches us that the in- between time, the time it takes to be nurtured and tended to before bearing fruit——can be where real transformation begins.
This parable leaves us with more questions than answers. Why is a fig tree planted in a vineyard? Who planted it, and for what reason? Has anyone been caring for it? Will it ever produce fruit? We don’t know exactly why Jesus told this parable and what he intended his original audience to take away from it, though many allegories have been suggested over the centuries. As we hear it today, one thing is true: we may easily identify and sympathize with the fig tree. We ourselves may often feel as if our worth is defined and measured by what we produce. We know how difficult it can be to rest in a world that never stops moving. We may feel the pressure to produce outcomes without the support and resources to feasibly do so. And like the fig tree, many of us journey through in-between seasons:
undefined and uncertain chapters when we don’t quite know if any change is—or can—take place. When facing uncertainty, perhaps we can put the gardener’s skills into practice. We might imagine that the gardener practices patience, hope, trust, discernment, resilience, and openness as he tends to the roots and soil. Can we embody these traits as well? Can we allow ourselves to rest and be restored, to be surrounded by the grace of God who calls us to be still. We have gifts to share but we are also called to the gift or sabbath, the gift of peace.
Benediction: As you leave this place, may you find God in every messy middle. May you know that the world is bigger than two sides.
May you trust that you are made in the image of God,
and therefore, you contain multitudes.
So may you move through this world with an open heart,
with a curious mind, and with the confidence that you do not go alone. God is with you in the mountains, in the valleys,
and everywhere in between. Believe that good news, and go in peace.