Grafting Hearts of Love

One of the best things about preaching about the parable of the fig tree this year more than any other year I have preached on it, is that this is the first time I can tell you to go out to the garden and look at the fig tree and then head outside the garden to see Figgy Jr. In fact, we have a blessing of the Harvest of Hope Community Garden after worship so that is the perfect opportunity to go and see these beautiful fig trees in person. It has been 10 years this month since the garden began. What a blessing. Now our gardeners might be able to answer this question but can you imagine the amount of food that has been produced out of it that has then either directly or indirectly helped to feed those who are in need over a 10 year period?

Recently Rich Johnson grafted 5 new varieties of figs onto Figgy Jr. and it has tinfoil on them in order to protect the new grafts to ensure the best possible chance of success. I was told we won’t know until the end of the month on whether or not the grafts have been successful. I am excited to see what happens and I bet that pales in comparison to how Rich feels about it. It reminds me of the tree we had in our home in California that had two or three varieties of apples on it. It is such an incredible thing to hear and see about grafting and other methods like that that help to have a variety of crops without having an entire orchard on your property.

The problem with growing fruit or any crop is that there is a chance that it won’t produce. There are a variety of reasons why it won’t produce. It could be the soil, it could be weather including enough rain or not. Was it pruned properly, are there creatures that are going after it? And I am sure that all of our gardeners who are much wiser than I am in this subject could give us an in-depth understanding of all of this.

Which is why the gardener in the parable of the fig tree today might be so protective of the tree. The owner might not know all the factors that are going on with the vineyard, the fig tree, or anything else growing there. After all, the owner just wants the fruit for profit or for the family to eat. He does not seemed concerned about other factors, just the bottom line.

Which, believe it or not is the reason why Jesus tells the parable right after this difficult text about the people who died in the temple and at the tower of Siloam. That’s right, this conversation Jesus has with those listeners, and the parable of the fig tree are directly related. It seems the people who brought up this recent even of the people in the temple dying were very concerned about what sins they may have commited that caused them to die in such a way. Remember, people were very concerned about the sins someone committed and God’s ‘punishment’ for that sin. So if people died by Pilate’s order while in the temple they must have been very bad indeed, because that is a terrible way and a terrible place/time to die. The same story goes for those who died at the the tower of Siloam. Jesus brings up this other recent even to compare the two together.

Jesus’ ultimate answer is that their sin is no greater than any other persons sins. That is how these stories are connected. Which makes sense becuase Jesus pretty much always connects a parable to what he or others were just talking about. The connection occurs when we realize that if a tree is not producing fruit, as we discussed, then something is probably going on, including not enough fertilizer. That is not necessarily the fault of the fig tree. If the fig tree wasn’t planted in a nutrient good or rich area, it will need a lot of extra attention and care. So just as the fig tree isn’t producing fruit, Jesus says to those listeners that they might not be producing fruit either.

What I also think he might be saying is why are these listeners that bring up the issue of these potential sinners focused on these other people when they should be paying attention to themselves. If you don’t change then you will be in just as bad a state as those who died. Stop looking at the fig tree that isn’t producing fruit and make sure that you are producing your own figs first. Or as Jesus says earlier in Luke 6:41-42 “41 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” Which he actually goes on to say that no good tree bears bad fruit…and that figs are not gathered from thorns...

What I get from all of this is our need to not place blame on others too harshly. That we need to be patient with one another. The gardener asks for another year, another time for harvest before the owner makes a decision. It also tells us that in order for each of us to bear fruit we need to fertilize our faith. We need to dig in and be surrounded by those things that nurture our faith. Perhaps manure isn’t the best imagery for the tools to deepen our faith, but hey, it is a reminder that if we aren’t bearing fruit or as much fruit as we could then we need to have more faithful nutrients added to our daily lives.

It also reminds us that we don’t do all of this faith stuff alone. The fig tree was probably doing it’s best to grow. It was absorbing the nutrients as best it could yet it wasn’t being very productive. It needed the gardener to step in and help it. It’s ok to need help, it’s ok to say that you need more in your life. It is that additional stuff in your life that I believe Jesus is talking about when he tells the people in the beginning to repent. The CEB, translates the word, repent, as change your hearts and lives. Sometimes we need help changing our hearts and lives back toward or even closer to God. There is nothing wrong with getting help, in fact Paul constantly lifts up the body of Christ as a community of believers and the need for all of us together to thrive and grow.

And, if in this parable the gardener is Jesus then we can also see an image of a gracious and loving savior who says to sin and destruction, the the possibility of the axe, let me have one more year. Be patient with this tree. I see something in it. There is hope, there is time for growth, there is time for fruit. Just give it more time. And the parable, like other does not have an ending. We are left to wonder what becomes of the tree. Another sign that there is time and there is hope. And there is always hope when we have a gardener like Jesus nurturing our faith through the gift of the Holy Spirit and one another. Through Jesus, the Bible, and each other we have the power to change our hearts and lives to reflect the love and care that has been given to us, and to never forget that very love and care that was first shown to us by a patient and loving God. Amen.