The Fig

CALL TO WORSHIP

Come, you who are weary with waiting.

Come, you who are hungry for change and fulfilment.

Come, you who are lost and seeking direction.

Come, to the one who will refresh, revive, and redeem you.

Light of the World (StF 175)

Jesus' coming here on earth and saving us from our sins was Tim Hughes' inspiration behind his song “Here I Am to Worship.” Hughes gospel ballad was written after he read the book of Philippians 2. He wrote the song quickly and added the melody using his guitar.

PRAYERS

God of grace and growth,

in this season of Lent and with spring blossoming all around us,

we bring to you in word, music and prayer,

our desire to change for the better –

trusting in your patience,

rooting ourselves in your Scriptures,

believing in your love,

appreciating the limitations of time,

and celebrating the gift of life

and all that there is to look forward to.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Lord God,

forgive us when we are slow to change, but quick to judge;

when we take more from life than we give back;

when we give up on others too soon and offer support too late;

when we deny others the opportunity to grow, and uproot their dreams.

Forgive us and grant us your patience, perseverance and vision,

and inspire us to care for all you have made.

We ask this in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Loving God, in whom all things are possible,

for giving us time enough to change and grow:

we thank you with all our heart.

For giving us the desire to change and grow:

we thank you with all our mind.

For giving us the opportunity to change and grow:

we thank you with all our soul.

And for forgiving us when we rush, judge

and deny others those same opportunities:

we thank you with all our strength.

Amen.

HYMN

Great is thy Faithfulness (StF 51)

Throughout his life, Thomas Chisholm, wrote hundreds of poems. One poem was based in Lamentations 3:22-23 where it says, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (ESV). Thomas eventually sent his work to a fellow minister and friend, William Runyan who configured a musical setting for the poem.

READING

Isaiah 55:1-9

55 “Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters.

and you who have no money,

come, buy, and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labour on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and you will delight in the richest of fare.

3 Give ear and come to me.

listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

my faithful love promised to David.

4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

a ruler and commander of the peoples.

5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,

and nations you do not know will come running to you,

because of the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendour.”

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found.

call on him while he is near.

7 Let the wicked forsake their ways

and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Luke 13: 1-9

13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

HYMN

Love divine, all love excelling (StF 503)

This Hymn by Charles Wesley was really a prayer that was later put to music.

SERMON

We may all know the old television series Dad’s Army, and will no doubt remember the undertaker Private Frazer’s catchphrase: ‘We’re all doomed!’ It is what he said whenever any disaster threatened the platoon.

It seemed to suite his character so well – and his occupation.

Well, there were people like that in Jesus’ day, who were inclined to see God’s judgement at work whenever tragedy struck, especially when it struck other people. Those discussing the terrible events that took place in Galilee assume that the cause must obviously be because of a sinful past of the people killed.

This happed due to an insurrection against Roman rule, Pilate had sent troops in and killed some people who were sacrificing at Passover in the temple.

What is worse thought was the unspoken notion that because it had not happened to them, they must be special people (better, not as sinful, and so on).

We only need to look back at the book of Job and read about his comforters, who were sure he must have sinned to receive such punishment.

But Jesus responded to this by saying that bad things can happen unexpectedly to anyone. So, rather than point the finger at the victims, everyone needs to change their ways while there is still time to do so. He repeated the phrase “unless you repent you too will perish”

Jesus challenges this assumption by introducing the other story of suffering, making the point that suffering happens in many places and for many reasons. He wants his listeners to learn from these events.

He tells of the people possibly walking past the building in Siloam going about their business and they are killed by a wall falling down. A pure fluke. An accident.

We can think of many natural disasters, earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires and manmade like the invasion of the Ukraine where people are suffering because of others greed.

Jesus wants them and us to view these events not by looking to the past, but by considering their own future. He reinforces this, or perhaps helps people to remember it, with a story about a barren fig tree. The owner wants to cut it down, seeing it as a waste of space. But the gardener pleads for more time, for a second chance.

He tells a parable that offers hope in terms of another chance, one more year to produce fruit.

Whether we are talking about physical seeds, or seeds in our lives – ideas or plans, change and growth takes time. It requires patience and perseverance. And it’s always necessary when dealing with flawed human beings, it requires prayer.

Of course, the parable is about us not horticulture, but figs are grown for fruit rather than leaves. And God is looking for fruitful lives from us today, just as then. So, the story contains both a challenge and a chance.

You know what happens when a football team is not performing very well: a new manager or coach is appointed. Would you expect the team to start winning immediately, and demand if they didn’t that the new person is replaced? Would you not give the new person some time to make the necessary changes and opportunities to improve? On the other hand, you probably won’t wait indefinitely. You would expect to see some results and might even set a ‘cut-off’ date. So, what about us and God?

The Bible could be described as a book of second chances, especially for God’s chosen people. Peter is given several second chances. So is Paul – or rather, Saul, as he was at the time. These are two very obvious New Testament examples, but there are plenty more.

There are similar stories of second chances outside the Bible too. John Newton – the one who wrote ‘Amazing grace’ - captained slave ships as a young man and invested money in this evil trade. When his ship was caught in a violent storm, fearing for his life, he turned to God. That was the moment God gave him a second chance, although it took time for him to see that slavery was incompatible with his faith. But then he joined Wilberforce in his campaign against slavery, preached against the slave trade, and lived to see it abolished – and of course wrote the song we know so well. He truly was a wretch, but God changed him.

If God allows time for change, so must we both as individuals and as a community. Faith is not like instant coffee. It is more like a plant that needs to be nurtured, trained, and given space to grow. There may – there will – be disappointments, but there will be glorious surprises as well.

Opening ourselves to God is a present tense, present time activity. Sometimes it is less important to lean towards the past for explanations. The question becomes not ‘why did this happen?’ but ‘what now?’ When the preacher and writer David Watson was seriously ill with cancer, many people asked him if he knew why this suffering had come to him, given that he was a renowned spiritual leader. They wanted an answer that would be a neatly fitting explanation and would not disturb their sense of justice or their image of God. David said that he felt that ‘why?’ was a fairly fruitless question – ‘what?’ was a much more important one: what does God want me to do in this time that I have left?

It is fruitful to spend some time reflecting on the parable of the fig tree with no fruit. Who is the man who owns the vineyard? Is this God? Who is the gardener? Is this Jesus? Is it us? The gardener is on the tree’s side. He or she wants the tree to have every chance to bear fruit. What might be the equivalent for us, in our lives, of the process of digging around and adding manure? what does this mean for us?

Repairing and recycling programmes are very popular on television at the moment. While it is fascinating to see a skilled recycler at work, turning trash into cash, BBC’s The Repair Shop is the favourite with Karon and myself and is arguably at the top of the list when it comes to skilled craftsmen and women. Damaged items, sometimes seemingly beyond hope of repair, are lovingly and painstakingly restored while, as far as possible, their history is retained. Cherished objects are given a second chance of being what they were intended to be. So, in the same way God is a restorer of people, a repairer, or a recycler? Perhaps the parable of the fig tree suggests God’s preference!

Our reading from Isaiah this morning speaks to us about the gifts that God wants to pour down on us. God is saying, “Think honestly about the unfulfilled desires, emptiness, and agitation inside your own soul.”

Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? In His invitation, God asked His people to ask themselves – “Why do I spend money for what can’t satisfy?” This is a remarkably relevant question, in light of all the things we can pour our time and money and effort into – things which will never satisfy the way the LORD can satisfy.

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance: The invitation is clear. The offer is made, the provision is made, and everything is available – but we must still do some things.

First, we must listen carefully. The satisfaction God promises is impossible to be seen by those who will not listen and listen carefully. It takes time, attention, and effort to listen carefully, and some aren’t willing to do this.

Second, we must eat what is good. This requires some discernment. We must choose what is good, and then eat that. Many just simply eat whatever meal is set before them, i.e., the latest ideas without taking care to see that it is good.

Third, we must let our souls delight itself in abundance. Even when we listen, even when we eat what is good, we still must let our soul delight itself in abundance. You can sit down at a great spiritual meal, but by your stubborn or bad attitude, simply not let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Give it another year! We live in a time when instant results are often expected or even demanded. However, for many if not most of us, the Covid-19 pandemic changed our perspective. Waiting and patience became a necessity. In the natural world, those of who are gardeners know waiting is inevitable. Have you come across the phrase ‘Be patient – God isn’t finished with me yet’ or words to that effect? It’s a good job God is patient!

HYMN

Amazing Grace (StF 440)

This hymn mentioned in my sermon was written by John Newton, and you can find in the words the true freedom that comes from the relationship with God.

PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION

God of Grace,

we pray for those who live in areas of conflict and violence

where bullets and bombs bring destruction and devastation

– may your love be known.

May your presence bring hope.

We pray for those who suffer the pain of famine and drought

and the after-effects of natural disaster

– may your love be known.

May your presence bring hope.

We pray for those who suffer the pain of illness and disease,

their own or that of a loved one

– may your love be known.

May your presence bring hope.

We pray for those who suffer the grief and torment of bereavement

– may your love be known.

May your presence bring hope.

God of love, we humbly offer to you all the suffering of our world,

and we pray that you will bring healing and peace;

for the sake of your dear Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

HYMN

Jesus the name high over all (StF 357)

BLESSING

Lord God, you look for growth and fruit;

help us this week to grow closer to you,

and to be patient when we have to wait –

as you are patient with us.

Amen.

END