Stormy Weather

 Stormy Weather
A Sermon by Brent J Eelman
Preached at Harmony Presbyterian Church
Fort Collins, CO. April 24, 2022


Isaiah 43: 1-3a 

But now thus says the Lord,
    he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.

 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Mark 4: 35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”  And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.  A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

We have seen a great deal of stormy weather during the last two weeks.  Not necessarily the rain storms that we have been hoping for, but rather powerful winds with gusts over 60 miles per hour.  That coupled with the low humidity and drought has also created additional hazards for many farmers, ranchers and homeowners.  As recently as yesterday there were more than a dozen wild fires burning in Colorado.  I really don’t like this weather and there is a part of me that is whining, wanting a few nice days and a break for this “stormy weather”.

“Stormy Weather” is the title of an old jazz standard, but the song is not about the weather, it is about life. Indeed weather is often a metaphor for our experience of life itself.  Do you remember the lyrics?

    Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere, stormy weather
    Just can't get my poor old self together
    I'm weary all the time, the time
    So weary all the time, stormy weather.

There are storms in life!  Though we may be fearful, we are not alone in the midst of them. Today I will look at the storms that often blow through our lives:  1) first, in terms of the story of Jesus and storm at sea. 2) Then I will look at the storms that often hit our lives. 3) Finally, I will conclude with a message about discipleship.

I

The story of Jesus and the storm at sea is a primal narrative that expresses human hopes and fears. My grandfather was a sailor in the Dutch merchant marine in the early 1900’s. When I knew him, he was quite old and very religious, but one time I got a glimpse of his chest while he was shaving and realized that he had a huge schooner ship tattooed on his chest; perhaps a sign of earlier times. My father told me the stories of how his sailing friends would come over to their home in the Netherlands and they would tell stories of the sea late into the night. As a young child, he often hid under the table so that he could listen to the sailors tell the tales of the sea. There were stories of exotic places; stories of humorous events, but also stories of near disaster.

But there was another story that seldom was told on those occasions. It was not my grandfather’s story, but my grandmother’s. She would wait on the tiny Dutch island in the North Sea, for months, sometimes years for her husband, Simon, to return. Tales would come in about storms and other disasters that occurred on the sea, but there would be no word until his ship sailed in. I cannot imagine the anxiety with which she lived. She ultimately had a nervous breakdown and required hospitalization.  Her physician recommended that my grandfather give up his life on the sea.  But there is a strange irony in that situation. The sea provided the family with a livelihood. It gave them the means to buy shelter and food. But the same sea also was a raging beast that could bring disaster and death at anytime.

Four of Jesus’ disciples were fisherman and were dependent upon the sea for their living. The sea also provided the ancients with a means of transportation from one place to another. But the sea could at any time become a ravenous beast. We have no record of the ancient Hebrew people being able to swim and so if the boat was capsized, it would mean certain death. Storms at sea were frightening and consequently the disciples were panicked. Jesus was sleeping! What an amazing gift to be able to sleep during a storm. But the disciples didn’t appreciate this and they screamed at him: “Don’t you care about us? We are all going to die?” (This is really a dumb question…. Of course he cares. He is literally in the same boat!) Then he calms the storm, looks at them quizzically and asks: “Don’t you have faith?”

Mark told this story in his gospel because he wanted to establish from the very beginning that Jesus was the Son of God. He wanted to show the amazing things that Jesus could do. In the process he also told the story of humanity caught in the midst of the storm. The disciples acted all too humanly and without faith. They were afraid. Mark is telling us that the opposite of faith is not doubt, it is fear!  Theirs was a fear that controlled them.  They believed there were going to perish. What a contrast this is to Jesus. He wasn’t afraid… he could sleep during a storm.

II

The destructive winds that we have experienced for the last two weeks are not the only storms in our lives. There are more significant storms that threaten the little boat that we know as life. There are waves that smack into us, jarring us and raising fear within us. There are events that cause us to realize that we are mortal.

• We are still in the midst of the pandemic.  A virus that has taken nearly a million lives in this country and has upset the rhythms of life.  The last 28 months have hit our society like a tidal wave and have produced a deep seated anxiety.
• We are in the midst of the first major land war in Europe in 80 years.  The reality of nuclear weapons contributes to the storms of anxiety that are engulfing us.
• The pandemic coupled with the war in Ukraine have upset supply chains and the availability of resources and food.  
• We also are in the midst of the storm of social and political unrest.  This storm has divided families, and has shattered friendships.  It has also divided communities and churches.  
• These storms have us asking,  “Does God care?”

How similar we are to the disciples, wondering if the sleeping Jesus cares about us, forgetting that he is with us. Here is the good news:  Just as Jesus was in the same boat with those disciples, God has cast his lot with humanity. He is with us.  If you can excuse the cliche, God has chosen to be in the same boat as us.

There are other storms that hit us personally.  There are the developmental storms that we experience when the little boats of our lives threaten to capsize. It can be the storm that is rooted in our personal identity. There are different times in our lives when we confront the question, “who am I, and why was I created?”

• At times this question hits us like a storm.
• Suddenly the job doesn’t give us the pleasure that it once did.
• Suddenly we no longer get the same satisfaction out of our hobbies.
• Something feels missing.
• Our toys, be they the new computer or the red sports car, just don’t have what it takes to lift our spirits.
• Who are we?

This I believe is a question of faith, and when we battle the elements of this storm, we often feel all alone and abandoned… Where is God? Why is this so painful? And then we realize that the faith we once knew is there, asleep in our soul.  It is awakened, and we hear the words: “I was with you always. I am here.”

There are also the storms that hit us with tragic personal events.

• It might be the loss of a loved one.
• It might be a tragic event or accident.
• It might be an illness that has afflicted you or someone close to you.
• It might be a broken relationship.
• It might be an event that shakes the easy peace that we enjoy so much. 

Once again we ask, “Where is God?” Fear holds us in its grip and we realize that fear, not doubt, is the opposite of faith.  These are lonely times. These are times when feel rejected, unloved and uncared for: Our desperate prayer might be,” Don’t you care about me God?” “Can’t you see that I am sinking?”

Jesus was there on the boat with the disciples… the spirit of Christ is with us in the midst of our storms. We read that God sheds a tear for the tiny sparrow when it falls from the nest. God’s tears mix with ours in our pain. He is with us and will not jump ship. 

III

Let me conclude with a word about discipleship. The church, the Christian community, is called to represent Christ to the world.  Indeed we are the body of Christ. The story of the ship caught in the storm gives us a unique insight into our calling as a community of faith.  Listen carefully: we need to learn to sleep in the midst of the storm.

The Christian community needs to be a calming presence amidst the panic and fear that grips the world. Sadly, tend to be an argumentative presence.  We need to be a calming and reassuring presence.  Jesus showed phenomenal strength by sleeping during a storm. Can we show that same strength?  

One of the major influences on my thinking about church and leadership is the late Edwin Friedman. He was a rabbi who brought a systemic vision to congregations and leadership. One of the terms that he coined was “non-anxious presence.” Leadership, he maintained, in this age of anxiety and fear, is manifest in being present to the anxiety, but not controlled by it. Jesus, on the boat, modeled this. We should strive to be that presence. This requires two things.

First it requires us to be present with people when they are afraid. It requires us to be present when the storms of life hit them. Presence is healing, and it has the power to calm storms. When I was a teenager and my uncle died, my father was crushed at the loss of his youngest brother. When he got that bad news, my older brother just held my father in his arms. It was an event that impacted me.  My father was a seminary professor and a respected theologian. What could a teenager say to a theologian at the time of death? But holding him.. be present was healing.  We need to be present with people in the storms of life.

Second, we need to keep our focus, because that is the source of our calm. Our focus is our faith in Christ and the belief that our lives are in God’s hands.  We need to reaffirm that regardless of what happens, God is with us, and that the resurrection is the final word in all things. If that is our focus, if that is the content of our faith, we will be able to sleep during the storms…and truly represent the Christ in this age.

There will be stormy seas for all of us. There will be waves we ride that will threaten our very being. Know that just as Jesus was on that boat with his disciples, he is also with you in the midst of your storms. With that assurance, let us go forth in Christ’s name, into this world, filled as it is with storms, fear and panic.  Let us calmly and assuredly proclaim this good news. Amen.

Count it All Joy!

 Count It All Joy
A sermon preached at the Installation of Judith Dwyer
Northampton Presbyterian Church
April 3, 2022

James 1:2-4   

 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance;  and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

 

Philippians 4:4-7

 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.  Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Members of the Presbytery of Philadelphia; members and friends of Northampton Presbyterian Church, friends and family of Judy, and you, Judy Dwyer:  Rejoice in the Lord! Again, I will say it. Rejoice!

 
Those words of the Apostle Paul were written to the church at Philippi.  It is one of the later letters of Paul and reflects a pensive, mature, and reflective individual.  Facing the possibility of his own crucifixion, he was looking back on his life and reflecting on what was important and what was not.  As he wrote or dictated those words he was in a Roman prison.  He was likely shackled to another prisoner, thus limiting his mobility and any sense of privacy.  It was a miserable circumstance, and yet the words flowed from his pen, “Rejoice!”  

The letter of James declared to the early Christian communities, “whenever you face trials of any kind, count it all joy…”.  This was a time of oppression, deprivation, and hardship for the early Christian community.  It was a time of martyrdom for many who would read or hear these words of James, “whenever you face trials of any kind, count it all joy….”  

This afternoon, I, first, want to reflect on our own context in terms of these admonitions to joy from James and Paul.  Second, I want to examine the nature of joy within our lives and ministry. Third, how does the admonition to joy speak to the church in 2022? How does it speak to Northampton Presbyterian Church?  How does it speak to Judy Dwyer?  

I

Fifteen years ago, Judy began to struggle with a sense of call to the ministry.  She was working with me and others at Abington Presbyterian Church.  I went back and looked at some of my sermons and notes from that period of time.  What was consuming most of our time back then?  What was keeping us up at night?

• Building renovations
• Stewardship Drives
• Youth programs
• Mission trips
• Proofing the bulletin
• Updating the web page
• Session meetings
• Committee meetings
• Organizing and reorganizing the deacons
• Visiting the sick and the shut-ins
• Meeting and sometimes cutting the budget.  

You get the idea…. Oh yes, at least once or twice a month there was the complaint about the condition of the bathroom, a matter of pastoral importance!  It all seemed so important then.  

At that time our congregations were getting older and smaller, yet sadly, much of our ministry was spent doing “event planning” and tending to the trivial.  We clergy would get together and compare calendars (our “busy books”), often moaning, (but really bragging) about how busy we were….And we were.  It was in this context that you, Judy, began to sense a call to ministry.  I am not sure what your vision of ministry was, and I am not sure it even matters.  You are not called to ministry to deal with the challenges of 15 years ago. You are called, educated, and ordained to minister in this moment and this time.  The challenges are wholly different.  A great deal has changed.  

Two years ago, we found ourselves in the midst of a pandemic.  A virus, one of the smallest biological entities in creation, attacked humanity and wreaked suffering and death throughout the earth.  In response to this pandemic we shut down. This was the responsible thing to do.  For churches it meant that we no longer gathered together for worship.  Congregations developed “Covid Response Teams” that made decisions about:

• opening and closing worship.  
• How to worship.
• Whether to wear masks.
• Whether to sing or not.  
• How to respond to the latest wave of infections.  

The techies in the congregation soon developed online worship, virtual meetings, classes and the like. We began to suffer from “zoom fatigue” and developed YouTube worship syndrome (worshiping in pajamas with a cup of coffee, a donut and siting in a recliner!).  All this, we hoped was a temporary response, and we would get back to “normal” some day.

The reality is that we will not return.  This little virus has held up a mirror to our society and to the church and has dared us to look at who we are.  It has opened up some of the ugly realities that we have hidden for a long time.
The realities of racism, long covered up, has reared its ugly head.  We have seen it overtly manifest in the streets of Charlottesville.  But its systemic realities touch almost all areas of our lives including our congregations.

• We have a political process and politicians who are more concerned with sound bites,  “gotcha” moments, and getting elected or re-elected, than with the hard realities of governing.  
• We have gross inequities in healthcare that have been laid bare by this virus and the system is nearly broken.
• Economic inequities were exposed by the virus.  We declared some laborers as “essential workers,”  but treated them as expendable, failing to compensate them with a living wage and healthcare benefits.
• We have an epistemic crisis where we are silo’d in our media echo chambers, watching and listening to one view of things and condemning any diverging view as falsehoods.
• We are experiencing wild fires in the west, tornadoes in the center, hurricanes and tropical storms on our coasts.  They are more prevalent and severe than ever. Sadly, we are divided about the nature of the realities of our changing climate.  
• We are experiencing the first major land war in Europe in 80 years, with the potential of spiraling into a nuclear holocaust.  Ironically, in a survey done on Feb. 9th, only 34% of Americans could even locate Ukraine on a map!

What is that old “Chinese curse?”  “May you live in interesting times.”

Things were different, Judy, when you struggled with your sense of calling to the ministry….  But this is precisely the world in which you are called to minister.  This is the world that Northampton Presbyterian Church is called to be the body of Christ, a community of healing and reconciliation.  These are, indeed, interesting times….but they are our times, and by the grace of God, they are good times!
    It is a good time to be a pastor!
    It is a good time to be the church!
Rejoice in the Lord! Again I will say it, Rejoice!  As you face these trials, count it all joy!  
 

II

There is an irony in Paul’s admonition to rejoice.  As I mentioned, he wrote or dictated his letter to the Philippians while in a Roman prison.  He was likely facing his own death by crucifixion.  He was probably shackled to another prisoner to bar escape.  As he wrote this letter, he was involved in an introspective evaluation of his life, in which he concluded that much of it was a big waste of time.  His words were, “all these things I count as loss….”  

His congregations were about to enter a period of persecution and I suspect that Paul intuitively realized this. And yet…. And yet…. He admonished his readers to rejoice.   His words have the authority of one who suffered pain and endured life in the midst of a time of historical discontinuity, (not unlike what we are experiencing today!).

It is fair to ask, why and how should we experience joy in our time?  What was the foundation, the truth if you will, of Paul’s admonition to joy?   Given his circumstances, his words seem almost inappropriate and delusional.   

At the heart of Paul’s world view was a belief that the Resurrection of Jesus was a moment that revealed the future.  Creation, the world itself was in the travail of birthing a new order.  The immediate future may hold suffering, even death, but the ultimate future was the victory of life itself and all that is good.   While human existence may at times be puzzling, indeed an insoluble mystery… Paul lived with the assurance that this mystery ended gloriously.   So with shackles on his legs and wrists, he could “rejoice!”
 

III

Contemporary ministry is hard.  From the luxury of retirement I observe my colleagues carrying the burden of the challenges that have arisen.  If the truth be told, I am somewhat envious.  Why? This is an awesome time to be a pastor!  It is a time to rejoice.  Why?  

•  All the “administrivia” that consumed pastors for decades has also been exposed and we have a clearer understanding of what is important and what is not.  We need the guts to say with the Apostle Paul, “all these things I count as loss.”  Literally garbage!
• It is a time for pastors to wear the mantle of the prophets in our pulpits, speaking the truth with love to our congregations.  
• It is time to expose the lies and falsehoods that have been masquerading as truth in our world.  
• It is a time to use the fabulous seminary education we have, encouraging our congregations to think theologically and realistically about the world.
•  It is time we stop being mere ecclesiastical managers!
• It is a time for congregations to become communities of reconciliation, bringing together those who have been divided by ideology, class, race, gender, and all the other things that divide us.   
• It is a time to take to heart the words and actions of our Lord who blessed the peacemakers, healed those who were ill, and welcomed those who were alienated from society’s mainstream. Do the same in Christ’s name!
• It is a time for congregations to fulfill that great end of the church, to “exhibit the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.”  This transactional world needs to see communities that model  the grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ, and indeed are communities of the Holy Spirit.

The pastor in me is envious of the immense challenges and opportunities for ministry that clergy and congregations face.  These are, indeed, interesting times!, They are exciting times!  It is time to be bold in ministry!

Judy,  you have been called, set apart, and nurtured to be a minister to this congregation, this community of faith, this people of God.  Be that minister, and count it all joy.

Members of Northampton Presbyterian Church, you are a community of faith, called by the Spirit, to witness to the Kingdom of Heaven and the grace of God to the world outside these walls.  You have called Judy to lead you as together you fulfill this sacred task. Allow her to be your pastor.  Give her permission to preach the truth. Do not tie up her time and energy in that which is trivial and ultimately unimportant. Be gracious when she stumbles… pray for her.  

Rejoice in the Lord! Again, I will say it. Rejoice!  …. Indeed, count it all joy!  Amen.

You Are Worthy!

You are Worthy
A Lenten Sermon by Brent J. Eelman
 

March 20, 2022
First Presbyterian Church
Fort Collins, CO

Luke 13: 1-9
At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.  Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.  So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Former president, Harry Truman, was not known for his gentle language. One time a woman complained to Mrs. Truman saying: “Can you tell your husband to stop using the word manure.” Mrs. Truman immediately replied: “Dear, it took me twenty years to get him to use that word!”  I fantasized about titling this sermon: “Spreading Manure,” but didn’t, fearing that it might confirm what a number of people think, that we clergy are in the business of spreading some type of holy manure. 


The title does, however, make sense in context. The text this morning is the parable of the “fruitless fig tree”. The tree did not bear any fruit and so the owner asked the gardener to cut it down. Why should this tree consume the time and resources of the orchard? It was neither worth the time and effort.  Not worthy!
The gardener responded to this request by pleading on behalf of the tree, asking that it have one more chance to bear fruit. “I will spread manure around it, and then we shall see.” If it doesn’t produce then, I will cut it down.”

This morning, I want to first look at this relatively simple parable within its context.  Why did Jesus tell the story? Second, I want to look at the dynamics within the parable.  Third, I want to explore what it says to us.

I

The context of the parable is two questions that were asked of Jesus. They were trick questions. Those who asked them wanted to know where Jesus stood on some of the burning issues of the day in Jewish society.   The first question was about about Pilate.  He was a ruthless governor.  He crucified 250 thousand Jews!  He had little regard for Jewish religion and their customs and had the temerity to mingle the blood of those crucified with the sacred sacrifices that were offered in the Temple.  This was an ugly sacrilege!  Jesus was asked, “Did it happen to them because these Jews were worse than others?”  In other words, “Did they have it coming?”

The second question dealt with a disaster that occurred.  A tower fell on a crowd killing eighteen people.  Were those victims the biggest sinners in Jerusalem?  Is that why it fell on them?  Tsk, tsk….. They should have behaved better!

These were philosophical questions, and they would reveal where Jesus stood on some of the burning issues of his day. They were looking for Jesus to condemn the Roman authorities. They were looking for him to draw some type of cause and effect between a horrible accident and the behavior of those who were victimized. 


Jesus answered with one word, “no.” Then he added a caveat: “if you don’t repent, you will meet with disaster.” The questioners were concerned about the sins and the behavior of others. They were ever so willing to examine other people’s lives and condemn their actions. But it was a smokescreen for avoiding an examination of their lives and their own sin and their need to change.  Jesus saw right through it.

Clergy are often asked questions about some of the burning issues of the day. “Pastor, what do you think of Putin.” Or “What is your position on critical race theory?” or “What do you think about the war in Ukraine? Whose fault is it?” All of these are important questions, no less profound than the ones that were put to Jesus about the events of his day. But there is a temptation within these questions. We can focus all our moral indignation on the events and people of the world so as to avoid looking deep into our own hearts. Speculating about the evil of others has a way of taking the heat off of ourselves and our need to repent, to change. It has a way of becoming the foundation of self-righteousness.

II

But the text does not stop with Jesus short answer. He continued with a parable. A parable was a story from common experience that was used to illustrate a divine truth. Parables are dynamic and can be interpreted from a number of perspectives. This is true with the parable that Jesus told to his questioners.

The story came from agriculture. It is about a fig tree, something which was common in the Mediterranean. The tree did not bear fruit and so the owner wanted to get rid of it.  This was a simple economic decision. Why waste time, effort, and resources on something that does not produce? 

The gardener, however, interceded and asked for one more year. Not only one more year, but he offered to give it extra care, spreading fertilizer around the roots so that it might be nurtured into producing fruit. Against his better judgment the owner agreed. Then the story ends. Jesus’ audience would know that the tree should have been cut down. They also knew that the gardener was going the second mile to ensure the survival of this worthless tree. But if they were listening… those gathered would also know that the tree of which Jesus spoke , was in fact them.  If we listen to the text, we also know it is about us, you and me. 


This was a parable of judgment and those listening would know it. They would know that Jesus was talking about them. In this parable Jesus told them: “Why are you worrying about the souls of others. If you do not produce, your own soul is in jeopardy.” But they would also hear an additional message… one that would strike them as strange, perhaps even wasteful. A message that was ultimately hopeful.  The tree was given another opportunity to produce. Not only was it given that opportunity, it would be nurtured.  In the eyes of the gardener, the tree was worthy of the extra time and effort.  Ironically, those who were listening, those who tried to entrap him, were also worthy of Jesus’ time and effort.  You and I are worthy also…

• not because we are good,
• or nice,
• or thoughtful,
•  or religious,
• or even Presbyterian!  

No!  We are worthy in Christ’s eyes, because we are.  This is a parable of life: your life! My life!


I was young when I went off to college.  No, I was the right age, I was just young and immature. It was my first time on my own and I was enjoying my new found freedom.  There were parties every weekend and all types of distractions from academic pursuits.  I was passing and wasn’t in any danger of failing, but I was merely drifting.  I was young and immature.  One day I received a note in my campus mail (email would not exist for another 25 years!) from the chair of the philosophy department.  We had met at some function a few weeks before.  The note said that he would like to meet with me and he included his office hours.  

I had no idea why he wanted to meet with me.  He had a reputation of being an erudite intellectual.  Students humorously suggested that he went to school with Socrates and Plato.  In short, he could be intimidating.  I went to his office and nervously sat in the chair along side his desk.  He peered at me through his glasses and said, “You are not working up to your potential.”   

The way he said it went right to my heart and I knew he was right.  That day began a decades long relationship.  He offered to become my advisor.  He met with me once a week for an hour.  During that hour we would discuss philosophy, politics, theology, and literature.  He supervised an independent study for me and guided me in my choice of seminary and following that, graduate school.

 “You are not working up to your potential.”  What a blessing Dr. Barth was to my life.

I have often wondered why he took the time with me.  He didn’t have to do that.  Why did he take an interest in a slacker who was content to just get by?  Why did he become the mentor who helped to shape the direction of my life? Why?  Was I worthy of the time and effort that he took with me?  Was I worthy?  At the time, I thought not.  Yet, I must confess, his efforts made all the difference in my life.

We understand this parable of the fig tree. It is the story of the employer who has an employee who doesn’t produce. He looks at the record and determines that this employee should be fired and so he goes to his manager and tells her to let the employee go. But the manager responds: “Let’s keep him for one more year.” That in itself is an amazing statement, but she goes further: “Let’s make sure that he gets additional training and has every opportunity to succeed at the job.” Do any of you know an employer like that? In this day of cost analysis and outsourcing, who can afford it… and that’s the point. God goes the extra mile for human beings: for you and for me. God does not deal with us on a cost/benefit basis. God wants us to bear fruit in our lives and will even go the extra mile so that we do. The bottom line is that there is no reason for God to do this; none at all. But God does!  In the eyes of the Divine, we are worthy of the time and effort of redemption….  Even unto the cross. 

III

This is, for us, a parable of grace; amazing grace. The fertilizer is the symbol for grace. It nurtures us with a another opportunity at life. It is amazing grace that goes beyond reason and sense, but that is the nature of Divine love. 


This is how God in Christ relates to us. The God proclaimed by Jesus is one who loves creation; one who loves us and is willing to go the extra mile so that we may bear fruit in our lives, even the extra mile that leads to the cross at Golgotha. But behind this story is a judgment. The tree is given another year.. and we don’t know how the parable ended, but we can surmise that if there were no figs in the following year, the tree would be cut down. (But maybe not!!)  What does this say about our lives? Does it not challenge us to examine our lives, to ask the hard question of ourselves: “Am I bearing the fruit in my life, that my creator desires?”  It challenges us, but also assures us that we are worth God’s efforts of redemption. 


The temptation of modern Christianity is to pose questions about the fate and sins of others. The easiest sermons to preach are the ones where we stand in the pulpit and blame the world’s problems

• on the democrats,
• the republicans,
• the old,
• the young,
• the lazy,
• the arrogant,
• women,
• men..            

Pick your group. There is enough culpability to include everyone. That is the easiest message to preach. The harder one is the one that looks deep into our own souls and asks the questions about who we are, the lives we are living and our own need for repentance and change. The harder message is to look at how God has been active in our lives. What is the fertilizer of grace that has been spread so that you may grow and bear the fruit of righteousness? 


There is an expression, “Why send good money after bad?” Most of us know what means.. why waste time, energy and resources on something that has no record of producing and seems like a bottomless pit for our resources, (like my first car). Yet this is precisely what God has done for you and for me. Let’s not focus on the sins of the other guy. Let’s look at our own lives and offer thanks for the grace that God has given so that our lives may bear fruit.

There is a second challenge in the parable.  We can identify with the fruitless fig tree, but we are also called to be the gardener.  Others are worthy of our time, our efforts, and our resources.  As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, friends, and neighbors, we need to find ways to communicate to our children that they are worthy of our love, worthy of a future, not because they are bright, smart, good, well behaved, etc…… but because they are.  Sometimes when they are most unloveable, most difficult… it is precisely the time they need to experience our love and our grace.  We are called to nurture the next generation, (and future generations!) like the gardener nurtured the unproductive fig tree.

We are called to be the gardener because others are worthy:

• the homeless,
• the depressed,
• the hurting,
• the arrogant,
• those who agree with us and those who don’t,
• the argumentative and the passive,
• those for whom life comes easy, and those who struggle,  
• those who are like us, and those who are different,
• those we love and those we call enemies.  

We are called to be the gardener in the lives of others…. All are worthy.  This is the good news of the Gospel!  Amen.