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.