23 Mar Sermon – SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2025
According to a volume specifically on Luke from a set of books entitled Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Cyril of Alexandria, Augustine, Ephrem the Syrian, and a Commentary on Titian’s Diatessaron help to provide insight on several aspects of this passage. Before Pilate and Herod both contributed to Jesus’ eventual crucifixion, they were not friends. Pilate was upset that Herod had illegally executed John the Baptist, so in retaliation, Pilate murdered Galileans who had attended Pilate’s birthday feast and who supposedly offered sacrifices which at the time, was against Roman law.
The parable of the fig tree is an allegory, a story told with pictures which speaks about a known entity in a hidden way. Ancient Christian theologians agree on a few things. One: that the fig tree most likely represents Israel, the synagogue or the entire human race. Both God the Father and Son represent the owner of the vineyard, the one to whom everything belongs, at whose direction the fig tree was planted, and who is entitled to have expectations regarding his investment. Both God the Father and Son have spent three years working in the field. God has tried to produce a harvest through various means: through patriarchs and prophets of old and through a Savior, Jesus Christ who has personally already spent three years ministering to God’s chosen people.
Jesus also represents the vinedresser willing to put in extra time and effort. He’s the intercessor on behalf of people who he sees as still holding potential and who may yet live into the hoped-for yield of good ripe fruit. Manure is considered a symbol of humility which is no surprise to anyone who’s ever cleaned out a horse’s stall. You know that manure is humbling when you’re the one shoveling it, the one standing in it up to your ankles or the one whose job it is to make good use of it.
Ancient Christians also consider “all who proclaim the gospel of God’s merciful clemency in Jesus and who prayerfully intercede for the perishing are carrying out the role of the vinedresser.” In other words, we too, can intercede and show mercy to those put on this earth, who have been planted by God in the vineyard, but who as yet have not proven their worth.
Yes, we may argue that they consume precious resources, that the time and effort invested in them doesn’t appear worth it. Why should they take up space where we may envision others as being more desirable and much more profitable. This is exactly the way governments and insurance companies judge the cost and/or value of individuals.
Better or worse than. Scripture tells us two things: how we already are and how we might change to do better. We can’t go through an hour much less a day without comparing who’s better or worse. We assume God thinks the same way we do, which is why we are told again today by the prophet Isaiah, “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
Those words make it sound as though the fig tree has some agency regarding its fate. I mean if it wouldn’t be possible, would Isaiah have mentioned for the people to call out for mercy, to forsake the way they have been doing things or to think differently?
In every instance, repentance equals doing an about face and returning to the Lord, the one from whom we all come, the one who formed us and planted us with high hopes that one day, we would each prove useful to the grand scheme of things. My mother used to say this at times when I most didn’t want to hear it.
“Who you were born as was God’s gift to you. Who you become is your gift to God.” As was true for all of the pithy sayings she used to quote at me, her words got on my nerves at the time. But as a mature adult, I understand now why she felt the need to say them just when she did.
Lest we forget, the LORD says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” In other words, when we are tempted to uproot, withhold, or worse still, destroy what doesn’t satisfy our expectations, hold on to the fact that God is willing to supply what is needed.
Water and food, wine and milk, whatever is good and delightful without us trading them for labor or the money that labor brings. How is it possible to come and buy without money? There’s no shopping cart or checkout feature that allows you to bypass choosing a form of payment, choosing to pay by credit card, Paypal or something kept on file. What do Ancient Christians have to say about that?
They say things like repentance is “the price” which buys the necessary virtue to fear God and receive mercy. That “we receive payment in faith from Christ,” much like a child who “pays” for things with money earned by other adults. Cyril of Alexandria writes, “We pay for none of these things with short-term or perishable goods. By way of gifts and honor to Christ we offer to Christ the confession of faith in him which comes with grace through the Holy Spirit.” Then Theodoret of Cyr adds, “in the same way that righteousness comes through baptism which justifies us freely.”
The preschoolers at Messiah have been studying the five senses lately and Thursday’s lesson was on hearing. As a treat for me, and hopefully for the children, Miss Rose let me read The Ear Book, by Al Perkins. Written for early readers, the book was full of illustrations and not many words. It wasn’t really much of a story nor was there a whole lot of dialogue.
The main point was the same as Isaiah’s: We must use our ears to listen. And I had to remind the kids that listening doesn’t happen unless we each tune in and pay attention. Also, I had to remind them that talking while listening doesn’t work, nor does listening work while being distracted, thinking of what you want to say next or wondering what others are doing instead.
Theodore of Heraclea (Gee, variations on the name Theodore certainly were popular back then) says, “God demands nothing other than a ready listener, one who takes in his words and is quick to respond willingly to his voice.” Isaiah was speaking the very words of God when he said, “Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.”
Let’s take a quick look at something Paul says which is often quoted by Christians. In fact many of you have quoted it to me and shown me that most Christians know the first part of this saying from scripture, but not the second, most important part.
The part before the first part goes, “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone.” In other words, your trials are not uncommon. In fact, they are common to everyone, though you may not know or realize it.
The next part that people frequently call to mind and say outloud is this: “God will not let you be tested beyond your strength.” People think that this means what?
When I hear it said, “People usually feel overwhelmed by something that’s happening or has already happened. They are expressing that they feel as though they cannot bear what is happening or has happened. Then they say it to reassure themselves, “If it weren’t for the fact that God has promised to not test me beyond my strength, I would crumble.” The false assumption is that God matches the test to the strength we already have.
In fact, the scripture passage reads, “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” In other words, with every test, God will provide a way out so that you may be able to endure the test. Do you see the difference?
You will be tested beyond the strength you currently possess so that God who is faithful can provide the way out, so that you may be able to endure. It’s not up to you to muster up the strength on your own or to rely on previous ways of coping, to dig deep and draw from the wells of your constitutional makeup, that of your family or ancestors though they may serve you well.
The point of all of today’s lessons are not to instill fear, as Paul is so good at doing, to worry or warn you by saying, “Beware lest you think you are standing, and then fall,” or that of thinking that you have stood for too long producing no fruit and are thereby threatened with the ax or must fear being dug up by your roots.
Turn and seek God where you are, asking for help to produce whatever it is that God once hoped for when you were planted in the vineyard, had the soil around you loosened, were tended by his Son and fertilized with manure. Let us pray.
Lord, we don’t always know what we need to thrive and bear fruit. Do what you must to loosen the soil or enhance the medium in which you intended our growth and the production of results. Have mercy and patience according to your plan to see success in the form of individual salvation and of communities thriving. In your holy name we pray, Amen.