The Fig Tree and Us

 

The Fig Tree and Us  - Luke (13:31-35)

The Fig Tree is in fact mentioned twice in the Gospel

Firstly in the parable the vineyard owner is God. The sympatric gardener is Jesus, and the fruitless Fig tree the pharisees

 Secondly later Jesus curses a fig tree near Jerusalem days before his crucifixion - perhaps by way of demonstration and as a reminder of His earlier teaching

Both Matthew and Mark record. ….’.In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry. / Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.’ Matthew 21:18-19

Religious practice in Jesus’s time had become stiff and rule bound. In the chapter before today’s Gospel Luke has pharisees objecting to Jesus healing on the Sabbath

Our Lord gave the Jews 3 years of teaching culminated in the Beatitudes – which were the fulfilment and completion of the Jewish Tora and the Old Testament more than enough to fertilise the fig tree . They were rejected by the Jewish authorities

What were the consequences?  As Our Lord arrived at the hill overlooking the city he foretold the destruction of the Temple scattering of its people, saying that invaders would not leave "one stone upon another". Mark 13:2: Matthew 24:2:

Jews wanted another David to drive out the Romans - not a non-violent religious teacher

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. Matthew 5:38-40 

And again

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic[a] either. Luke 6:28-30

Interestingly this is exactly what Mahatma Gandhi did to drive us out of India – completely non-violently!

As now we know Jewish solution was different. For decades, Jewish experienced discontent with Roman rule, leading to open rebellion in 66 AD. Jerusalem became a stronghold of Jewish resistance,

Our Lord prophesised all this. On his way into the city Jesus wept and lamented over Jerusalem,  

"For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build a siege wall against you and encircle you on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Luke 19:43 It happened in 70AD

While carrying his cross on his very way to his crucifixion Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed! Luke 23:29 Tens of thousands lost their lives during the sacking of the city in 70AD

As now we know in 69 AD Roman forces, led by Titus, besieged the city for months. After breaching the city's defences, the Romans destroyed the Temple, - the heart of Jewish religious and cultural life for Jewish people who were left stateless for 2000 years

Jesus warns of a time of great tribulation, and scattering of the Jews, stating "Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" Luke 21:20-24. Perhaps a reference to the time Constantine Romanises Christianity in the 4^th century

This never needed to have happened if Jews followed Christian teaching. Even today less than 2% of the Jews follow Jesus.  The rest are still waiting for the Messiah

How does this relate to us today?! We return to the parable

‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave the fig tree 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.

Perhaps the events of 70AD were the landowner losing patience with the Fig Tree.

Will God will lose patience with us in this increasingly Godless age. The carrot is Isiah’s invitation Why not listen to

Amen

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The Gospel 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.’”