"The Patient Gardener"

Scripture Passage

Luke 12:35-13:21; John 9:1-41

Scripture Focus

“The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:8-9 NLT)

Observation

As Luke 13 opens, Jesus receives horrific news of the state-sanctioned murder of Galilean worshippers at the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus seizes on that “current event” and one other (a building collapse that killed eighteen) to challenge a common notion we might label “karma.”

[Please note—I’m not specifically discussing “karma” in Buddhist theology here (where the word comes from), only our vernacular use of the word by which we suggest that “what goes around comes around.”]

The premise of Jesus’ audience was that these bad things happened to these people because they themselves were bad (or had done bad things). Please note that Jesus doesn’t specifically deny that unstated premise—I think Jesus would affirm that all the brokenness of our world results from the impact of sin upon it. But what Jesus says, essentially, is, “Just because no building’s fallen in on you, don’t presume it’s all good! You’re just as much a sinner as any one of these people whose lives came to such an horrendous conclusion!”

“For everyone has sinned, and we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23 NLT)

In that context, Jesus tells the story of a man who “planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed” (Luke 13:6 NLT). The man has had enough, and instructs his gardener to cut it down.

“The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:8-9 NLT)

That, my friend, is the expression of the heart of the Father through the Son. Or as the Apostle Peter wrote…

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (2 Peter 3:9 NLT).

So why hasn’t it all come crashing down already? Maybe He’s waiting on you!

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