| 
THE GOSPEL OF THE SECOND CHANCEWe see from the New Testament that the Pharisees had little or no time for sinners, indeed the considered them as being condemned and saw themselves as being righteous. How readily they were to cast off others, as we sometimes can be too. In today’s Gospel we see that Jesus didn’t quiet agree with them. A vineyard is a very special place, which is normally reserved for vines, yet we find in today’s story a fig tree planted in this privileged place. In the normal course of events it takes a fig tree three years to reach maturity and bear fruit. If in this length of time it has not bore fruit then it is likely to be barren, and is of little use. Despite the fact that it is bearing no fruit it is still drawing nourishment from the soil. In the text we see the gardeners approach to the tree as one of patience and care. Not only does he plead with the owner of the vineyard to leave it but he also set about a process of encouragement and care. We are not told what the end result was or whether the tree bore fruit or not. However Jesus makes his point very clear… that God is not a condemning God but one of encouragement and care.
I suppose we all need someone in our lives who believe in us, who has patience with us, yet we can so readily demand instantaneous results when it comes to our expectation of others. There is a subtle sense in which we can be demanding of perfection in others whilst being anything but perfect ourselves. This Gospel also places a responsibility on us to bear fruit. We cannot continually keep putting off what we need to do in our lives. If we continually refuse to take the opportunity that chance after chance offers to us, the day will finally come, not when God will shut us out, but when have by deliberate shut ourselves out.
| |
