THE FIG TREE -

GETTING THE AXE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Third Sunday in Lent C, is, “The Fig Tree - Getting the Axe!”

Today’s gospel has two parts. Let me begin with Part 2

PART TWO: THE FIG TREE

Part Two of today’s gospel from Luke 13: 1-9  has the parable of the fig tree. [Cf. verses 6-9]

In the gospels we hear about the fig tree three    times. I like Luke’s version far better than Matthew and Mark’s telling of the story. [Cf. Matthew 21:19 and Mark 11:13]

In Matthew and Mark the fig tree gets the axe. It disappears. There is no second chance. It’s not producing figs. Get rid of it. In Matthew and Mark,  it’s not a parable. It’s an incident that happened in the life of Jesus - that made it into print - for some profound and mysterious reason. It must have had impact on those who experienced Jesus cursing and making a singular fig tree just dry up.

In Luke the story has become a parable. In Luke the fig tree gets another year. It gets  a second chance to produce fruit - figs - otherwise - then - it will get the axe.

The owner of the fig tree says to the gardener, “For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. [So] cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?”

Did you hear the word “exhaust” as in “exhaust the soil”?  What a neat translation of the Greek word “katargei”. Other translations into English use the word “waste” or “use up”.

I was trying to get a handle on this - how we think and talk about this same experience.

Wouldn’t we hate to overhear someone describing us behind our back with one of these comments:

·        “He’s just taking up space”?

·        Or “What a waste!”

·        Or, “She’s so lazy, she exhausts me!”

·        Or, “He’s a couch potato! A lump! He doesn’t do   anything around here”?

Why do people get the axe?  Why do people get the boot? Why do people lose their job? Why do some marriages fall apart?

Sometimes - and I’m underlining sometimes - sometimes  it’s because people are lazy. They are just taking up space. They are taking up all the oxygen as someone put it.

And sometimes people get the axe - get fired - get dumped -  get dropped - and it’s not their fault.

Sometimes life is fair; sometimes life isn’t fair; sometimes life is all mystery - to be figured out at a later date - sometimes.

So all this is an, “It all depends!”

PART ONE: THE OTHER TWO EXAMPLES IN TODAY’S GOSPEL

In Part 1 of today’s gospel we have two examples of tragedies that happen. Unlike the lazy fig  tree that should be getting the axe, Jesus says what happened to some folks was not their fault.

We better not let  the two incidents in today’s gospel - that of the Galileans who were slaughtered by Pilate and that of those who died when a tower collapsed on them in Siloam - we better not let these two incidents slip through the cracks of our consciousness. They are worth pondering.

Lots of people think God zaps people - and then think it’s because of their sins. Jesus says those Galileans whom Pilate wiped out  - were no greater sinners that the rest of the people in Galilee. Then Jesus adds, “Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means!”

But Jesus does add, “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”

There’s the possible message coming out of tragedies. They can be wake up calls - for necessary changes in our lives.

Listen to people and their take on why people die in plane crashes or why people are blown up in a bus in Bagdad - or people who die in natural disasters - or why people get cancer and so and so doesn’t - or why someone loses a job or a spouse or a kid for what seems no reason whatsoever?

Sometimes we don’t know why tragedy crushes certain people. Sometimes it seems people just  happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sometimes a body goes berserk - breaks down - and someone dies - before the time we’d expect them to die. And some people go crazy with guns and some people go crazy with power - and the little people get hurt or killed.  Bummer.

As we know from life and from Forest Gump and bumper stickers, “It happens!”

WAKE UP CALLS

So a message is that tragedies can be wake up calls. Sometimes it’s our fault. Sometimes it isn’t.

Having read today’s gospel and today’s readings a bunch of times these past few days, I sense  “Wake Up!” is a key and a basic call from today’s Gospel as well as today’s other readings.

Today’s second reading from 1^st Corinthians says just that in various ways. Paul says things like: “I don’t want you to be unaware.” “Do not grumble. Death happens.”  “Whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall.” [Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12]

Today’s first reading from Exodus has the example of Moses.  He has married Jethro’s daughter. He has become a shepherd. He’s leading a flock across the desert. He comes to a mountain. He has a God experience. Surprise. He’s sees a bush on fire. He discovers he’s on Holy Ground. He experiences a God call.  He discovers who God is. God simply says, “I Am Who Am”.[Cf. Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15]

Moses hears the most basic explanation of who a person is: “I Am Who Am!”

I am not my stuff. I’m not my titles. I’m not my look. “I Am Who Am!”

I’m sure all of us somewhere have had a Moses like God experience: seeing a burning sunrise or sunset - autumn leaves bursting with color - the birth of a child - the love of one’s life - being at the death of a parent with the family all around - being together for a family wedding or 25^th or 50^th anniversary - being at Mass or a baptism or a wedding. When we realize the simplicity of life, when we realize God has created and redeemed us all - when we realize we are who we are and God is the great, “I Am Who Am” - when we realize these things we realize we’re made in the image and likeness of God!

CONCLUSION

God experiences can’t be planned. We have them at times - if we’re awake and aware.  The test that it’s real and not all feeling is when we hear in the moment, in the experience, a call from God. It’s the most basic vocation in life: to be God - to become God - in this life - and not just in the next.

Surprise - Christmas can happen any day now - for us. Christ chooses smelly stables and dark caves - to be born in - again and again and again.

We come to Mass - because we know down deep - we want deeper communion with God - and Jesus came to bring us into the Trinity.

But we don’t just stand there - on the holy ground of  a God experience.

We don’t just glow in the middle of that burning flaming moment - nope - the call is not to just be me - a fig tree - but we’re called to be a fig tree - that gives fruit - gifts to others.

When we do that we’re more and more like God - being creative and feeders - redeemers - helpers to others - especially the stuck.

When we do that we have become a person who is like God - and people meeting us can have a God Experience - because we’re using  the gifts we’ve been given to create a better world in loving and feeding one another.

Otherwise we’re just taking up space. Otherwise get the axe.