Luke 13:6-9 (NRSV)
Read Luke 13:6-9 on biblegateway.com
Verse 6Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. Verse 7So he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?' Verse 8He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. Verse 9If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"
Devotion
In this parable, Jesus describes a gardener who pleads with a landowner for one more year to bring a fig tree to its intended fruitfulness. Have you ever had someone go out on a limb to give you a second or third chance to master a skill or turn your life around? Jesus teaches us that we have a God who cares enough to demand that we live into our full humanity. And then by the example of his own death, Jesus teaches that God is also as patient as this gardener. That’s the story of Lent.
Prayer
God, you exercise both patience and prodding. We thank you for those people who have followed your example and given us opportunities to start afresh. As we name them in this prayer, help us be like this gracious gardener for others when they fall short of our expectations or the demands of life; for Christ’s sake. Amen.