1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9
“With Tender Loving Care”
When the Apostle Paul was writing to the Christian community at Corinth, trying to instruct them in the Way of Jesus and to help them to build a loving Christian community, he wrote to them in chapter 10 about the sins and failings of their ancestors.
He told them about how God had saved, protected, and guided the Hebrew people through the wilderness, giving them the spiritual and physical nourishment they needed to survive, and how the people nevertheless turned away from God and did wrong things.
The people worshipped idols instead of God. Their first concern was their own physical comfort and pleasure, and they complained against God again and again. They were impatient, and disobedient, and ungrateful.
And Paul says that the Corinthians should learn from their mistakes. He tells the Christians that nothing is happening to them that other generations have not had to deal with as well, and he warns them not to make the same poor selfish choices that were not pleasing to God.
It is a warning not to become complacent. It is a warning not to assume that we are good enough. It is a warning to “repent, and change our ways” to become the kind, loving, generous people of God that we are intended to be.
Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel reading today contains a similar warning. In this case, some people tell Jesus about some Galileans who were recently killed by Pilate while they were at worship. We don’t know exactly why they raise the subject of these people being killed or what they want Jesus to comment on.
But when Jesus responds, he asks them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?”
And then he asks about some others – 18 people who were killed when a tower collapsed on them. “Do you think those people were worse sinners than anyone else? Is that why they were killed?”
Of course, Jesus says no. Jesus did not agree with the popular theology that assumed that if bad things happened to you, you must have deserved them. That if you got sick, it must be because of your selfishness, or if you were killed, you must have done something truly terrible.
But Jesus still does have a warning for his listeners. He warns them, and he warns us, that unless we repent, we will all perish as they did.
Jesus explains what he means with a parable – a story that is about one thing on the surface, but it also has a deeper meaning and significance.
On the surface, Jesus’ story is about a fig tree. Someone has a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he comes looking for figs. But the fig tree isn’t growing any fruit, and the owner is disappointed again and again. He’s ready to cut it down!
But the gardener doesn’t want to give up so easily. He asks for another year to give the tree another chance. In the meantime, he’ll dig around it and put manure on it. He’ll work with that tree and give it some extra care and help, so that perhaps next year it’ll grow some figs as it’s supposed to do.
Likewise, what the first followers of Jesus were supposed to do, what the Corinthian Christians were supposed to do, and what WE are supposed to do as Christians and churches today is to produce fruit. Our purpose is to grow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, generosity, and even self-control. We are intended to bear good fruit as the Holy Spirit of God works in and through our lives and ministries.
If we don’t produce fruit, if we don’t fulfill our purpose, we might as well not exist. We might as well not be here.
When I think about our church community here today, I notice that there is fruit of the Spirit growing among us. I see the fruit of kindness growing when people in our congregation take the time and care to visit with others who are sick or homebound or alone.
I see the fruit of patience growing when we work together in the committees and task groups of the church, taking the time to listen to different perspectives and ideas, seeking to understand each other, to listen to the Spirit, and to make the best decisions we can together.
I see the fruit of generosity growing when both youth and adults volunteer their time and energy both within our church and to offer help and support to others in the community.
And I see the fruit of faithfulness growing every time we gather for worship, for prayer, or for study, as many people choose to put God first in their lives and listen for God’s word and wisdom.
But the Apostle Paul warned the Christian Church at Corinth, saying, “If you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.” Likewise, we are encouraged not to become complacent, assuming that our lives and ministries are producing all the fruit that they are meant to grow.
Just think about it: If our congregation was a fig tree, do you think it would be brimming with big juicy figs, weighing down the branches and ready to feed the community and grow new trees as well?
I don’t know. I expect there would be some figs growing here and there, but whether it would be enough to delight the owner of the fig tree, I’m not so sure.
Over the last few months, we’ve had a couple of gatherings and done some work on identifying our mission priorities and clarifying our values as a congregation. The specific goal of that work is to lay the foundation for decisions that we will need to make in the coming months and years about our church building.
The fact is that our building currently limits the fruitfulness of our mission and ministry because it’s big, expensive, inaccessible in parts, and not in good enough repair to allow us to use it to its full capacity.
The Directions Task Force is working hard to move things forward so that we can make a good decision about the building for the future fruitfulness of our ministry. They’re arranging for a complete inspection of the foundation, and putting together a Request for Proposals that will invite companies with expertise to help us with a feasibility study. (That Request for Proposals will be presented to the congregation at our Annual Meeting on May 4th, so you’ll all get a chance to consider and approve it before it goes out.)
We’re still not sure if the best way forward will be a major renovation of the building, a redevelopment of some kind, or a decision to sell this building and move elsewhere. But we do know that we want to make a decision that is consistent with our values and that supports the fulfilment of the mission that God is calling us to.
Based on the conversations and input that all of you provided, the Directions Task Force put together a draft document that outlines our shared values and mission priorities going forward. But it still needs some feedback, responses, and confirmation from the members before we can finalize it. That’s what the brief meeting after worship today is going to be about – making sure that you all have a look at it, consider the values and priorities that are listed, and submit your feedback.
But even now, long before we are ready to make a big decision about our building, I think that Jesus is starting to work on us like a gardener works on a fig tree that is not producing fruit, or perhaps could be producing a lot more fruit with that tender, loving care.
The conversations we’ve been having so far about our mission priorities are bringing new ideas and new energy to the ministries of our congregation. For example, the Session has been talking about ways to expand and grow our ministry with children, youth, and families.
We are delighted by the growth that we’ve seen in the last couple of years, and believe that we should invest in further growth by investing in a half-time Minister for Youth and Families. (We’ll be bringing a specific proposal to you at the Annual Meeting on May 4th, so that’s another reason why you should plan to attend.)
In addition to that, the Welcome & Inclusion Team has been talking about how to be more intentional about connecting with visitors and newcomers to help them find their place within our community. The Board of Managers has been grappling with the challenges of ongoing maintenance and encouraging individuals with skills and time to help out and share their gifts. The Stewardship Committee has been looking at creative projects to raise money for the mission of the church, while also building community and friendship among us.
And while the Mission & Outreach committee continues to wrestle with how we can best serve our community, inviting us into opportunities for giving and volunteering to assist those who are marginalized in our city and our world, our Youth Group recently volunteered to undertake a work project in the hall under the church. During the Easter break, they are planning to do some cleaning and painting in the space where several 12-step groups meet throughout the week – hopefully making it more welcoming and comfortable for the folks who gather there for support, encouragement and accountability.
When I think about today’s Scripture readings and our congregation, I think we could easily hear them as a warning that we need to do something, to resist being content with the status quo, and to take action to ensure the ongoing fruitfulness of our ministry. But together with that warning, we should also hear the assurance of Christ’s mercy and help. Jesus promises to work with us and in us… Indeed, Jesus is already working on us in these days, giving us everything that we need to become more fruitful.
As Paul wrote: “God is faithful, and God will not let us be tested beyond our strength.” Jesus is working on us like a master gardener tending to a fig tree, and by God’s grace, we have the potential to produce not just a meagre crop of figs, but an abundant harvest of the fruit of the Spirit.