This week Rev. Jacqui shares some of the things she’s learned about fig trees that might give us a clue about this parable. We make a lot of assumptions about it – and about who the various characters represent – which might not be especially accurate. We also make some rather ungracious assumptions about rest, and its importance to growth. With this new knowledge in mind, what good news do we discover for the fig tree? For us? The gardener in the vineyard knows the fig tree needs rest, nutrients, and time—and it also needs to produce fruit. Both things are true, which is also true for us. If we are always striving for more growth without taking time to rest, we will burn out. But if we are only ever resting, we won’t bear fruit or grow. The fig tree also teaches us that the in between time—of nurture before fruit—can be where transformation begins.
This teaching was preached at Knox Presbyterian Church in Oakville by The Reverend Jacquelyn Foxall, on this 2nd Sunday in LENT March 16th, 2025.
Associated Scripture: Gospel of Luke 13:6-9
Everything [in] Between: “Rest & Growth”
