Third Sunday of Lent
The wilderness, the desert, is the central image of the Lenten season. As we saw on the first Sunday of Lent, the wilderness is the abode of the Devil and wild beasts. But, as we learn from today's first reading, God is also to be found in the desert. God revealed himself to Moses in a rather dramatic way. Indeed, from Moses' point of view, the revelation was something of an accident. Moses did not go the wilderness on any major spiritual quest. He was going about his daily duties, looking after his father-in-law's flock. Sheer curiosity led him to the burning bush; "I must go and look at this strange sight" he said. God spoke to him from the burning bush. Moses could not bear to look; he covered his face. The voice from the bush promised freedom to the exiled, oppressed children of Israel. Moses was charged with delivering this good news. But first he sought out the precise identity of God. The answer he received was, to say the least, vague: "I am who am." There is no agreement among biblical scholars on the precise meaning or correct translation of this term. Perhaps this is as it should be: the full mystery of God's identity eludes the human race. The identity of God remains mysterious.
The parable of the fig tree is found only in Luke's gospel. Jesus is giving a talk on repentance which he concludes with this parable. Like the parable of the seed and the darnel, the fig tree symbolises God's infinite patience with humanity, his indulgence of humanity, even. Growth, whether physical or spiritual, cannot be forced. Neither can repentance. Coercion and repentance are mutually exclusive. Each individual is a unique creation, endowed with his or her own unique rhythm and pattern. The fig tree must be given every chance to bear fruit. Like the human being, it must be cared for and nurtured; it must be encouraged and supported. If left to itself, it will remain fruitless.
The message of God's patience has not always been given the attention it merits. Calls to repentance in our Church were often fear-filled. It is a fairly safe rule of thumb to conclude that anything that is fear-bearing is not God-bearing.
While God is a loving father, he is not a fussing, fretful father, neurotically tracking the activities of his children. He has confidence in his creation and his creatures. We have much to learn from the parable of the fig tree. We must be patient with ourselves in our erratic journey towards him. The burden of perfection crushed many a Christian. Repentance is a lifetime project. We are rightly skeptical of "instant conversions". "The man who thinks he is safe must be careful that he does not fall," Paul warned the Corinthians. God permits us to make the occasional mess. His confidence in us remains long after we may have lost confidence in ourselves. In the world he has fashioned we come to maturity as much through our failures as through our successes. Repentance requires patience.
The hallmark of our culture today is harshness and a total absence of patience or forgiveness. This harshness is reflected in the media every day. Whether in political life, church life or the financial world, heads must roll. There is a thirst for blood out there that is most unhealthy, and unchristian. Foxhunting may be under threat from the politically correct, but it is very much alive and flourishing in human form.
Patience and compassion are inextricably linked. In his dealings with sinners, Jesus had patience in abundance. He stayed to the end with the woman caught in adultery. He teased the Samaritan woman at the well about her promiscuity. She responded to his interest in her and acknowledged his wisdom. Those who arrived in the vineyard at the eleventh hour will receive the same pay as those who worked there all day. But the ones who sorely tested his patience were the self-righteous and the overbearing. These he judged to be impatient and over-demanding. They piled burdens on people's backs and did not lift a finger to help them.
So, as we home in on our faults and weaknesses during the Lenten season, we must never lose sight of the patient, compassionate, forgiving One whose resurrection we are preparing to celebrate. True repentance looks to the future, not to the past.