Growth in God’s Time
Luke 13:1-9
At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you, but unless you repent you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the other people living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you, but unless you repent you will all perish just as they did.”
Then 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. So he said to the man working the vineyard, ‘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?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good, but if not, you can cut it down.’”
A week or two before spring break, we began an experiment in our elementary school science class. We were learning about the way things grow from seeds. We looked at all the parts of the seed, how each stage of growth was impacted by water as the plant reached high for sunlight. Our teacher gave us small, white Styrofoam cups, soil, and a bag of tiny seeds. After poking holes in the bottom of the cup, we poured in the soil, layering the seeds near the top. We wrote our names on the cups, watered the seeds, and sat them on the windowsill to observe their progress.
We watered them every day, caring for them as all of the work we did hopefully brought forth something from the soil. The most difficult part was having to wait to see the green sprout. As they burst forth from the soil, we turned the cups daily so that the sprouts could grow stronger as they were pulled into the light.
As a people of hope, we know that it takes time for transformation to occur. Changing our hearts and lives to continue on this journey of faith isn’t something that will happen overnight. So how are we able to hold onto hope when time seems to stretch on forever, waiting for the day of resurrection and renewal? How can we possibly continue this journey of faith when the world is in pain and our own desire to repent seems insurmountable?
We turn to God. It’s simple, and that is all it takes. We turn to God, we open our eyes, and we nurture our hearts, our communities and all creation with acts of kindness, love, patience, and mercy. We aren’t the heroes of the story, but we can bring change. We don’t have to be superheroes and bring justice to a broken world, because God is just. We simply must follow the Savior that came into the world to love us and taught us how to love one another.
It begins with the smallest seed of patience, grace, kindness, and love for ourselves and one another. It begins by nourishing community and journeying together. If we take the time to open our eyes to truly see others as God sees all creation, we begin to surrender to God’s love. In time, God’s time, we will see growth, just as we saw growth in our cups as the days went on. It took care, patience, warm sunlight, and time for the seeds to sprout and push upward out of the soil. It will take us time, love, patience, and care to live in hope even in the midst of the world.
prayer
Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Daily Lenten meditations each have a companion morning prayer video offered by the same clergy. View the YouTube playlist to find this meditation’s companion video, or to watch others.