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Part 1
I have put something of great value in a box. The young people (suitably primed) offer me £20, £200, 0r even £20,000 for the box. I accept one with a note saying “IOU everything”. We open the box and there is a crucifix with Jesus Christ upon it.
We're used to having to buy what we want or need, or being disappointed or resigned to the fact that we can't afford the things we'd really like or need. We're also used to the idea of being able to win what we want. The tv's full of programmes that provide the opportunity to win stuff, fame and fortune (X Factor) or many thousands of pounds (who wants to be a millionaire). Either way, the way of the world is based on self-assertion - freedom, power, influence, happiness, success, come from beating others to it, one way or another.
It shouldn't come as a surprise then that non-Christian folk struggle to understand our beautiful faith. It's simply off the radar screen for them. Here we have (holds up the crucifix) a priceless treasure, being offered to all, for nothing. Here we have something that provides all that we could ever want from our lives, and more, the "way of being" which so many folk yearn for, work for, spend their money on but ultimately never achieve because what they're looking for isn't for sale, and can't be won.
Here is life - here is peace, here is forgiveness, here is healing, here is acceptance, here is hope, here is unity, here is love, here is GRACE. "Hey there, all who are thirsty - come to the water ! Are you penniless, come anyway - buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk - buy without money - everything's free !"
"Everything's free". Indeed everything is free - everything that's really important is given away freely to all who come to Christ. No one is able to purchase this gift, no one in this room is here because they're one iota better than anyone else, we're all nothing but poverty, we've nothing to offer Jesus but an IOU for our lives. In the second part of our talk we'll take a closer look at that IOU.
Part 2
I guess some of you will have had some results back from early A level and other
exams. I hope things went well for you. This story is for you.
When I was at school taking O levels there was one particular subject I was keen to
pass - but failed.
The Head of Year decided I shouldn't do a re-take - I'd had my chance and blown it -
it was time to move on, put it behind me, get on with what I'd got. The teacher of the subject thought otherwise - he argued that I should sit the exam again, that after a little more work and time spent in his class, he'd get me through the exam. I sat between them, listening to the argument back and forth. I had no input – I could offer nothing. Eventually the subject teacher won - I was given more time. And I passed.
I wonder if you could map the people of that story onto Jesus' parable of the fig tree. The Head of Year against me, the subject teacher for me, and me in the middle ?
And what about God, the way of the world, and us ? How do they map onto the parable ?
To my mind, the owner is the "way of the world" - an investment has been made, the
earliest the tree could fruit is about three years after planting, and he wants the return
on the investment. There's no fruit so the tree needs chopping down and something
else planting.
The gardener is God. He recognizes the potential in the tree, he commits to nurturing
it, feeding it and helping it to fruition. He'll do all that he can to save it, with no
guarantee of success, and if after all his efforts the tree doesn't respond, then surely it
will die.
The tree is us - people. Sometimes we just can't fruit, it may be our own fault, it may
not, but we've nothing to offer and all we can do is hope for GRACE, which we
respond to by offering up the fruit of our lives - something that is sweet and
nourishing for others.
And the IOU ? That's simple. All of us gathered here this morning are like the tree,
we're all the recipients of immeasurable grace - the gift of life through Jesus and the
cross. "Even while we were yet sinners Christ Jesus died for us". Our response must
surely be to emulate our Lord in our dealings with the world, for what right have we
to condemn the very same people that for all we know, God is saving ?
As we live because of grace, even so we're called to be agents of God's grace in the
world today. To do anything else, is to be no different to everyone else. This is hard, especially when we may feel under attack and threatened. An understandable response is to take up the axe and fell the apparently fruitless tree. But, as I've tried to explain, that's not our job - that's God's alone.
Our task is to emulate our Lord, the gardener - to be a source of hope for the world,
not the axe-man. Even for those who would lay the axe at our roots. Because that's what Christ did for us. And that's why we're here together today.
Thanks be to God,
Ian Spencer
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