Mtr Beth Clarke

Friends in Christ,

As I reflect on this odd little story about a fig tree from Luke, I recall that I have some redeeming work to do here myself—objectively, the worst paper I wrote in seminary was about this very passage. Perhaps with a bit more tending, I can finally do it some justice. Four things strike me as I return to it.

First, the Kingdom is already upon us. As Anglican theologian N. T. Wright often writes, the Kingdom of God is already and not yet. I think we spend a great deal of time believing that the Kingdom is something far off, something that we have time to get ready for. But Jesus tells us again and again that the Kingdom of God is real, and it’s right now. What would it mean for us to take such a bold claim seriously? How might we respond differently if we understood that our response matters now?

Second, Jesus redirects our attention from something false to something true. In Jesus’ time, people often understood suffering as punishment for sin. Those hearing about the Galileans killed by Pilate, or the eighteen people killed when the Tower of Siloam fell, might have assumed that these people had brought suffering upon themselves. But Jesus challenges that assumption. Were these people worse sinners than anyone else? No, he tells us. Their suffering was not evidence of greater sin. Instead of inviting us to judge the lives of those who suffered, Jesus asks us to consider our own. We all need repentance, and it is available to all of us.

Third, the fig tree gives repentance a hopeful shape. Repentance is not just about dwelling on our sin; it’s about turning toward God and our neighbors, taking responsibility, and considering what can be made new. The gardener sees a tree that has not borne fruit and asks for more time—time to dig around the tree and add more fertilizer. What seems like a lost cause may yet bear fruit.

Fourth, we all have fig trees in our lives that may need some tending. Beyond revisiting subpar pieces of writing, as we prepare for a new liturgical year, what have we given up on, or left untended, that might still bear fruit with some care? How can repentance, responsibility, and renewal become the fertilizer for what may seem like a lost cause?

Yours in Christ,

—Mtr Beth