Christ Lutheran Church

1701 Arroyo Chamiso

Santa Fe, NM 87505-4775

(505) 983-9461

church@clcsantafe.com

  

Sunday, March 07, 2010
Third Sunday in Lent

 

GOSPEL: Luke 13:1-9

 

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them-do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."

 

6Then 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. 7So he said to the gardener, '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?' 8He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

 The Patience of God

 

+ In nomine Domini.  Amen.

Sometime ago, a long time ago, I was given a rectangular plaque upon which the following words were inscribed:

Dear God, give me patience …

And I want it right now!

That plaque describes me pretty well, at my worst … or maybe not at my worst … yes I’m impatient when some misguided diaphanous child of God decides to pull out in front of me while I am bicycling downtown … and yes, I’m impatient when I see the plight of humankind and its growing needs and adversities and watch while the rest of humankind seems to be interested only in selfish pursuits … and yes, I’m impatient when I think of all that I need to do … the unending To Do List and find myself with no time to do those things … and yes, I do want patience … and I want it immediately!

Recently while having dinner with two of our friends I asked two questions:

(1)                Do you see yourself as a patient person?

(2)                Do others see you as a patient person?

The answers varied a bit, but most of us, including myself see ourselves as wanting and trying to be patient and even seeking that human quality as a goal and that sometimes (given a situation) we are most impatient.  And for the most part, most people saw each of us as really patient persons even though … there were moments and times and … well, then I asked another question:

(1)                Do you think God is patient?

And here the answers varied a bit as well, depending upon which biblical story was being described and our conversation traveled into the land of how do we know and understand God and by which story and from which experience and that there was a difference between certainty and faith and that many people confuse the two especially individuals and groups who are convinced they are absolutely right and correct and use God and the biblical witness to beat up on others …

… until a comment was made by the Resident Theologian With Whom I Live (Beverly) that with great clarity answered the whole thing:

“If the essence of God is all that is good and holy, then God is patient.”[1]

Yes … God is patient … especially with us, the human creatures who yearn for the goodness and holiness of God to permeate into our world and fill it up not with war and bloodshed and prejudice and bigotry and selfishness and negative votes against compassion … but fill the world with understanding and love and tolerance and the loving heart that beats with the concern of the other.

“So,” says Jesus in the words of Luke the Gospel Writer, “Let me tell you a story about patience.  A man had a fig tree in his vineyard, and one day he came looking for fresh figs and guess what, there weren’t any.  So he called to his gardener and said to him, ‘cut this stupid tree down’ … but, the gardener said, ‘no, wait, give it some time, let me fertilize it, and then see if next year you can find some figs on your precious tree.’”

I have to admit I’m much like the owner of the vineyard and not like the gardener … I’m impatient, I want fruit now when I want it and now in a year.  But, the lesson is well taken isn’t it.  You have to wait, it’s not a life where instant gratification is the answer (our society, our global society to the contrary).  It takes care and concern and just a bit of labour.

For many years I put aside my guitar, in fact, I gave it away.  I always wanted to play like Andres Segovia and when I would practice an hour or so … once or twice … I found that I played more like Ben Larzelere.  So, I said, “That’s it.  No more.  I’m done.”

(Like the Fig Tree Fellow.)

And then when my father died, and my mother moved into the Alzheimer’s wing of the residence where they had been living, and my sister and I were given the task of cleaning out the apartment, I was given my mother’s guitar, the one she used as an elementary school music teacher in the classroom. 

Of course I let it sit in its case for a very long time … months went by, then a year.  I supposed that maybe it would play itself … I don’t know.  But then after this long time I took it to the repair shop and had some work done on it, and brought it home and put it into my lap, my left hand on the frets, my right hand on the strings … and somewhere from the depth of my memory came the music of Noel Paul Stookey … the beginning of a song made famous by himself, Peter Yarrow, and Mary Travers of blessed memory … we know them as “Peter, Paul, and Mary” … the song called “A soalin’”.

All it needed was a bit of fertilizer, a bit of practice, and the music began to come.

I want the world to be a better place.  I want my life to be a better life.  I want the church to be a better church.  I want peace to replace war, embrace to replace violence and torture, understanding to replace hatred, and progressive thinking and acting to replace close-minded selfishness … and I want it now.

But like the music, like the fig tree, like the God who is behind all of these stories, it does take patience.

God does not give up … that is the background music playing in the symphony of Lent … God does not give up on us … that is the promise and the proclamation.  God does not give up and neither should we.

What was it my Resident Theologian said?

“If the essence of God is all that is good and holy, then God is patient.”

Our Lenten journey is to live with this God and learn patience and compassion for ourselves and for each other.

Let us pray.

Merciful God, as we walk the path of Lent and progress the labyrinth of our journey, let us catch our reflection in the light of Christ.  Be patient with us and do not let our shortcomings impede our love for our neighbors.  Fill us with goodness and holiness and let us fill the world as well.  Amen.

The Rev. Benjamin Larzelere III
Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church
Santa Fe, NM

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