Devotional 3-7-10

Luke 13:6-9
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 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?’ 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.’”

Devotion
Fred Craddock tells a story about a man who decided to open a grocery store. He was worried that it might not succeed and he would be out a lot of money.

First, he had to choose where to locate. He could lease a building in the main part of town, but it would be expensive. Worried he might lose a lot of money if the store went under, he leased a building in a back alley of a rundown part of town.

Next, he had to hire employees. He could hire some people from the area to ensure that he would have enough help to keep the store open from morning until night, but it would be expensive. Worried he might lose a lot of money if the store went under, he decided to run the store himself, closing the store at 5:00 p.m. so that he could be home in time for dinner.

Then, he had to decide where to get the groceries to put in the store. He could order from the wholesalers who had fast shipping to ensure the best produce, but it would be expensive. Worried he might lose a lot of money if the store went under, he ordered from a place that had slow shipping so that the produce was past its prime when it arrived.

Finally, he had to decide how to advertise. He could buy advertising on the local television station, but it would be expensive. Worried he might lose a lot of money if the store went under, he put up a couple of posters on some telephone poles instead.

The day of the grand opening arrived. Only a few people wondered in. He made a few sales, but many people left after seeing the quality of the food. One person tried to come at 5:00 p.m., but had to leave because it was closing time. Eventually, no one came at all.

After a few days, the owner of the store gathered his family around him and said to them, “I am a very smart man. I have to close the store. If I had paid for a lease in the main part of town, if I had hired employees, if I had ordered produce from the fast shippers, and if I had paid for ads on t.v., then I would be out a lot of money right now. Instead, I invested little and so I am out very little.”

Luke tells the story about a man who planted a fig tree and within three years had given up on it. All he did was plant a tree, but he expected a large fig harvest. The gardener did not just convince the man to give it another year. He offered to care for it. The gardener knew that you only get out of something what you are willing to invest in it. If you invest little, you will reap little.

Lent is a time for self-reflection; a time to look at ourselves and see what we are invested in. Have we really invested ourselves into our families, into caring for our neighbors, into helping the poor, into welcoming the stranger, into caring for the children and the youth and the infirmed in our community, and have we really invested ourselves into our church. Maybe we have planted the seed and that is a good thing, but have we REALLY invested ourselves? I know I haven’t always invested myself. Too often I have invested little because I was afraid of failure. Too often I have expected a harvest, without any effort.

Prayer
Loving God, you are the one who created us and you care for us daily. We don’t always bear good fruit, but you do not abandon us. Instead you care for us all the more. You are invested in us. Help us to invest ourselves in you and into the care of your creation. Help us to act, not for reward, but because it is what is right. Help us to be courageous in the face of the fear of failure, knowing that we only really fail when we refuse to try. Most of all, marinate us with your love in the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

David Stackpole