Wednesday, November 20, 2024

The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah - The People Renewed (Nehemiah 7:4–10:39)

According to the Second Book of the Kings, the Babylonians conquered the city of David and moved the people of Judah into captivity. But that’s not the end of the story. Under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, God led his people from their exile, back to the Promised Land. To better understand this wonderful story of renewal and restoration, we’ll follow the outline below:

During our seventh session, we discussed the renewal of the people (Nehemiah 7:4–10:39). Below is a recording of our discussion and the passage we discussed.


Nehemiah 7:4–10:39 [New Revised Standard Version]

The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few and no houses had been built.

Then my God put it into my mind to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who were the first to come back, and I found the following written in it: These are the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried into exile; they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number of the Israelite people: the descendants of Parosh, two thousand one hundred seventy-two. Of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy-two. Of Arah, six hundred fifty-two. Of Pahath-moab, namely the descendants of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred eighteen. Of Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four. Of Zattu, eight hundred forty-five. Of Zaccai, seven hundred sixty. Of Binnui, six hundred forty-eight. Of Bebai, six hundred twenty-eight. Of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty-two. Of Adonikam, six hundred sixty-seven. Of Bigvai, two thousand sixty-seven. Of Adin, six hundred fifty-five. Of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, ninety-eight. Of Hashum, three hundred twenty-eight. Of Bezai, three hundred twenty-four. Of Hariph, one hundred twelve. Of Gibeon, ninety-five. The people of Bethlehem and Netophah, one hundred eighty-eight. Of Anathoth, one hundred twenty-eight. Of Beth-azmaveth, forty-two. Of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty-three. Of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty-one. Of Michmas, one hundred twenty-two. Of Bethel and Ai, one hundred twenty-three. Of the other Nebo, fifty-two. The descendants of the other Elam, one thousand two hundred fifty-four. Of Harim, three hundred twenty. Of Jericho, three hundred forty-five. Of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty-one. Of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred thirty. The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah, namely the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy-three. Of Immer, one thousand fifty-two. Of Pashhur, one thousand two hundred forty-seven. Of Harim, one thousand seventeen. The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua, namely of Kadmiel of the descendants of Hodevah, seventy-four. The singers: the descendants of Asaph, one hundred forty-eight. The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, of Ater, of Talmon, of Akkub, of Hatita, of Shobai, one hundred thirty-eight. The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, of Hasupha, of Tabbaoth, of Keros, of Sia, of Padon, of Lebana, of Hagaba, of Shalmai, of Hanan, of Giddel, of Gahar, of Reaiah, of Rezin, of Nekoda, of Gazzam, of Uzza, of Paseah, of Besai, of Meunim, of Nephushesim, of Bakbuk, of Hakupha, of Harhur, of Bazlith, of Mehida, of Harsha, of Barkos, of Sisera, of Temah, of Neziah, of Hatipha. The descendants of Solomon’s servants: of Sotai, of Sophereth, of Perida, of Jaala, of Darkon, of Giddel, of Shephatiah, of Hattil, of Pochereth-hazzebaim, of Amon. All the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon’s servants were three hundred ninety-two. The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer, but they could not prove their ancestral houses or their descent, whether they belonged to Israel: the descendants of Delaiah, of Tobiah, of Nekoda, six hundred forty-two. Also, of the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, of Hakkoz, of Barzillai (who had married one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by their name). These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but it was not found there, so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean; the governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food, until a priest with Urim and Thummim should come. The whole assembly together was forty-two thousand three hundred sixty, besides their male and female slaves, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty-seven; and they had two hundred forty-five singers, male and female. They had seven hundred thirty-six horses, two hundred forty-five mules, four hundred thirty-five camels, and six thousand seven hundred twenty donkeys. Now some of the heads of ancestral houses contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury one thousand darics of gold, fifty basins, and five hundred thirty priestly robes. And some of the heads of ancestral houses gave into the building fund twenty thousand darics of gold and two thousand two hundred minas of silver. And what the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand darics of gold, two thousand minas of silver, and sixty-seven priestly robes. So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns. 

When the seventh month came—the people of Israel being settled in their towns—all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. The scribe Ezra stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

On the second day the heads of ancestral houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to the scribe Ezra in order to study the words of the law. And they found it written in the law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the people of Israel should live in booths during the festival of the seventh month, and that they should publish and proclaim in all their towns and in Jerusalem as follows, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” So the people went out and brought them, and made booths for themselves, each on the roofs of their houses, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them; for from the days of Jeshua son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the book of the law of God. They kept the festival seven days; and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. Then those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. They stood up in their place and read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth part of the day, and for another fourth they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God.

Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the Lord their God. Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.” And Ezra said: “You are the Lord, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. To all of them you give life, and the host of heaven worships you. You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham; and you found his heart faithful before you, and made with him a covenant to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite; and you have fulfilled your promise, for you are righteous. “And you saw the distress of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea. You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted insolently against our ancestors. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. And you divided the sea before them, so that they passed through the sea on dry land, but you threw their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. Moreover, you led them by day with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light on the way in which they should go. You came down also upon Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments, and you made known your holy sabbath to them and gave them commandments and statutes and a law through your servant Moses. For their hunger you gave them bread from heaven, and for their thirst you brought water for them out of the rock, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you swore to give them. “But they and our ancestors acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks and did not obey your commandments; they refused to obey, and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them; but they stiffened their necks and determined to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and you did not forsake them. Even when they had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud that led them in the way did not leave them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night that gave them light on the way by which they should go. You gave your good spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and gave them water for their thirst. Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness so that they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. And you gave them kingdoms and peoples, and allotted to them every corner, so they took possession of the land of King Sihon of Heshbon and the land of King Og of Bashan. You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven, and brought them into the land that you had told their ancestors to enter and possess. So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings and the peoples of the land, to do with them as they pleased. And they captured fortress cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses filled with all sorts of goods, hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive orchards, and fruit trees in abundance; so they ate, and were filled and became fat, and delighted themselves in your great goodness. “Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their backs and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hands of their enemies, who made them suffer. Then in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hands of their enemies. But after they had rest, they again did evil before you, and you abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them; yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you rescued them according to your mercies. And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances, by the observance of which a person shall live. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you were patient with them, and warned them by your spirit through your prophets; yet they would not listen. Therefore you handed them over to the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. “Now therefore, our God—the great and mighty and awesome God, keeping covenant and steadfast love—do not treat lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings, our officials, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until today. You have been just in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly; our kings, our officials, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law or heeded the commandments and the warnings that you gave them. Even in their own kingdom, and in the great goodness you bestowed on them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you and did not turn from their wicked works. Here we are, slaves to this day—slaves in the land that you gave to our ancestors to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts. Its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins; they have power also over our bodies and over our livestock at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.” Because of all this we make a firm agreement in writing, and on that sealed document are inscribed the names of our officials, our Levites, and our priests.

Upon the sealed document are the names of Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah; Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests. And the Levites: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; and their associates, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. The leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Malluch, Harim, and Baanah. The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to adhere to the law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, join with their kin, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his ordinances and his statutes. We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons; and if the peoples of the land bring in merchandise or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy it from them on the sabbath or on a holy day; and we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

We also lay on ourselves the obligation to charge ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: for the rows of bread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed festivals, the sacred donations, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. We have also cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, by ancestral houses, at appointed times, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law. We obligate ourselves to bring the first fruits of our soil and the first fruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord; also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks; and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our soil, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our rural towns. And the priest, the descendant of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms where the vessels of the sanctuary are, and where the priests that minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers are. We will not neglect the house of our God.
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Bible Readings for November 20, 2024

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for November 20, 2024: Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are Ezekiel 40:28–41:26; James 4:1-17; Psalm 118:19-29; and Pro...
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Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Today in the Mission Yearbook - From stand-alone churches to mixed economy ministries

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - From stand-alone c...: Podcast explores innovation and social entrepreneurship in new models of church November 19, 2024 “What does it feel like to be stuck?” aske...
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Praising the Lord at Country Springs - Sunday, November 17, 2024

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Board of Deacons sponsors a worship service at the Country Springs Retirement & Assisted Living Facility. We gather for songs, prayers and praise on the first and third Sundays of each month. 

On Sunday, November 17, we gathered to sing some of the old favorites, to pray and to hear the Word of God read and proclaimed. This week, we focused on expressing our thanks. A recording of the service is below. 

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The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, November 17, 2024

During the months of September, October and November, we'll discuss the following parables found in the Gospel of Mark:

During the service on Sunday, November 17, we used Mark 13:28-31 to better understand the parable of the fig tree. Below is a recording of the service, a recording of the sermon and a copy of the bulletin. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 











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Sunday's Message: The Parables of Jesus - The Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31)

In the months of September, October and November, we'll discuss the following parables found in the Gospel of Mark:

During the service on Sunday, November 17, we used Mark 13:28-31 to better understand the parable of the fig tree. Below is the text and a recording of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 


Well, here we are, about a week and half away from Thanksgiving. And then, about a month later, we’re at Christmas. And around the Rudiger house, well, things are looking pretty good right now, even though Maggie told us that, because her boyfriend’s family will be celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday and Friday and maybe Saturday (he has a pretty big family), we’ll be eating on Wednesday. But things are still looking good. For example, I’ve already bought our turkey. And since some of the noodles were used to make the soup for the bazaar, it’s now in the church freezer. Still, I don’t want to get cocky. I mean, after the 28th, all kinds of decorations will need to be unpacked, hauled up and set out, to say nothing of all the gifts that need to be bought, wrapped and delivered. Let’s just say, before you know it, time will soon be getting a little short.

And I’ll tell you, that’s what we’re going to be talking about during the last message in this series we started way back in September. I mean, over the past eight weeks, we’ve been looking at some of the parables found in the Gospel of Mark. And during that time, we’ve actually considered a lot of stuff we’re called to feel and to think and to do. I mean, we’ve discussed how we should be open to the new while also giving value to what’s old. And we’ve talked about how we need to work for our unity while also trusting in God’s power. And then we went through four parables related to how we should be out in the world scattering the word. And then we considered the meaning of clean and unclean as well as the consequences of taking the blessings we’ve been given for granted. Now, these are things we’ve already covered. 

And I’ll tell you, I think what we’re looking at this morning is actually the perfect way to end this series, and I’ll tell you why. You see, even though we’ve covered a bunch of material, I think it’s really easy for us to look at it all sort of like a whole lot of folks view Christmas, even in the middle of November. I mean, they say, “Sure it’s coming. And sure we have a lot to do. But there’s still time. There’s still time to put out the decorations, and there’s still time to pass out the presents. Good night nurse, we’ve got almost a month and a half for crying out loud.” It’s kind of like T.S. Eliot wrote in his poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock:

There will be time, there will be time 
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands 
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea. 
[T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock]

You see, whether we’re talking about getting ready for Christmas or making a decision or doing what God has called us to do, it’s really easy to assume there will always be time, until, that is, there isn’t. 

And I’ll tell you, that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning. You see, we’re going to look at the parable of the fig tree, a story that I think has a lot to do with time. And as we’ve done eight times before, we’re going to answer three questions. What did Jesus actually say? And what does it mean? And then, what are we going to do about it? And hopefully, by the time we’re done, we will have worked a little urgency into the lives we’re living and the faith we’re reflecting.

But to get there, we’ve really got to answer the question, what did Jesus say? And as it’s been with a lot of his other stories, to get his point, I think it’s really important to understand the context, both before and after. For example, before he told this brief parable about a fig tree, Jesus was with his disciples in the Temple, there in Jerusalem. And since this was all happening right before his arrest and crucifixion, he was sort of preparing them not only for his going away but also for his coming back. And so, with this in mind, right before telling our story, Jesus said this about his return:

In those days, right after this time of suffering,

“The sun will become dark,
and the moon
    will no longer shine.
The stars will fall,
and the powers in the sky 
    will be shaken.”

Then the Son of Man will be seen coming in the clouds with great power and glory. He will send his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the earth. [Mark 13:24-27, CEV]

Now, this was something he wanted his disciples to know.

And I’ll tell you, after sharing this, Jesus changed gears just a little bit by shifting the focus from the not yet to the right now. In other words, he pointed his followers toward the implications of what he’d just said by telling this very brief parable about a fig tree:

Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is near. So when you see all these things happening, you will know that the time has almost come. [Mark 13:28-29, CEV]

And then, to make sure they knew he was talking about them, Jesus continued:

You can be sure that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. The sky and the earth will not last forever, but my words will. [Mark 13:30-31, CEV]

Now that’s what he said, but he wasn’t finished. You see, to tie up what he wanted them to know about the future, after the story and explanation, Jesus offered this little appendix:

No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don’t know, and the Son himself doesn’t know. Only the Father knows. So watch out and be ready! You don’t know when the time will come. [Mark 13:32-33, CEV]

Now, that’s literally what Jesus said, the answer to our first question.

And so, what does it mean? I mean, what was Jesus getting at when he offered his disciples a little story right between some stuff about what’s going to happen in the future and how they should be ready in the present? In other words, what lesson did he want disciples then and now to take from the parable of the fig tree? Now, that’s the question.

And in my opinion, it points toward two undeniable and unavoidable truths. For example, I think it reminds us that the end, our end is near. I mean, whether we like it or not, the branches are sprouting and putting out leaves. It’s nearly summer. And the fields have been sown and the wheat is actually heading. In other words, the big day is almost here. And even though, in the passage we’re looking at, the day has everything to do with Christ’s return, when you think about it, it’s every bit as dramatic and probably more pertinent when we relate it to our departure. Put as bluntly as I can, we are going to die. That’s also an undeniable, unavoidable fact of life. But you know, in practical terms, it really doesn’t matter whether it’s Jesus coming back to us or us going up to him, the reality is that, as the sign says, the end is near.

And I’ll tell you, because of that, this little story reminds us that we really need to do something with the time we now have. You see, like it or not, our time here is limited. And even though we’d like to assume there will always be more, that just isn’t true. We’re not eternal; therefore, we have a beginning and an end. And speaking just for myself, my end is a heck of a lot closer than my beginning. And you know, for that reason, we’re just being foolish, if we decide to wait, to leave for tomorrow what we know we should be doing today and to assume that somehow, some way, if we put it off long enough, the knot will simply untie itself. No, just saying it sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? I mean, since the branches are budding and putting forth leaves; it’s almost summer for crying out loud; therefore, now is the time to take action, isn’t it. Now is the time to become everything God has created us to be. And now is the time to do those things that God has equipped and empowered us to do. You see, because the end is near, now is the time to act. And for me, that’s what I believe the parable means, the answer to our second question.

Which leaves us with question number three, doesn’t it: what are we going to do about it? In other words, what are we going to do now that the fig tree is budding and leafing out, and summer is nearly here? And what are we going to do, now that we know that our end is nearer today than it was yesterday and because of that, we better get going? My gosh, what are we going to do knowing what we know? Now, as I’ve said before, this is a “rubber hitting the road” kind of question, isn’t it? And even though I think we can probably answer it in several different ways, let me suggest briefly three things we might want to consider.

You see, first, I think we can decide to look, and I’m talking about looking for opportunities to do the things we’ve been called to do, you know, like scattering seeds in a field and like being salt and light in a bland and dark world and like showing the owner of the vineyard how much we appreciate the opportunity we’ve been given. You see, it’s taking the time and making the effort to look and to listen, to think and to feel, so that we have a sense of how God actually wants us to show our love for both him and for one another. Now that’s something we can do, because if we don’t, well, the consequences may not be what we want. I mean, remember how, before he gave the parable of the fig tree, Jesus talked about the return of the Son of Man? Well, according to the Evangelist Matthew, this return will result in some judgement, in other words, some future consequences grounded in what we choose to see and what we choose to ignore right now. You see, after talking about the blessings that will go to the nations on his right, the sheep, just listen to what Jesus said to the goats: 

Then the king will say to those on his left, “Get away from me! You are under God’s curse. Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels! I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat, and I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, but you did not welcome me, and I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail, but you did not take care of me.”

Then the people will ask, “Lord, when did we fail to help you when you were hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?”

The king will say to them, “Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me.” [Matthew 25:41-45, CEV]

You see, in light of this story, first, right now, we can decide to look.

And then, second, we can decide to act. In other words, we can decide to roll up our sleeves and get to work. You see, we can decide that we’re not going to put off showing love to others. We’re not going to put off feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty. We’re not going to put off welcoming the stranger and clothing the naked. We’re not going to put off caring for the sick and comforting the prisoner. Instead, as best we can, using the gifts and talents we’ve been given, man, we’re going to show that mercy and compassion and grace which God wants us to show, right here and now. Of course, based on where we are and what we see, there’s a lot of different things we can do. But for me, it all comes down to doing the very best we can with what we have, believing that God has put us on this hill and God has placed us in this field and God has entrusted us with this vineyard for a reason. And even if we’re not always sure about why, we can be confident that it always involves reflecting the light and scattering the seeds and seeing the opportunity we have as precious. Put another way, it’s showing the world that, because we’re heavenly minded, we are going to strive for an earthly good. And I’ll tell you, in that way, we’re really following the command offered by James in his letter:

My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don’t do anything to show you really do have faith? Can this kind of faith save you? If you know someone who doesn’t have any clothes or food, you shouldn’t just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.” What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? Faith that doesn’t lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead! [James 2:14-17, CEV]

You see, in light of this story, second, right now, we can decide to act.

And finally, we can also decide to trust, to trust that God is with us and that won’t change regardless of whether we succeed or fail. You see, it’s really easy to become discouraged. And even when we know that our end may be near and that our time is limited, disappointments can sure drain our energy and enthusiasm. In fact, I think we can become so drained and so discouraged and so disappointed that we just want to throw up our hands and give up. But I’ll tell you, it’s at those moments that I believe we need to be very intentional in our faith, trusting that God will not let us down and that the time will come when his will is going to be done on earth just like it is in heaven. As a matter of fact, I think it’s like following the advice Paul had for the Galatians:

You cannot fool God, so don’t make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant. If you follow your selfish desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life. Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord. [Galatians 6:7-10, CEV]

You see, in light of this story, right now, we can decide to trust. And that’s the third thing we can do.

And that brings to a close our look at the parable offered by Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. But before we leave them behind and start something new that will be in keeping with the reason for the coming season, let’s pause for just a second and remember that, regardless of what we’ve been told to feel or to think or to do, our end is certainly coming and our lives are limited; therefore, now is the time to act. And for that reason, I believe it’s important, right here and now, to decide that we’re going to look and we’re going to act and we’re going to trust even if what we end up seeing is huge and what we end up doing is difficult. And I’ll tell you, that’s why I believe the perfect story to finish up this series is the simple yet profound parable of the fig tree.
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