Take the Fig Tree as a Parable
We are drawing close to the conclusion of the Church’s year. The autumn colours and the short days are poignant reminders of this. Jesus gets in on the act in this Sunday’s Gospel reading with his use of the fig tree as a parable.
Parables, we remember, are stories or images set before us by Our Lord in order to teach us a simple (but profound) lesson. This one concerning the fig tree is very simple. Take a look at it, Jesus says, and observe carefully what is happening. I suppose we could translate that as something like ‘watch out for the signs of the times.’
There is certainly a message here about keeping awake and alert to what the Lord is doing in His Church and in His world. Sometimes we become too concerned with ourselves and the minutiae of our lives and personal concerns. This is not necessarily the Christian approach. An autumn walk can provide an opportunity, away from the distractions and concerns of the immediate, to look into the trees (not showing us that summer is near!). Looking up and away from ourselves we may find inspiration for thanksgiving. An awareness of, and appreciation for, the natural world, the environment, may well lead us to a deeper understanding of all that God has done for us. At one and the same time, we are encouraged to consider all that he is going to do for us in the future times, as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of Christ in glory.
Perhaps we might use the words of this Sunday’s psalm (15) as we walk onwards together:
‘And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my body shall rest in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead,
nor let your beloved know decay.
You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand happiness for ever.’
With every blessing for a good and healthy week ahead,
