Luke 12:54-13:8

The story goes of a primary school teacher who was teaching a group of five year olds to understand the difference between the past, the present and the future.

! So on a Monday morning she got the class together and she told them to write down on a piece of paper, today is Monday, yesterday was Sunday, tomorrow is Tuesday.

The class did that, no problem. But the problem started was when they did the same exercise on the following day, on the Tuesday.

Class come together and write down on a piece of paper, today is Tuesday, yesterday was Monday.

A hand went up in the class, Miss, you told us that today is Monday.

No, no, Monday was yesterday, she said. Today is Tuesday.

But you said yesterday was Sunday. No, no, today is Tuesday, tomorrow is Wednesday.

But Miss, how can today be Tuesday?

See, the children had not grasped, had they, the concept of time.

And how eventually today is tomorrow, isn't it?

And how today becomes, sorry, today becomes yesterday and tomorrow becomes today.

Okay.

Jesus, Jesus in this parable teaches us that we need to learn to be better at doing that.

To learn how time works and to learn what today means.

In God's timing, you see, our today will soon become yesterday and tomorrow will come.

And we're going to look at this parable in Luke 13 about a fig tree.

We've been doing some parables on a Thursday at the lunchtime talks.

And this parable comes in a larger section that Luke compiles.

A collection of Jesus' teaching.

And it seems, I don't know if you felt, it seems a bit cobbled together, doesn't it?

But actually there's a united theme here in this part of Luke.

The theme is whether you know what day it is today.

The conversation earlier from verse 54 about the signs of the weather.

Verse 56.

Don't you know how to interpret the present time?

Don't you know what day it is today?

Out of court settlements before the time when you meet the judge.

Don't you know what you need to do today before you get to that point?

The mention in chapter 13 verse 1, Luke tells us that these people were there at the present time, today.

In Luke's mind, today is what matters here.

Don't you know what day it is today and what you must do with today?

The parable of the fig tree that gets one more year, doesn't it, to bear fruit,

is all about the present time.

Being borrowed time.

It's all about knowing what kind of day today is.

Of how to proportion your life and to prioritise things in your life.

And I think we see Jesus teaching here two things about the present day.

Our present day, the day that we're in, the present time,

shouts to us of two things that we've got to hold in tension.

Today shouts to us and says we're out of time.

And today shouts to us and says that there's still time.

We're out of time and there's still time.

To prioritise and prepare for tomorrow.

And there's a tension between the two.

I want to look at those two things.

Today tells us we're out of time, first of all.

Today tells us we're out of time.

Now Jesus speaks to a particular group of people here, doesn't he,

who are in a particular generation at a particular time,

who are in a crucial place in history.

They are on the earth as Jesus exercises his earthly ministry.

And Luke emphasises that they are people who are with Jesus,

verse 1 of chapter 13, at that very present time.

Luke tells us that because of the significance of the moment that they find themselves in.

That there today is a day of extraordinary significance.

Because they wake up one morning, don't they, on this day,

and they don't realise it, but today is the day that Jesus is going to visit their town.

And here he is, today of all days.

And that for them means that they are out of time.

Today marks a crisis for them.

Look with me at the first half of the parable from verse 6.

Jesus tells this parable.

A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard,

and he came seeking fruit on it,

and it found none.

And he gives the order, doesn't he, in verse 7,

and they are really serious words,

cut it down.

Now.

He's not a ruthless vineyard owner.

He's a good vineyard owner.

He's waited three years,

but he's had no fruit from this fig tree.

So now is the time.

Cut it down.

The day has come, hasn't it,

when the fig tree

is out of time.

And that is a picture of the day that has come for Jesus' listeners here.

That is today for them.

And if they don't turn to God,

God has already said earlier,

yesterday,

that he would come and do this,

that he would come and clear out the vineyard,

and break it down,

and remove it.

And he's done that back in the beginning of Luke's Gospel.

Just before the arrival of Jesus,

we get John the Baptist, don't we?

Back in Luke 3,

John the Baptist is the last of the Old Testament prophets,

and he gets the people ready for their tomorrow.

When God is going to come,

and he is going to do this,

he is going to come,

and he is going to clear out his vineyard.

He uses the same picture of trees and fruit.

In chapter 3, verse 8 and 9,

he says to them,

bear fruit in keeping with repentance,

of turning back to God now.

Verse 9,

even now the axe is laying to the fruit of the tree,

and every tree that doesn't bear good fruit

is cut down and thrown into the fire.

And his message yesterday

was people,

tomorrow God is going to come.

And he's going to cut you away

unless you turn back to him.

And so now in Luke 13,

tomorrow has come, hasn't it?

And for these people,

God has arrived.

Jesus has entered in,

and time has run out.

And the problem for these people

is that they can't see that.

Today is crisis point.

And the vineyard owner has come to say,

cut it down.

The axe was laid at the root,

and now he's saying,

take a swing at it.

And they didn't know that their case

was very, very bad on this day.

That judgment was imminent

upon these people,

upon this generation.

And in the context of this parable,

Jesus is trying to explain that to them,

of how significant today is for them.

And he's saying all the signs

point to this crisis.

Back to when he's talking about the weather.

He says you can tell what's coming,

can't you,

when you look at the weather.

But you can't see

what's really significant about today.

That there is a moral and spiritual

storm brewing today.

And you know,

when you're going to court tomorrow

to meet the judge,

that today is really important

for settling with him

before you get to court.

But what had happened was

that time had sneaked up on them,

hadn't it?

And tomorrow had suddenly become today.

And God had arrived.

Time does that, doesn't it?

Tomorrow has a funny way

of sneaking up on us.

You know,

when you listen to the radio,

and if you're sad like me,

you listen to radio too.

And you hear a song,

isn't it?

And you remember it really well.

And the DJ says that

that was Michael Jackson

from 1983.

And you're thinking,

no way.

That only seems like yesterday,

Billie Jean.

Where has the time gone?

Older people say to the young,

don't they?

Enjoy your youth

because it's going to go

in the blink of an eye.

Enjoy your kids

while they're young

because they grow up so fast.

And I've got to tell you,

it doesn't feel fast

at the time, does it?

It feels laboriously slow.

But then, bang!

And you look back

and time flies.

Time sneaks up on you.

Life sneaks up on you.

Death sneaks up on you.

And the day of Jesus

has arrived for this generation

in Luke

and time has run out.

And their intentions

with John the Baptist

and their plans

and their resolutions

and their,

I'll do it tomorrow's

to sort out their lives

with God

and to get right with him

have expired now.

And I'll do it tomorrow

won't work

because Jesus is here now

and tomorrow has come.

And today,

God has arrived.

There's this funny little section

in the middle, isn't there,

of our passage today

in chapter 13,

verse 1 to 5.

And it just seemed

out of place

on these people

coming to Jesus

and asking Jesus

about Pilate

killing these Galileans

whose blood

he's mixed with sacrifices.

It's really bizarre.

and the tower

falling on people's heads.

And the reason

why Luke puts that here

is just because

Jesus is saying

to people around him,

these are disastrous things

that are going on

in the world today

and they are telling you

that there is no time left.

Atrocities of unjust governments,

natural disasters,

accidents,

towers falling on people's heads,

people on killing them,

tell you that today

is closing time

for the world.

That this world

is at a crisis point.

And morality

and history

testify that

time is winding up.

So Sunday,

13th of October,

2019,

things going on

in the world today.

We look around us,

don't we?

There is something

terribly wrong

in the world today

and it's not Brexit.

It really isn't.

Get that out of your heads.

It's not climate change.

It really isn't that.

Things in the world

tell us

that there is something

awfully wrong

with the world

and it's a crisis.

That the vineyard

that God has made

is not a good place

that God wanted it to be

and that he had designed it to be

and it's got to be cleared.

And the signs of the times

tell us that time has run out.

Louis Armstrong says,

we've all the time

in the world

and that is exactly

why we should be worried.

Because when we look

properly at the world,

time has run out,

hasn't it?

And they were called

to repent

and turn back to God

but that was yesterday.

You might think this morning,

why are you telling me this?

I suppose you could say,

isn't it,

that this is hardly fair

because I've got no beef

with God.

We're okay.

I'm not an atheist.

I'm not a mass murderer.

I'm not a thorny person

and if God were to come

and visit me today,

that would be fine.

That is fine.

I'm not prickly towards God.

But I want to ask you,

do you need to be actively

hostile to God

to rebel against him?

To disdain the gardener?

Do you need to be

actively against him,

consciously against him

to warrant him

cutting you off altogether?

Just imagine your boss

comes to you this week

and he asks you

to do something.

Can you get hold of

such and such

or fill out that form

online or whatever?

Or your mum and dad,

kids,

comes into the room

and you're watching TV

and they come into the room

and they say,

can you get ready for dinner?

Or can you do your homework,

please?

And all you do

is just ignore them,

isn't it?

You just carry on

on your computer screen

at work

and you just blank out

your boss.

And you just keep

staring at the TV

and you just ignore

your mum and dad

stood in the room.

What is that?

It is passive rebellion,

isn't it?

It's passive aggression.

You don't have to

shout at your boss

and you don't have to

throw toys at your mum

and dad

to rebel at them.

You can do it

really quietly.

You can do it

passively.

You can even do it

really politely.

But it would

anger us,

wouldn't it?

If our employee,

if we were the boss,

just ignored us

or our child

just ignored us

when we gave them

instructions,

if we had

authority over them

to just be ignored,

sorry my mum,

I'm watching TV,

we would feel angry.

And God has every

right to feel angry

with that,

hasn't he,

when we treat him

in the same way.

You don't have to

join a militant

atheist group

or persecute

the Christian church.

Actually,

I reckon the vast

majority of people

rebel against God

quietly,

as nice people,

as good people.

And all you've

got to do

to deserve

God's rightful

response of anger

is to just

stay there,

isn't it?

And to just do

what you're doing

and don't change

a thing.

Just stare at

the telly

to rebel

and disdain

God,

the great gardener,

and to ignore him.

And so we,

like them,

we can have

little sense

of the impending

crisis of today.

It's so obvious

that the case

is stacked

against this world.

The Westminster

Directory

tells me that

my job this

morning is to

admonish you

in times of

health,

in order to

prepare you

in times of

sickness

and in death.

It's quite morbid,

isn't it?

It would be

much easier

this morning

to spend our

time just

numbing

ourselves,

just numbing

ourselves to

the truth

that time

has run

out.

And that

today is a

day when

Jesus comes

to you

in his

gospel

and the

world

crumbles

and our

lives crumble

under the

weight of

tomorrow

and of

his

judgment.

And what

God is

asking for

is that

we understand

that today.

the preacher

Matthew Henry

said that

many good

purposes,

resolutions

and intentions

lie in the

churchyard.

Because life

sneaks up on

you,

doesn't it?

And God

doesn't owe us

all the time

in the world.

He doesn't

owe us our

70 or 80

years of life.

He doesn't

even owe us

tomorrow.

Before he

should come

and meet us

and respond

rightly to

quiet rebellion.

So today

tells us we're

out of time

but there's

another thing

that we need

to hold in

tension.

Time is out

but today

tells us

there is still

time.

Today tells us

there is still

time but

not much.

Not much.

If you've

got the sense

of the New

Testament you

might have

heard parables

like this

before where

Jesus is

talking about

fig trees

and vines.

He talks

about it

a lot

doesn't

he?

There's

the occasions

in Matthew

and Mark

where Jesus

curses a fig

tree and

it withers

and dies.

And John

the Baptist

uses this

sort of

language we've

seen.

He talks

about the

signs of

the fig

tree later

on in Luke

Luke 21 · chapter mention

chapter 21.

So this

is a picture

isn't he

that he uses

a lot,

that the

gospel writers

use,

that is a

classic picture

from the

Old Testament

of the

vine and

the fig

tree and

it pictures

the relationship

between God

and his

people.

Remember Isaiah

says the

vineyard of

the Lord of

hosts is the

house of

Israel.

And God

in his

tender loving

care means

his people to

be something

like Kew

Gardens,

isn't it?

Fruitful and

beautiful and

delightful.

people.

But as the

history of the

Bible shows

the people

harden and

rebel against

their loving

gardener and

they end up

more like my

backyard full of

thorns and

briars and

they get

prickly with

God.

And so God

is going to

come and stop

that and he's

going to cut

down this

fig tree and

that terrible

reality is in

the background of

the New Testament

imagery on the

vineyard.

But this

parable here

brings something

unique to that

picture.

to all the

other mentions

of vineyards

and fig trees.

This parable

speaks of

the ends,

doesn't it?

Of cutting the

fig tree down

but there is

more.

Just look at

verse 8 and

9.

And he

answered them,

Sir, let it

alone this year

also until I

dig round it

and put on

manure.

Then if it

should bear

fruit next year,

well and good.

But if not,

then you can

cut it down.

Today marks

a crisis,

but Jesus

says in this

parable,

for today,

that crisis

has been

averted.

John the

Baptist said,

didn't he,

judgment is

here.

Jesus says

now,

there's still

time,

but not

much.

In the

story,

the fig tree

is spared

for another

year,

isn't it?

There are

all kinds of

opinions on

why three

years,

why an

extra year,

about Jesus'

ministry being

three years

long,

I don't know,

there could be

truth in that,

but I think

just quite

basically it

shows,

doesn't it,

that three

years is

long enough

to see that

this fig tree

is in trouble,

that it

hasn't produced

fruit,

and it needs

another season,

it needs

another year.

This is

last chance

saloon,

isn't it?

This is

one more

go for

the fig tree.

And so

Jesus is

saying,

today is a

crisis,

but there

is another

day,

there's still

time,

but not

much.

And so

we learn

that Jesus'

ministry

operates on

the edge

between

judgment

and mercy.

because the

crisis day

has come,

but it's

also been

pushed back,

it's been

delayed.

And perhaps

the vine

owner thinks,

doesn't he,

just perhaps

this destruction

is not

necessary.

The story

has the same

bite to it,

God comes

and finds

no fruit.

He comes

to a world

that is

rebelling

against him

and he

should end

it right

now,

today.

And he's

not sentimental

about that.

I was

chatting with

someone at

the Lunchtime

Thoughts on

Thursday,

and he was

saying that

he's just

ordered a

plum tree

in his

garden.

And I

said,

that is

delightful,

isn't it?

A plum tree

in London,

that is

just lovely.

And I

was really

bigging up

this plum

tree.

What a

lovely thought,

this plum

tree.

I chopped

it down,

he said.

I've had it

for two years

and it hasn't

given me

anything.

Oh,

that's a

shame.

this is

one of

the loveliest

gentlemen

you'd ever

meet,

and he's

got this

plum tree,

but he's

just chopped

it down.

He's not

sentimental

about these

fruit trees

that he's

got.

And God

is not

sentimental

about people

who do

wrong and

who rebel

and live in

his world

as if he

isn't there.

But this

is the

unique thing

about the

parable.

He isn't

sentimental,

but he

is kind.

And in

his wrath,

he remembers

mercy.

And today

is the

day,

but there

is still

time,

but not

much.

There is

still time,

but it's

borrowed time,

isn't it,

for the fig

tree in the

parable.

And some

of Jesus'

audience in

his day

there,

literally may

only have

one day

with Jesus'

presence there

before he

moves on.

He's travelling

in this part

of Luke from

the north of

Israel down

to Jerusalem,

and they've

got this

one chance,

haven't they?

And Jesus

extends this

opportunity with

them,

and they don't

know when that

chance will be

over,

and they've

got to grab

it now.

And good

intentions and

resolutions,

and I'll do it

tomorrow,

are not what he

seeks from them,

and not what he

seeks from you

now,

because they and

we are on

borrowed time.

And he seeks

repentance,

fruit of

repentance,

of saying to

God,

I have not

lived life in

this world as

I should have

done,

and I've

quietly rebelled

against you,

and I'm going

to turn around

from that,

and I'm going

to live for

you.

And the

Lord Jesus,

he wants to

help you with

that.

It's not,

is it just a

cold deadline

extension,

it's not

just extending

the time,

but leaving

you to get

on with it,

and sort

yourself out.

Notice the

suggestion of

the vine

dresser to

rework the

ground.

He says,

no,

give it another

year,

and I'll

dig around

it,

and I'll

put manure

on the

ground.

Now that

is bizarre,

because fig

trees were

not known to

be high

maintenance

trees.

You didn't

need to do

much for

them,

you just

plant them

and let

them do

their thing.

And so the

vine dresser

is suggesting,

isn't he,

an unusual

amount of

help and

care for

this fig

tree.

He's going

to pull

out all

the stops

to get

this fruitful

tree fruitful

again.

And he's

going to

spend time

with them

to nurture

them and

to try

and give

them faith.

And that

is what

Jesus does

in the next

chapters.

He heals

in synagogues

and he goes

through towns

and villages

in Israel.

And he

teaches and

he journeys

and he

heals and

he preaches

and he

warns.

Today is a

day when

time is up

but there

is still

time to

be changed

by him

and to

come to

him.

And he

wants to

help you

with that

today.

You don't

have to do

that on

your own.

If you'll

come to

him and

you'll admit

how you've

lived your

life,

he will

come to

you and

he will

give you

what you

need to

be

fruitful.

He'll

provide the

manure that

you need,

the nutrition.

There's still

time but

not much.

And for

now the

mistake is

thinking that

since tomorrow

hasn't come

that somehow

we are

special,

that we're

different,

that we're

not going to

meet God

like these

people have

met God,

that we're

not like the

bad people

in the

world.

And that

is what

they think,

isn't it?

And this

whole question

of what

happened to

those people

that the

tower fell

on and

who were

killed by

Pilate,

the question

they ask,

isn't it,

was it

their fault?

But Jesus

turns that

around.

Because the

question they

should be

asking is

why haven't

we perished

for Jesus?

And if

you live

life ignoring

God,

the answer

is that

every day

that passes

away in

your life

isn't the

sign that

you're better

than anyone

else,

or you

deserve more

time than

anyone else,

but that in

God's mercy

each day

is another

crisis averted.

And don't

mistake the

postponing of

God's response

to our wrongdoing

as a cancellation

of that response.

It is delayed,

isn't it,

it is set back,

not discontinued,

not cancelled.

It's what Peter

says,

that the Lord

is not slow

to fulfil his

promise,

as some

count slowness,

but is patient

towards you,

not wishing

that any

should perish,

but should

reach repentance.

See,

when today

becomes yesterday

and tomorrow

does come,

it shows that

there is still

time,

but there

isn't much.

And not

because it

will never

happen,

but because

God is

patient.

Where Jesus

seeks to

rework you

and replant

you and

make you

fruitful and

pleasing to

God when

he does

come.

So this is

about preparing,

isn't it,

now while you

can,

of being

admonished

now,

and it's not

pleasant,

is it,

it's not a

nice thing

to think about,

to get

ready now

in times

of health

or when

there is

still

breath in

you.

I was

reading a

book by

this author

called

Jen Wilkin,

many of you

know her,

she's a good

writer,

and she

shares about

her struggles

that she had

with skin

cancer.

She was

unexpectedly

diagnosed in

her 30s,

and she

went through

treatment,

and thankfully

that went

well,

and she's

in remission,

but she

talks about

the scars

of her

surgery.

She says,

some people

have tattoos

with a mantra

for their

lives engraved

on their

bodies,

but I have

something better.

Perhaps you

can relate,

she says.

Unlike those

who ink their

credos into

their flesh,

I won't get

a tattoo,

not because I

disapprove of

them,

but because I'm

already sufficiently

marked.

I have a

satin slick

scar,

which if you

were to see

it traces

no apparent

pattern,

but to my

eyes,

more legible

than any

tattoo,

it forms

the words

tomorrow

if the

Lord

wills.

She says,

we view

time differently

if we see

tomorrow as a

place where

we go,

only if the

Lord wills.

When and

if Monday

tomorrow

comes,

it is because

the Lord

wills,

isn't it?

And if you

are not a

Christian believer

this morning,

we're really

glad you're

here.

Tomorrow,

you can start

by praying a

prayer,

can't you?

Lord God,

thank you for

another disaster

averted for

another day.

Thank you for

grace and

mercy tomorrow

if the Lord

wills.

Because time

really does

creep up on

you,

doesn't it?

God,

and you

can't ignore

this God

forever.

And so

today he is

not asking

you to be

a better

person.

He's not

asking you

to pull

your socks

up and

make a

better effort

to be

nicer.

That's not

the kind

of fruit

that he

wants.

John the

Baptist has

already said,

bear fruit

in keeping

with repentance.

That's the

sort of fruit

that he's

looking for.

Of saying to

God,

I have not

lived my life

as I should

have done in

your world.

And I'm

going to

turn around

and I'm

going to

live for

you now.

And in

doing that,

let Jesus

be the

Lord and

Saviour

that you

need.

And let

him help

you to

do that.

Let him

provide what

you need

to please

him.

Join with

me in

doing that

today.

Because when

you've got

all the

time in

the world

to do

that,

that's how

little time

you've got.

There is

time,

but not

much.

Let's

pray.