Bart Johnson, Prisoner on Alabama’s Death Row
The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood, Death Row Spiritual Advisor
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
Luke 13:6-9
The fig tree was planted with the belief that something good would come from the planting. Indeed, this parable begins in a place of expectation. The man wanted some figs. When he didn’t find any figs he got mad. Doesn’t this seem somewhat absurd? To get this mad over some figs? Maybe he was the one with the problem…a fig problem. Is it possible that this man’s gluttony over some figs was the primary problem? I mean he was ready to kill because he couldn’t get what he wanted to eat. Maybe the tree didn’t owe him no fruit?
Trees give us oxygen. This man wanted to kill a tree over some fruit. He would prefer not to breathe if he couldn’t eat some figs. Insane.
Just because something hasn’t happened when you want it to happen doesn’t mean that it won’t happen. Why do we always have to be in such a hurry?
Is three years enough time to judge a life? People change and grow. Trees change and grow. We don’t get to just kill when we don’t get what we want.
We don’t own the ground. We share the ground with others. We don’t get to decide who gets to take up ground. The ground belongs to all of us.
May we be like the gardener. May we demand life for all people. May we be the one demanding that people keep getting opportunities. The gardener is the epitome of grace. May we be the ones out there saving the trees.
Lastly, the gardener was willing to proclaim, promise or do anything to save the tree. May we always be willing to do what we can to stop the chopping. To be about growth more than death.
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