Things had not been going well for Satan and his minions. They thought they had everything sowed up that Friday on the hillside outside the city of Jerusalem. But then, the impossible happened – that damnable resurrection and suddenly all their work was undone. After centuries of futility, Satan called a meeting of the lowerarchy, with all of his minions to do some brainstorming. How can we seduce people from following God? What will work the best? Ideas came forth.
“Tell them there’s no heaven..” After some thought, Satan reacted – “No – they’ll look at the stars in the night sky, the sun as it sets, or the longing in their hearts at their moments of greatest fulfillment all the while wanting more. And they’ll know there is something MORE – and they’ll know there is a heaven….” It won’t work.”
“Tell them “There’s no Hell!” “Promising”, said Satan, on first glance. “But they’ll look around again – and see the suffering of the hungry, those whose lives are shattered by death, countries torn by war and dissention, and the hatred and malice that people nurture in their hearts, and they’ll know there is a hell, and we will be exposed. It won’t work.”
After a long pause, a timid voice from the back said: “Tell them ‘There’s no hurry…..'” And with that, SATAN smiled, for he knew they had found the way…
How diabolically seductive is that plan: there’s no hurry! There’s always tomorrow to say “I’m sorry to my friend”. There’s always tomorrow to tell our parents how much we love them or at least appreciate all they’ve done for us… There is always tomorrow to work on ending the death penalty and the many injustices in our world. There’s no hurry to do the loving thing, to go to church on Sunday, to get our act together, to talk to our friend who just broke up their best friend…. THERE’S NO HURRY!!
We all know the stories. A friend of mine’s brother went to bed and simply didn’t wake up. There is a tragic, but flute accident and one of these huge construction cranes in New York tumbles to the ground, crushing a person sitting in their car blocks away. A young girl is killed by a stray bullet in North St. Louis as she is doing homework in her own bedroom. Jesus tells two such stories from his own day about people whose lives were suddenly ended – one in a construction accident, and the other as a result of a terrorist uprising ruthlessly put down. And he tells them, not to frighten us into obedience, as if we were small children, but rather to invite us to the repentance that the gospel demands. And that is precisely why he lumps those two stories with the all important third one.
“Cut this tree down. It’s taking up precious space and is worthless!” To which the gardener responds, “Sir, let it alone 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.” At the heart of this parable is an admission of neglect by the gardener. The landowner wants his figs from the tree, but the gardener admits he’s not taken responsibility for feeding, pruning, and pampering this struggling tree. “No care, no manure, no pampering, no pruning – equals no fruit.”
The takeaways from today’s lessons? Hear the lie about: “There is no hurry” as just that – a lie to make us complacent in our discipleship. That day will come, we know not when. Whether by our own fault or suddenly and accidentally, our days will run out. Will you hear all the front page news as Jesus did – an invitation to repent, to acknowledge that NOW is the time to do the charitable deed, now is the time to be reconciled with that family member, now is the time to put a lively love of God into your heart?
The second takeaway is all about the responsibility we have for nurturing our spiritual life. When was the last time you were on retreat? What was the last book you read about prayer? How much time did you spend with your Savior in prayer this week? Like the gardener in the story, take ownership over your spiritual journey these Lenten days.
There’s no hurry? Don’t believe it.
There’s no need to care for your spiritual life? Wrong answer as well.
May those final words of today’s gospel be the guidepost for the rest of Lent: “Sir, leave it for this year – I will actively care for it, nurture it, prune it – it may yet bear fruit. If not…you can cut it down…”