By Deacon Joe Welter
The Catholic Messenger
Lent 2025 – Week 3
Having been born and resided in Iowa my entire life, agriculture revolves around two crops — corn and soybeans. It is a concise process with planting in the spring and harvesting in the fall of the same year. The fig business of the first century involved a longer process. Fig trees often take two to four years to grow to the point of bearing fruit. It was common practice to let a fig tree grow for at least three years.
According to Mosaic Law, the next three years of fruit would not have been eaten, the fourth year of fruit dedicated to God (seventh year after planting), and finally the figs would be eaten (see Leviticus 19:23-24). Like our knowledge of corn and soybeans, this would have been common knowledge to Jesus’ audience.
In the parable we hear the third Sunday of Lent, Jesus is speaking of a fig tree that is nine to 10 years old and has not yet produced fruit. That is a long time to wait for a tree to produce fruit. The owner is prudent in wanting to cut down the tree because it is taking up space in the orchard. Yet, the gardener pleads for another year. The gardener does not intend to leave the tree alone, but to cultivate and fertilize it.
In the unfruitful tree, Jesus was referring to religious leadership. First-century Jewish leadership is not a super relevant topic for us. Leadership of our time might merit more discussion. Yet, our leadership often comes from the people. Our parishes have parishioners on commissions and councils. Most of our clergy come from within our diocese. Elected officials live within the geographical area that they represent at the local, state or federal level. A modern, American discussion of leadership should ultimately come back to all of us. It is fruitful for us to consider ourselves as the fig tree within the parable, even though that was not exactly what Jesus had in mind.
This parable is an excellent Lenten reflection. It challenges us to have an introspective look at our life. Too often, that examination yields a great unfruitfulness. We should take the remaining weeks of Lent to identify what is unfruitful in our life and during that examination to be grateful for the good news that Jesus has not given up on any of us. He is willing to give us another year. To cultivate, fertilize and bring us to fruitfulness.
Lent should bring us face to face with those unfruitful parts of our life that prevent us from a productive relationship with God. Thank goodness for more chances!
(Deacon Joe Welter serves at St. Mary Parish and the Newman Catholic Student Center, both in Iowa City.)
