“it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down”
In this parable the command is given “cut it down”. This is the sentence of death.
Saint Basil the Great says, “We felt within ourselves that we had received the sentence of death, so that we might not trust ourselves but in God, who raises the dead; from so great a danger did he deliver us, and does deliver us; we hope in him, for he will deliver us again.” Although the sentence of death, “cut it down” is given, the gardener (Jesus Christ) pleads that one more year might be given to the tree. We see, in this parable the patience of God. Saint Peter says, “… be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace. And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation…”[i]Through Christ Jesus, we have been delivered, are being delivered, and hope to be delivered. God’s patience is our salvation.
How do we answer the question: “Are you saved?” “The Catholic should reply: ‘As the Bible says, I am already saved (Rom. 8:24; Eph. 2:5-8), but I’m also being saved (1 Cor. 1:8; 2 Cor. 2:15; Phil. 2:12) and I have the hope that I will be saved (Rom. 5:9-10; 1 Cor. 3:12-15). Like the apostle Paul, I am working out my salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ (Rom. 5:2; 2 Tim. 2:11-13)”[ii]
ACTIVITY – Are you saved?
On the board or wall put three columns or categories: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE. Hand out the following scripture verses or assign groups to these scripture verses. 1 Cor. 1:8; 2 Cor. 2:15; Phil. 2:12; Romans 5:9-10; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; Romans 5:2; 2 Tim. 2:11-13. Makes sure to mix the verses up before assigning them. Have each person or group read their verse. Then, have them choose what category the verse goes in, PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE. (Answers can be found in question above)
Search: Once Saved Always Saved?
“I have been saved”
We can say with confidence that we have been saved because of the saving, redemptive, action of Christ on the Cross. Jesus says to the Father, “Father, forgive them, they no not what they do”[iii]. Jesus also said, “it is finished”[iv] or in other words it is accomplished.
It is finished, but not finished. We can think of the Cross as a bank in which victory (redemption, salvation, grace, etc.) has been merited by Christ and deposited by Christ. There is debt that each person has -- some more, some less. Christ knows the exact amount of each one of our debts, and he pays that debt on the Cross, and through his Passion, Death and Resurrection makes a deposit of grace on the Cross that can pay all of our debts. The deposit is made; it is finished; what is lacking is the withdraw. We must come to the Cross; embrace the Cross; pick up our Cross; participate in the Cross, and thus withdraw what has been given freely to us.”[v]
The crucifixion of Christ is a temporal event that happened in history and is fixed to a certain time, but because of the eternal, divine nature of Jesus, the redemption of this event is eternal, it is applied to those who came before the Crucifixion and those who would come after. The crucifixion of our Lord is made present or re-presented through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Mass is the same Sacrifice, with the same graces.
“I am being saved”
We are temporal beings and therefore we have “time” to desire Christ and to work with Christ. We have been given time, what will we do with that time? Saint Paul says, “Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”[vi] Saint Paul also says, “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.”[vii] A fig tree typically takes three years to produce, the owner of the orchard had patiently waited three years and there was not fruit, the owner was not ready to “cut it down”. The gardener says to the owner, “Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.”
God gives us time. However, the time He gives us is meant to be used for the salvation of our soul and the souls of others. If we do not use this time we will be “cut down”.
What does the three years represent? This represents the patience of God. It represents the expectation for each person to bear fruit. The three years also represent the fruitlessness of a life without Christ. Without Christ we can bear no fruit.
What does the one year represent? The gardener’s plea for one more year shows us the continue patience and mercy of God. God’s desire is the salvation of our souls. It is Jesus Christ who cultivates and fertilizes the ground around us.
What is the ground around us? This is our environment, our family, friends, activities, work, and entertainment. In order for us to bear fruit Jesus Christ must cultivate the ground around us. Cultivation consists of two steps. The first is the tilling of the soil, which is the plowing or deep digging by hand. The second part is stirring of the soil to keep down weeds. In order for us to bear fruit there must be a tilling, a digging deep into our friendships, activities, work, entertainment, and environment in general. Is Christ a part of these areas? Our life needs to be turned upside down and examined. This tilling and digging deep is an examination of conscience and leads to the sorrow of sin and the resolve to sin no more and to avoid the occasion of sin in the future. We must continue to stir the soil and keep down the weeds by making a daily examination of conscience and frequently going to confession.
Give some examples of how Christ has cultivated our life.
What is the fertilizer? The fertilized is the countless graces by ordinary (sacramental) and extraordinary graces that Our Lord who is “full of grace and truth”[viii] offers us. The grace that we receive from God penetrates our souls and transforms us into saints. Just how fertilizer transforms the ground and seeds to become fruit, grass, wheat, vegetables, etc. so too are we transformed.
Give some examples of the man graces (ordinary and extraordinary) that God have given us.
“I hope to be saved”
What is hope? “The theological virtue by which we desire and expect from God both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it.”[ix] Hope also, “responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men’s activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. Buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity.”[x]
We desire and expect salvation and we know that we are in constant need of grace to attain salvation.
What is presumption? Presumption “leads one to expect graces from God without doing anything to obtain them, and even when acting the opposite, as when sinning, the person presumes that forgiveness is assured.”[xi]
The gardener (Jesus) in the parable says to the owner, “it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.” The judgment or death sentence “cut it down” is not permanently removed; this sentence is dependent on the cooperation of the tree. If the tree is not receptive to the cultivation and fertilization it will not produce fruit in the future and it will be cut down. The gardener uses the word “may”. The bearing of fruit is dependent on our free will; our receptivity to God’s grace is necessary.
[i] 2 Peter 3:13-15
[ii] The Essential Catholic Survival Guide; Catholic Answers; page 242
[iii] Luke 23:34
[iv] John 19:30
[v] Link to Liturgy; The Cross: Trophy of Victory
[vi] 2 Corinthians 6:2
[vii] Philippians 2:12-13
[viii] John 1:14
[ix] Catechism of the Catholic Church Glossary
[x] CCC 1818
[xi] Fr. John A. Hardon S.J., Modern Catholic Dictionary, pg. 437