My wife finally had enough of the kitchen rug.

It was one of these cheap sisal numbers that we bought at IKEA for about $40. And after a few years of muddy boots, splattered spaghetti sauce, splashed coffee, and drippy chocolate syrup we knew it was only a matter of time before it would take on a life of its own and rise up to greet us some morning.

So she finally rolled it up and carted it out of the kitchen. It sat on the back porch for a few days waiting for me to put it in the garbage can, but each time I walked past I just couldn’t bring myself to it. What I decided to do instead was put the rug in the garage and wait for spring. I’ll wait for a sunny day, hose it down, take a scrub brush to it then let the sun dry it. I’m sure it won’t go back in the kitchen, but I think I can find a place for it in the basement or at least in the workshop. Sure, the carpet is pretty spotty now, but I think it deserves a second chance.

Jesus seems to be saying something like this in the Gospel lesson we’ll hear on Sunday. It’s a parable of second chances. In it a man who’s planted a vineyard sees that his fig tree refuses to bear fruit. He orders it destroyed. However the gardener makes an appeal and asks for time to put down fertilizer, pay more attention to it, then, if there is still no fruit next year, he will agree to cut the tree down.

The gardener sees something in the fig tree that no one else is seeing. It’s potential, it’s possibility, it’s the prospect of a turnaround. Can the underdog, perennially impotent fig tree deliver the goods? Details at 11.

What’s curious about this story is that 11 o’clock never comes – we have no idea if the fig tree ever bore fruit. What we do know is that getting and giving second chances seems to be something rather important. Is there someone in your life who needs a second chance? Is there some situation happening around us that we need to be more patient with? Is there potential and possibility we are overlooking? How are we being called to give a second chance?


Reading
Empire Falls – Richard Ruso
The Five Most Important Questions You Will Ever Ask About Your Organization – Peter Drucker
Mountain Reigns – Joe Lacy