Preaching Under the Fig Tree

It would be incredubly ludicrous for anyone to think of preaching any sermon on the "spiritual importance of the fig tree." If for nothing else, anything he/she has to say about such 'spiritual importance' would certainly be a reading of his/her own ideas into Scripture. Nonetheless, fig, especially if samples of the fresh fruit and sprigs of leaves are available, can be used as a powerful "lead-in" to preaching those the many passages in which the fig tree or fig is a key element.

So, imagine a series of three or four sermons spread over a month in which the first sermon opens with a short introduction to the fig tree, which then serves as a lead-in to a sermon on the parable told by Jesus in Lk 13:7-9, on the need to repent and to be what God intends for us to be. The second sermon can begin with a short explanation of the use and importance of the fig in ancient Israelite life, that serves as a lead-in to a sermon on Deut 8:6-18, on the dangers of forgetting God when life is good, thus building on the first sermon. The possibilities are endless, but do not bore your audience; three, or at most four, sermons built around the fig or fig tree is probably as much as interest can be helpfully sustained.