22nd Sunday after Pentecost

 The trees once went out

to anoint a leader over themselves (Judges 9:8).

This Tuesday we elect our nation’s President for the next four years. It’s appropriate for Election Day to come in the midst of our Ordinary Days—it’s not Christmas or Easter. It’s not God’s Saving Event. However, it is God’s provision for providing an ordered and civilized world until the arrival of our Eternal King. That’s why the Apostle could take pride in his Roman citizenship: “I am a Roman born citizen” (Ac 22:28). As nations go, we are blessed with a good one. Our Declaration and our Constitution hold us together.

Like good citizens, Linda and I filled out our ballots. Thoughts about the election must be why I woke early this morning thinking of Jotham’s parable found in Judges chapter nine:

The trees once went out

        to anoint a king over themselves.

So they said to the olive tree,

'Reign over us.'

The olive tree answered them,

'Shall I stop producing my rich oil

by which gods and mortals are honored,

and go to sway over the trees?' 

Then the trees said to the fig tree,

But the fig tree answered them,

'You come and reign over us.'

'Shall I stop producing my sweetness

and my delicious fruit,

and go to sway over the trees?'

Then the trees said to the vine,

'You come and reign over us.'

But the vine said to them,

'Shall I stop producing my wine

that cheers gods and mortals,

and go to sway over the trees?'

So all the trees said to the bramble, 

And the bramble said to the trees,

'You come and reign over us.'

'If in good faith you are anointing me king over you,

then come and take refuge in my shade;

but if not,

                let fire come out of the bramble

and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'

 I’m tempted to provide an explanation. But if all could be explained, there would be no need for the parable. As our Lord teaches us, parables have a way of getting truth inside us. Too much explaining ruins a good parable. Things explained don’t wake you up in the middle of the night. So, let’s leave Jotham’s Parable of the Trees as is. Maybe early Wednesday morning the parable will wake you up.