Parabolic Polyvalency Part 2: Filling the Hungry with Good Figs in Luke 13:6-9

The ninth episode of "Stories for the Waiting Room" introduces a new way of categorizing Jesus' parables. While interpretive comments accompany many of these stories, others Jesus presents in a less direct fashion as illustrations of the Kingdom of God. In the parable of the Barren Fig Tree, however, one encounters what Dr. Proctor describes as an uninterpreted parable. Such stories (all of which are in Luke) appear in the text without commentary, without clear ties to their surrounding context, and without comparison to the kingdom. As a consequence, Luke leaves his readers free to assess the stories' meanings in any way that might align with his broader purposes as a writer. The uninterpreted parables are thus capable of carrying multiple meanings; i.e., they are "potentially polyvalent." Having made this critical distinction, Mark and Lee use the opening scene of Luke 13 along with ancient horticultural texts to offer an initial interpretation the Barren Fig Tree that sees it as an illustration of loyalty's irrational demands. In the same way Jesus demonstrates loyalty to the Galileans in Luke 13:1-5 by countering their biased Judean critics, so the vintner shows fidelity to an out-of-place and barren fig tree in the parable that follows.