The Significance of Three
The Significance of Three – Luke 13:1-9
Oftentimes we may believe that numbers in the Bible and in other parts of our life are a random thing. We may take the numbers of things as purely coincidental and attach no real meaning to them. But numbers are not as random as we might think.
From the beginning of time, numbers have played a significant role. Whether we interpret the creation of the world in 6 days with the seventh as a day of rest in the strictest of terms or whether we understand it to represent major geological periods in which we humans have appeared in the latter stages as determined by science, it is clear that the number 7 has become for us as a sign from God that we are to take one day every 7 as a time for reflection and renewal, for rest from our daily work. From time immemorial, our calendars have revolved on a 7 day pattern. For the Jewish people it is celebrated as a Sabbath rest on Saturday; we take Sunday as our Sabbath rest believing that the Day of Resurrection is to be the day. And so we order our lives engaging in our daily round of work and/or school for 5 days in our time with a day of recreation and a day for worship and renewal. Of course in our modern age, there are many people for whom Sunday is a difficult day to take. But whether we can take the whole day and join with other believers to celebrate and worship, we are reminded to take a day of rest. It is not always clearly stated that Jesus time in prayer apart from the disciples was always on a Sabbath. But he regularly took time for reflection and strengthening of mind, body and spirit.
And so 7 is one of the four perfect numbers as we find them in Scripture. It marks spiritual perfection for as we go through the steps of our life, we find we are completing a circle. That circle helps to centre us and we are blessed with the presence of God wherever we go and whatever we do. The other numbers are 10 which marks ordinal perfection, 12 which marks a perfection in rule and the number which we will focus on today – 3 which marks divine perfection.
Interestingly enough, the number 3 occurs 467 times in the Bible. Some of the more significant occurrences in the Old Testament can be seen in the number of the patriarchs of the people before the Exodus: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – who was later to be known as Israel. There are 39 books comprising the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Coincidence or intention!!
Some other interesting facts about the number 3: Jesus faces three temptations; three disciples witness the transfiguration in which 3 significant deliverers of the people appear; Jesus ministry covers a period of 3 years; Peter denies Christ 3 times and in the Gospel of John he reaffirms his faith 3 times; he prays 3 times in the Garden of Gethsemane that he may not have to drink the cup; Jesus is placed on the cross at the 3rd hour of the day and dies at the 9th hour; during that time there were 3 hours of darkness that covered the land from the 6th to the 9th hour; Jesus rose from the dead after 3 days; Jesus enfolds within him the ancient role of prophet, the role of priest and the role of king – for Jesus is to be seen as the lord of our minds, bodies and spirits.
The people of God in the Old Testament celebrated 3 great periods in the year: Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread in the Spring; Pentecost in the Summer; Feast of Trumpets, Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles in the Fall. We celebrate Advent, Christmas and Epiphany; Lent and Easter; and Pentecost. Perhaps that seems like 7 but whether we count them as 3 major or seven minor, it remains that we celebrate divine and spiritual perfection in the circle of our years.
In our communion services we say together: Holy, Holy, Holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. Three times I repeat the phrase Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Yet none of these things is by accident – there is intention in all of these actions and words.
Even the very intentional signing of the cross which is practised by many Christian communities is a triad. The first is an acknowledgment of God as the Father, the second is an acknowledgment of God as the Son, and the third is an acknowledgment of God as the Spirit. By it we are reminded that our creation, our redemption and our sustained life in this place are all under the eye and hand of God. By it we remember and bring to our minds what is most real, most essential, most substantial and most complete. And so in thought, word and action we find the sum of our humanity and our relationship to God and one another.
And while all that is well and good, what does this tell us of the three years of the poor fig tree in Jesus’ parable as recorded in Luke.
Interestingly enough, it is believed that patience is needed for a fig to grow to maturity and produce fruit. In fact that is the case for many of our fruit trees. And so for three years the vinedresser has been tending the fig tree, nurturing it and waiting patiently for it to bear fruit. But the owner has grown impatient. He expected instant results. He expected that the tree should show itself useful and productive or the space be surrendered to something that would bear fruit. The vinedresser asks for one more year – a fourth year. During that time, the vinedresser will add manure, dig around the roots to allow more nutrients to penetrate the soil in the hope that the tree will bear fruit.
Years ago I was a spiritual leader on a weekend retreat called Cursillo. Cursillo was simply a Spanish word for short course. People would spend three days in prayer, study and group reflection in an intentional review of the Christian message but in such a way as to draw together all the parts and enable people to see the full picture. But no great fruit was expected during those three days. They were a time for challenge and reflection. The fourth day became the moment of decision. That was the day when you returned to the family, the place from which you had come. And just as the vinedresser was patient with the fig tree for three years, we would be patient for 3 days with those who had committed themselves to this time of study. On the fourth day, we heard their commitments; we heard what the three days had meant to them; how they had been touched by God and had grown in their faith.
But for those who experienced that time, there was no fifth day or sixth day or seventh day for every day became a fourth day. They had come to understand that the three days of their study and retreat were for them the foundation upon which every day they would live thereafter would flow from.
And so the number three holds great significance but a number that does not even factor greatly in the history of the Bible is significant in its own way for it is with the presence, the nurture, the love of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit that we can live and continue to live our fourth day.
Remember that the disciples of Jesus only began to truly understand and live their faith in God as revealed in Jesus Christ on the day after the resurrection – on their fourth day.
So let us take this time in Lent to reflect on the mystery of the Trinity and give thanks that as the fig tree was given a fourth year to bear fruit we may bear fruit for God as we live our fourth days in this the time God has given to us!