As I’ve studied the Allegory of the Olive Tree in the past, I’ve generally focused on what the Lord of the Vineyard did, particularly his relentless focus on the well-being of his trees. Today, I noticed something he did not do: blame his servant when things went south.
After adopting the innovative approach of swapping the branches from the tame olive tree with branches from wild olive trees, the Lord of the vineyard and his servant return to see how the trees are doing. At that time, with only one partial exception, the trees are all faring well. For the exception—a tree producing partly tame fruit and partly wild fruit—the Lord of the vineyard instructs his servant to remove and destroy the branches producing bad fruit. The servant protests:
Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season.
Jacob 5:27
Even though the Lord has recently corrected the servant for providing unhelpful feedback (“Counsel me not”), he accepts the servant’s advice. (See Jacob 5:22, 28.)
The next visit is tragic. All of the trees are producing bad fruit. In particular, “the wild fruit of the last had overcome that part of the tree which brought forth good fruit, even that the branch had withered away and died” (Jacob 5:40).
It would have been natural for the leader at this point to say something like, “I told you so. I knew this would happen. That’s why I asked you to remove the bad branches. Now, look what has happened as a result of your advice.” But he doesn’t do that. He weeps and asks, “What could I have done more for my vineyard?” After describing the condition of the last tree, he uses the pronoun “we:” “Notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit” (Jacob 5:46).
As the leader becomes discouraged, the servant plays an important role in determining their next step. First, he offers an explanation for what has caused this undesirable situation: the loftiness of the branches. Then, he reminds the leader that the roots are still good, a point which the leader has already acknowledged. (See Jacob 5:34-36, 48.) Finally, he pleads, “Spare it a little longer” (Jacob 5:50).
What would have happened if the Lord of the vineyard had turned on his servant, blaming him for their situation and questioning his judgment? The servant would have been less likely to provide the analysis, encouragement, and advice. The leader would have likely been less receptive to the servant’s input. The fact was that all of the trees were producing bad fruit, and relitigating prior decisions was unlikely to solve the current problem. So the leader mourned, expressed discouragement, and even wondered out loud what more he could have done. But he doesn’t jettison the team. He doesn’t turn on his helper. He remains humble and engaged: willing to listen, willing to learn, and willing to collaborate.
Last weekend, Elder Dale G. Renlund described a guide who helped him as he struggled on a kayak trip:
[The expedition guide] didn’t shout, from afar, an unhelpful question such as, “Mr. Renlund, what are you doing in the water?” He didn’t paddle up and chide me saying, “Mr. Renlund, you wouldn’t be in this situation if you were more physically fit….” Instead, he gave me the help I needed at the time I needed it, he gave me advice when I was receptive, and he went out of his way to encourage me.
“The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ,” General Conference, April 2024
Today, I will resist the temptation to assign blame when things go badly. I will recognize that building and maintaining strong relationships is the key to our collective future success, and that accusing and punishing people when things go badly is unlikely to produce the outcomes I hope for in the future.
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