The Parables of Jesus
March 8, 2022
“Are you fruitful or unfruitful?”
Luke 13:6-9
Do you have a ‘green thumb?” I must confess that I have often failed miserably in my planting endeavors over the years.
My one success story is the four barrels filled with dirt and flowers you see above. My neighbors threw out the barrels a couple of years ago, so I snatched them up. I sanded them down and sealed them outside.
Outside of our front door, we have two stoops. Therefore, they are ideal for planters. I’ve been working on these four barrels of flowers now for almost two years. Although I water everything regularly, turn the soil, add new dirt, and fertilize as needed, occasionally, one or two plants will die. So, I pull the dead ones out and plant new ones when they do.
But not all plants bloom like the ones above. I have a lemon tree that hadn’t given any fruit in almost 10 years. About two years ago, I began watering, feeding, and weeding the area around it regularly. My diligence paid off. This year the lemon tree had two lemons on it. Patience can pay off.
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That brings us to our devotion for today. The Parable of the unfruitful Fig tree.
Then he told this Parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So, he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
“‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9
Let’s look at this Parable from two perspectives.
In both, God is the man who had the fig tree, and Jesus is the man who takes care of the vineyard.
In the broad sense, this is a story of God being tired of the people of Israel for not coming to repentance. They are using up the very air He provides; they are of no use to Him if they don’t repent, “Why should it use up the soil.”
But, Jesus, the man who takes care of the vineyard, intercedes. He asks the vineyard owner, God, to give it a little more time. Jesus wants time to cultivate the love of God and repentance in the land.
Even though God is very patient, we see that when Jesus dies, the number of people who have come to repentance compared to the size of Israel is minimal.
There is always a price to pay for non-belief and not doing the Lord’s work. But, unfortunately, in 70 A.D., that price comes due with the destruction of Israel.
The second perspective of this Parable brings it a little closer to home. This Parable tells us that God is patient and gives people time to repent, as I said earlier. God doesn’t want any of us to perish. Instead, he wants us to come to repentance.
So, this delay puts the burden on us as believers who have repented and do God’s work He has set before us.
It’s more important than ever that we spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. We do this by sharing God’s Word, our actions, and being servants to all. The delay in judgment for non-repentance will only last so long. If a person dies unrepentant, there is no hope; their opportunity to repent and be righteous in God’s sight is lost.
We must produce fruit and use our God-given gifts to bring everyone to Christ. We must show Christ’s love to everyone, so they too can know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. In this way, all can enjoy the Grace and righteousness offered by God and experience eternity.
“You also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Luke 12:40
Dear Jesus. There is so much to do. As you said in Luke,
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Allow us to be your hands and feet as we go into the field and tell the world about your love and the eternity you offer by Grace through Faith. Amen
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