Morning Cup of J(esus)
Fueling the Day!
The Barren Fig Tree
The parable of the barren fig tree is next in our continuing lessons about the parables of Jesus as told in the New Testament. You may want to go back over previous posts to read about the earlier parables.
Chapter 13 of Luke begins as Jesus is continuing His teaching to various crowds. They tell Him about Pilate mingling the blood of Galileans in their sacrifices. Jesus answers that these Galileans were no worse sinners than all Galileans. He confronted the crowd with truth: unless you repent you will all likewise perish. In other words, as stated in Matthew 5:45: “For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Good and bad things happen to us all. We need to be ready for eternity. If we do not repent we will perish.
Then Jesus mentions the collapse of the Tower of Siloam that killed 18 people. Were they worse sinners than others in Jerusalem? The answer would be ‘no’. Those 18 needed to be ready for eternity. Like those 18, unless we repent we will perish.
After these two examples, Jesus teaches the parable of the barren fig tree. It did not bear any fruit for three years. Most fig trees produce fruit within that time. The owner of the vineyard felt that the tree should be cut down because it was a waste of resources and space. The keeper of the vineyard convinces him to wait one more year, and if is not productive then it should be cut down.
We are like the fig tree. We have to repent and bear fruit for our Lord. Those who do not will perish. Romans 5:7 “For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.” This means that our own desires and thinking will only bear bad fruit. Repenting of our sins is what is needed to bear fruit in our lives.
Repent or Perish
13 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”
Photo credits: Pexels- Magda Ehlers and Tyler Nix; Unsplash- Sandra Iglesias
I really like this post. I would like to learn more about repentance.