Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted 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.’”
(verses 6-8)
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There is much in this chapter that speaks to the inevitability of judgement if time is not used for repentance here and now. The Galileans slaughtered by Pilate, the eighteen crushed by the collapse of the tower of Siloam, and those shut out by the closing door of the Kingdom – all these experienced judgement because they didn’t use the time they had been given.
The story of the fig tree also speaks of the hard reality of time running out. But against that backdrop, Jesus lets us see the yearning of God. Yearning and patience, for he delays the end, expending more effort, hoping that rebirth may yet come to the fruitless tree.
I imagine Peter was remembering the echo of Jesus’ teaching here when he penned these words:
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Two things come to mind from this teaching. The first is the Lord’s ongoing deep passion for the least and the lost, those who have not yet come to salvation. We can join him in this clear-sighted yearning, knowing the severity of the consequences, but filled with hope for rebirth, and expending energy to see it come about. We join heart and hands in the harvest.
The second is the ongoing need for repentance, personally. The Lord wants to see fruit in our lives. He’s patient with us – the parable makes that clear. But he also sees the issue as deadly serious. He is grieved by lack of fruit. Indeed, angered by it. The call throughout this chapter is to repentance, keeping aligned with the Lord, clearing out of the way anything that hinders our life in him,submitting to his work of trimming, pruning, cultivating, re-fertilizing. I am convinced that once we’re in his hand (John 10:28-30) we’re secure, but the consequences of fruitlessness are still severe, like being saved alive out of a fire with nothing else besides (1 Cor 3:15). Better, instead, to repent and turn and see fruit for the kingdom, while there is still time.
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O Lord, thank you for your patience, extended to all, extended to me. I choose to join you in your harvesting work – use me for your purposes. And Lord I want to be responsive to your prodding to come fully into alignment with you, submissive to your pruning-cultivating work in my life. I turn to you afresh – do your work in me, here, now.
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Reflect:
Is there anything the Lord is wanting to trim from your life, making you more fruitful? If so, submit it to his hand.
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Photo by Nastya Kvokka on Unsplash
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