6Then He began telling them this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree that had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, but did not find any; 7so he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and have found none. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground [depleting the soil and blocking the sunlight]?’ 8But he replied to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, [just] one more year until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9and if it bears fruit after this, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ” Luke 13:6-9 AMP
God is often acknowledged as the landowner (Matthew 21:33-46), or vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) owner in Jesus’ parables. Here Jesus is telling a parable that we can believe is symbolic of a conversation between the Father and the Son in regards to Israel (the Fig tree), ultimately us believers. The vineyard owner is coming to get fruit from the fig tree, but is disappointed to find that for the 3rd year in a row, the tree is barren. This disappointment moved him to desire to cut down the fig tree to make room for either a new fig tree, or new vine that would produce fruit in its place. The keeper appeals to the owner to allow him to nourish the fig tree and give it another year to bear fruit before cutting it down. This scenario can be reflective of the conversation they had about Israel during their time of rebellion, unfaithfulness, and their adoption of surrounding nation’s pagan practices. Even when God was leading the Israelites using Moses, he contemplated killing the Israelites in the wilderness until Moses (like Christ did later) interceded on behalf of the people. God told Moses that he would eliminate the people and create a new people from Moses (Exodus 32). Later after the people occupied the promised land and lost it, in addition to being displaced in foreign lands, and still straying away from God, Jesus intercedes for the Isrealites, and instead of allowing the Father to chop down the people (the fig tree), he comes to Earth as a man to die on the cross and be raised from the dead to redeem the people. We, like Israel, are out of place on this Earth. Looking at this parable, the Fig tree is out of place in the vineyard, in that it produces a different type of fruit, and requires different maintenance. We may feel like the fig tree when we look around and are surrounded by nonbelievers who live a different lifestyle, measure success differently, and have different values. Though we may feel out of place, and think that we can’t be successful or operate where we’re at with what we have, God still requires production/fruitfulness from us because he knows the seed (gift/anointing) that he has placed in us is good, and will produce what he ordained/called it to do. Jesus became our advocate when he was raised from the dead and now sits on the right hand of the father. He lived a life, and shared plenty of messages that we can use to accomplish God’s purpose for our lives. Whenever we are falling short, losing faith, or being unfruitful, Jesus steps in on our behalf to petition the Father for our sake. When we trust in Jesus, and pray anything in his name, we can have assurance that like this fig tree, he is asking the father on our behalf for forgiveness, and Jesus personally through the aid of the Holy Spirit strengthens, nourishes, and renews us to enable us to bear fruit.
Reflection Time
Do you feel out of place? If so, has it caused you to be unfruitful? What would you need to change in order to become fruitful? Do you believe that Jesus is advocating for you to the father, and can personally identify with your struggles? Write a note/letter to yourself on where you’ve fallen short, and how you plan to to become fruitful. Ultimately we all will go through seasons where we may feel unfruitful or unproductive, but we don’t have to remain that way. Remember that you are never beyond redemption, and if you will allow our advocates (the Son and the Holy Spirit) to help you, they will.
