Luke 13:6-9
Bearing Fruit
6Then 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. 7So 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?'
8" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' "
Jesus is the One telling the parable of the fig tree...This fig tree is in a vineyard...The fig tree uses the resources of soil, water, nutrients, and the sun (among other resources)...It takes up valuable space in the vineyard...The fig tree is here to produce figs while using these resources...That is its purpose...For three years the fig tree has not produced any fruit...The owner of the tree came and looked for fruit on it...Three years was ample time for the tree to produce figs...The owner of the fig tree, told the one who took care of it to cut it down...Then caretaker of the tree ask for one more year, and he will dig around it and even fertilize the fig tree...The owner of the tree says "fine" one more year, but if doesn't produce any figs, then it will be cut down in a year...
The gardener hopes with a little hoeing, a little fertilizer, and a little luck that the fig tree will grow figs...We as believers are somewhat like this...We put off believing in Jesus and He is not a priority in our lives...Also, Jesus maybe taking about the whole nation of Israel has put off believing...Jesus teaches us that God is patient...But we must conclude that the countdown to judgment day is on... The tree will be cut down when the clock runs out...Change must happen...We need to get our spiritual lives in order...
God may represent the owner and Jesus the gardener...He has His ministry (like the fig tree) for three years and now it is time...God has been watching for three years now...After three years God sees no fruit...Do the people believe Him after three years???..Do we believe after reading through His teachings???..
Like the fig tree we can be grow, be healthy, and produce no fruit...The fruit our Father wants is for us to love Him, with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds...Then we are to love our neighbors...Our neighbors are anyone, who needs mercy or help...Our lives are this countdown, we can delay things, but the final judgment can be here quicker than we expect...Life goes by in a blink...We see a whole life or years ahead, and think we have time...God is patient...Our Father allows us more time and we can repent late in life...He will tell us, when it is time...We need to believe in the Father and that God sent His Son to save us and to give us eternal life...
When we speak of the LORD's fruit, the Holy Spirit gives us fruit...The Holy Spirit, gives us love, joy, kindness, faithfulness, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, and self-control...
Our Father is watching us daily in our lives...How we live our lives is important...The fruit we produce in our lives is what He is expecting...Jesus and His gospel fruit makes life abundant..