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. 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?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that[a] you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:6-9)
In the parable of the fig tree, God is the Landowner, and Jesus is the Keeper of the Vineyard. You and I are the fig trees. We see the Vinedresser, our Lord Jesus negotiating for extra time on behalf of the figs. And the Vinedresser didn’t just secure extra time but he did something to help the figs bear fruit. He dug around them and fertilized them. This extra time and His digging around the figs is what we call grace today; it is the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus to redeem us from eternal destruction. Grace came so that we can be fruitful.
The Vinedresser fertilized the figs when He sent us the Holy Spirit, to quicken us, teach us all things and make us fruitful unto God (John 14:26).
In spite of how much the Vinedresser was willing to raise the fig, He never promised to make it bear fruit. He said ‘…if it bears fruit, well. But if not, You can cut it down’. The word ‘…if” is indicative of the fact that it’s our responsibility to make something of the grace of God upon our lives. His grace came to make us fruitful.
What are you doing with your extra time? Are you bearing fruit? If not, begin today to abide in Christ, to avoid being cut down.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:4)
Prayer
Lord, please help us to be fruitful so that we will not be cut down.
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