Parable of The Barren Fig Tree
Luke 13: 1-8, Luke 13: 6-9, Galatians 5:22-23
If I walk into a coffee shop in Seattle and hear someone say “It is really hot today.” I might be able to discern that it is 80, maybe 90. Now, if I walk into a coffee shop in Florida and hear someone say “It is really hot today.” They probably mean that it is over 100 degrees and humid. Context provides the key for me to be able to discern this. The same is true of the parable of the barren fig tree. You must read the first 8 verses of this chapter to really set the table for what Jesus tells us in the parable.
The two main characters indicate to us different aspects of God's character which come together and show us how God will deal with a situation similar to what is seen in our text.
Do you like fruit? Depending on what season it is, my favorite fruit may vary, but I love fruit. Lately, I've grown an increased taste for pineapple. In a funny way, God is telling us here that he loves fruit too. He loves fruit in our lives though, not tasty treats such as pineapple on a summer day. The first character comes to check on the fig tree to see if it yielded fruit and when it does not he is angry. Think about going to your local grocery store to pick up some pineapple for a day at the park with your friends to find nothing, this would be a bit of a bummer. But with no fruit in the heart of his people, God has all the right to be upset with this.
The second character says cut around it and spread manure and then leave it for another year before doing anything. This aspect of the conversation indicates the patience, grace, and continuous chances that God gives his people, continuing to show a different aspect of his perfect character.
Lastly, if the tree still does not produce fruit over the third year, cut it down and do something else with the land. God is ultimately a just God. He will hold us accountable, he will bring judgment. If a person ultimately never turns to him and produces fruit, they will be judged and perish.
Each sentence of this parable, like each bite of pineapple on a summer day, reveals something sweet. Each sentence allows us to know the character of God more and more. The ultimate truth shown here, that God is patient and full of grace while being fully just, is both uplifting and a reminder that we are to fear and revere our powerful God, turning to him lest we be cut down.
There is grace for you, but God doesn’t play with sin. Seek Christ, seek community, put yourself in an environment where sin will be removed from your life and fruit will grow in its place. God loves fruit.
