Parable of the Unfruitful Tree

Luke 13:6–9 ESV

And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

Expecting Fruit

Luke 13:6–7 ESV

And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’

He had an expectation that it would bear fruit

Reasonable expectation a fig tree normally begins bearing fruit in the second or third year reaching normal harvest in 4-5 years yet when he looked this tree had produced not a single fig the third year.

A tree should bear fruit and in the same way we should bear fruit.

The bible speaks of two kinds of fruit in our lives. First it speaks of the fruit of the spirit. This is the fruit born in our personal lives by the indwelling Spirit of God. Galatians 5:23

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

These things should be birthed in our lives as we submit to the Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Thus these become a thermometer for our relationship with God.

You want to know how close you are to God how much love are you showing how much joy is in your life how much peace do exhibit how kind are you to the people around you how much good are you doing how faithful are you to the things of God how gentle are you with those who are weaker than you how much self control do you have? these things demonstrate our relationship with God.

The second fruit we have is that of the redemption of lost souls. John 15:16

John 15:16 ESV

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

You see a tree’s fruit serves a purpose. It reproduces of its own kind. Therefore we should bear fruit, notice he says fruit that abides. fruit that falls to the ground is either eaten by the animals or rots unless the seed makes into the ground quickly it will die. Yet if it grows into a new fruit tree then one can say that fruit abides in the form of the tree some for hundreds of years.

I wonder when God looks at your life expecting fruit will he find it or will your life be like the fig tree here fruitless and of no lasting worth. One can be rich famous sucessful in business and all the ways of life but in a few hundred years will it matter. Does anyone know the names of the dukes and dutchesses of England from the 1800’s probably not unless your a history buff of the time. Yet If you were to lead just one person to Christ that would change their life forever and that person might affect even more lives. Go therefore and bear fruit.

The Consequences of Fruitlessness

Luke 13:7 ESV

And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’

No fruit Cut it down

The tree loses its life because it had no fruit

This is a reference to people who refuse Christ and thereby the gift of the Holy Spirit by which we produce fruit. Remember Jesus said in John 15:5

John 15:5 ESV

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Apart from Christ it is impossible to bear good fruit. Everything we do is tainted by our sin even that which seems good leaves a bitter taste for it is soured by our sinful nature. Yet in Christ we are cleansed of our sin and he grafts us to himself through which we are able to bear fruit.

Therefore this verse shows us the consequences of rejecting Christ.

Due to our sin we are unable to produce good fruit therefore the tree is cut down and cast into the fires of Hell.

The Intercession of Christ

Luke 13:8–9 ESV

And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

In the parable the vine dresser whom I believe represents Jesus Christ tells the garden owner God give it another year let me work with it and lets see what happens.

He intercedes on behalf of the tree just as Christ intercedes on our behalf.

Yet notice that the process of salvation is not simply one moment and then it is done but rather it involves much work.

He has to dig around the tree loosen the soil and add manure to it to fertilize it. In doing so he must be careful not to damage the roots of the tree nor to put to little or too much fertilize but rather just the right amount. He then has to water it correctly so the fertilizer can be activated and yet not be washed out and carried off. So he must faithfully work the soil and care for the tree for the tree to be truly saved.

In much the same way God works out our salvation in our lives as well. When we say I was saved as a young child what we are talking about is the moment when we accepted Christ and in that moment we were justified before God. He declared us both innocent and good by the blood of Christ the lamb. Yet we were not innocent nor were we Good. In fact no one has ever had a moment when we suddenly were changed from evil to good from sinners to saints. Rather God continues to work in our lives through reading and obeying his word he sanctifies us. Sanctification is similar to the process here where the vinedresser works the soil God works out the sin in our lives he pulls out the weeds and replaces it with good soil and seed that bears fruit. This process of sanctification lasts our entire lives. Then finally at our death God removes sin completely from our lives and gives us a new perfect body which we call glorification. The moment when we become like God again perfect and holy as he designed us to be.

Yet again though not all will be saved even when Christ works the soil and applies the word to our lives. We were given free will and it is our choice to be obedient or to reject him and his word thus many trees will still be cut down and cast into hell because they are without fruit. Yet there will also be those who remain and bear fruit.