The Fig Tree Jesus had been talking with the people about the things of the kingdom. He had particularly been addressing preparedness for the kingdom and trust in God. As he was dialoguing with them, we read in: Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? Evidently some radical Galileans had created a disturbance while sacrificing their offerings, and Pilate's soldiers had killed them while they were in the process of offering their sacrifices. The point of this story being mentioned had to do with a deeply held belief that the Jews had. If you were good, good things happen to you. If you are bad, bad things happen to you. Therefore, since they had escaped the slaughter, they must be somehow favored by God over those who lost their lives. Jesus counters this type of thinking by relating to another incident. Luke 13:3 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." Jesus has to deal with this over and over. This mindset was one that was deeply embedded in the belief system of the Jews, and even the disciples. When they were discussing the condition of the man born blind, you may recall the discussion over whether this man had sinned before he was born, or had his blindness been brought on by his parent's sin. The belief was strong that God met out punishment and reward as your life progressed. The Pharasees felt that they were blessed by their lifestyle, and that was the reward that they deserved as the Hebrews of the Hebrews. Luke goes on in the record: Luke 13:6 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. The fig tree referred to here was probably the sycamore fig tree. It had branches that reached low to the ground. Would have been easy for Zacchius to climb. But a fig tree usually not planted in a vineyard. So we have a situation here where this tree is bing given special privileges. Another interesting fact is that the sycamore fig produced food that would be more commonly used by the poor people than by the wealthy, who would drink the wine and eat the graped that a vineyard would grow. So the common man would have been very familiar with it. You may recall that the prophet Amos was a keeper of the figs, and as such it was his job to puncture a hole in the fig so that it could ripen and become edible. It was often planted along roads to provide shade, bore fruit several times a year and the poor people used it's wood for construction rather than expensive cedar. With this background, let us move on in our text. Luke 13:7 "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?' 8 "But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 'And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.'" Now let us ascertain some of the facts mentioned in the parable. 1. The owner of the vineyard had the tree planted. This was not an accidental shoot that came up. I am a tenderhearted gardner, and when something volunteers, I will usually try to accommodate it. But when I deliberately plant something, that is another story. I do not just tolerate it, I encourage it and care for it. 2. The owner expected for the tree to bear fruit. That is not an unreasonable expectation unless you live where I live. 3. The owner had a certain amount of patience, as he came back year after year looking for fruit, only to be disappointed over and over again. 4. After 3 years of sucking up the nourishment that could have been going to the grapes, the owner of the vineyard told the keeper of the vineyard to cut the tree down. 5. The keeper pleads for the fig tree. "Give me one more year," he says. "Let me fertilize it and work the soil around the tree, and perhaps it will bear fruit." 6. The obvious, but unstated thought is that if the tree begins to bear fruit, then it will be spared destruction. 7. MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, THE PARABLE HAS NO ENDING..... As we have looked at this parable, what is the main point? Is it about planting a tree? Is it about a vineyard? Is it about fertilizing and weeding? What is the point of the parable? BEARING FRUIT. Let us take a few moments and look at the concept of the tree in the Bible as relating to the righteous person. Psalm 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish. Jeremiah 17:7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. 8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit. Matthew 3:10 "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 7:16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 "Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another; to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God Romans 6:22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. What does it mean to bear fruit? First let's look at what happens in our lives. John 15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 "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. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Ephesians 5:9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), Bearing fruit in our lives, as we abide in Christ brings the fruit of the Spirit. Notice that this is not fruits. If that were the case we might pick and choose among the manifestations. But that is not the case. The fruit as expressed in ourlives encompasses all of the above mentioned things. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, righteousness, truth and living above our passions and desires. These are to be manifested in all Christians. But that is not all. There is to be an external manifestation of the connection with the Lord. Jesus goes on to expand this fruitfulness. JOhn 15:14 "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 "These things I command you, that you love one another. Notice. GO. BEAR FRUIT. KEEP THE FRUIT. KEEP IN CONTACT WITH THE FATHER. LOVE EACH OTHER. You see, secondly, and equally as important, is what happens working out of our lives. Solomon sums it up beautifully. Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise. God our father has been very patient with us. He has given us numerious blessings. Look around you. Think of some of the mission stories that you have seen, and then compare their churches with our church. Compare their comfort with our comfort. We should be very thankful. Then do one more thing. Compare their pews with ours. Which would you rather see, brothers and sisters? A beautiful empty pew, or a roughly built one that is full to the point of groaning? Would you rather hear a handful of people singing or a church full praising the Lord? Would you rather have a nice Sabbath-school with a couple of kids, or a shade tree with a hundred children anxious to hear about Jesus? The Pharasee felt that the beauty of his service, the maginficance of the temple, the wealth of the temple, were the sum of salvation. Only when the Pharasees were chased out of the temple and the children sang, did it become worship. And those kids couldn't have cared less about their physical surroundings. They were in the presence of Jesus. Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise. As we read the parable through, we should remember one thing: Jesus did not finish the parable. It is up to us to finish it. It is up to us as individuals to finish it for ourselves. It is up to us as a church to finish it for the body of Christ in Batesville. How is it going to end for us? Do we grow and produce, or take up space and die? That is the whole parable. What do you say. If you chose to grow, when do you start? If you chose to bear fruit, when do you start? I want us to take 2 minutes just to contemplate this right now. Talk to your maker, and ask him what he wants. Laurie DeWitt