Parables - Fruitless
Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
"Then Yeshua began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree he had planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘Indeed, for three years I‘ve come searching for fruit on this fig tree and found none. Remove it! Why does it use up the ground?’
“But answering, the gardener said to him, ‘Master, leave it alone for this year also, until I dig around it and apply fertilizer. And if it bears fruit, good. But if not, cut it down.’”
Luke 13:6-9
[This is the 12th lesson in this series]
Jesus told this parable (story) after He was teaching and people in the crowd asked Him about an event that just happened in their area. Some people asked Him about a tower which fell where people perished (kind of something we would nornally see or hear on the news or social media).
Jesus responded to that inquiry and then proceeded to tell this story about the fig tree.
Fruit Trees
Vineyards, trees and fruits would be common topics among the people who were listening to Him at that time. And so a story about a fig tree would interest them and would be easy for them to identify with.
The most common fruit that ancient Jewish people consumed were figs, along with grapes, dates and pomegranates.
Three Years
The number three is also common in Scriptures.
Three Years
The number three is also common in Scriptures.
[This number is significant in the bible, you would probably be able to think of several Scripture references for the number three. Now that you are aware of this, in your daily bible reading, you will notice many more mentions of the number three.]
So in this story, the owner of the vineyard was looking for fruits on his fig tree. He most likely had other fruit trees in his vineyard, but figs were probably his favorite. So for three years he waited for this fig tree to bear fruit, but each year have not seen any.
On the third year, he wanted this tree to be cut down as it was just using up nutrients from the land but have nothing to show for it. The gardener told the owner to give this fig tree, one more year of his nurturing and then to check back at that time to see if it bears fruit by then.
So in this story, the owner of the vineyard was looking for fruits on his fig tree. He most likely had other fruit trees in his vineyard, but figs were probably his favorite. So for three years he waited for this fig tree to bear fruit, but each year have not seen any.
On the third year, he wanted this tree to be cut down as it was just using up nutrients from the land but have nothing to show for it. The gardener told the owner to give this fig tree, one more year of his nurturing and then to check back at that time to see if it bears fruit by then.
Nurturing
[We have already discussed these in previous messages but it would be timely to talk about it here again]
[We have already discussed these in previous messages but it would be timely to talk about it here again]
Three years is significant because it was also for three years that Jesus taught and nurtured His disciples.
When Jesus went back to heaven, He told His disciples to wait to receive power from on high (from the Holy Spirit). And they did.
After the Holy Spirit had come upon them, they started to bear fruit. The church started with the coming of the Holy Spirit. From that moment on by walking in the Spirit, the church have bore fruit.
Imperfect
But because the church is composed of imperfect people who some do not necessarily follow the Spirit but their own flesh and their own personal agenda, many have remained fruitless, if they do bear fruit, then they were bad fruit.
Churches today who choose to be led by the Holy Spirit will bear fruit, good fruit and those who eat of their fruit will be blessed, refreshed, regenerated, reborn, encouraged, nurtured, loved and cared for and in due season will bear fruit themselves.
Holy Spirit
Those who follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, will continue to bear fruit. And this is what Jesus would have wanted His church to do, up until He comes back for them.
By the way Paul who wrote more than half of the Christian bible (the New Testament) became a disciple after Jesus have risen from the dead (like all of us).
He wasn't there with Jesus during the three years that He spent teaching Peter, John and the other disciples.
When Jesus went back to heaven, He told His disciples to wait to receive power from on high (from the Holy Spirit). And they did.
After the Holy Spirit had come upon them, they started to bear fruit. The church started with the coming of the Holy Spirit. From that moment on by walking in the Spirit, the church have bore fruit.
Imperfect
But because the church is composed of imperfect people who some do not necessarily follow the Spirit but their own flesh and their own personal agenda, many have remained fruitless, if they do bear fruit, then they were bad fruit.
Churches today who choose to be led by the Holy Spirit will bear fruit, good fruit and those who eat of their fruit will be blessed, refreshed, regenerated, reborn, encouraged, nurtured, loved and cared for and in due season will bear fruit themselves.
Holy Spirit
Those who follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, will continue to bear fruit. And this is what Jesus would have wanted His church to do, up until He comes back for them.
By the way Paul who wrote more than half of the Christian bible (the New Testament) became a disciple after Jesus have risen from the dead (like all of us).
He wasn't there with Jesus during the three years that He spent teaching Peter, John and the other disciples.
Discipleship
Paul spent three years being taught by the Holy Spirit. And then after that He too bore the fruit of the Spirit.
Paul spent three years being taught by the Holy Spirit. And then after that He too bore the fruit of the Spirit.
Paul became a missionary and a servant leader and teacher. He planted churches in Europe. He revisited them, wrote them letters, prayed and loved on them. And he taught and left behind the next generation of church servant leaders who will take over after he's gone to be with the Lord.
Takeaway
What we need to learn here aside from what the Holy Spirit is revealing in your spirit right now, is if you are a new believer, the Lord does not expect fruit from you as well. For it does take some time for a tree to bear fruit, but in due season, fruit trees will.
Spend three years plus one year studying Scriptures and being lead and nurtured by the Spirit of God.
Takeaway
What we need to learn here aside from what the Holy Spirit is revealing in your spirit right now, is if you are a new believer, the Lord does not expect fruit from you as well. For it does take some time for a tree to bear fruit, but in due season, fruit trees will.
Spend three years plus one year studying Scriptures and being lead and nurtured by the Spirit of God.
There will be enough lessons in the hundreds of messages on the Series Links below and ask the Lord to give you the hunger to learn of Him and from Him
Figs on a Fig Tree
And in due time, you too will be bearing the fruit of the Spirit, the good fruit the Lord is looking for (if you have not yet). If you are, then continue walking in the Way of the Lord and teach the younger ones who will continue bearing fruit of their own after your life's purpose is done. Each one of us will have a different purpose, but the same fruit of the Spirit.
In the Jewish Scriptures, God told Adam and also Noah: "be fruitful and multiply". Today the Spirit of God is telling the same to His church.
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