Parable Of The Barren Fig Tree (sermon)

Parable of the Barren Fig Tree Luke 13:1-9 Jesus used parables to teach people. Parables are very short stories that help us to understand things more clearly. When you listen to a parable of Jesus, or when you read any other Scripture, you should think about the characters in the story, their relationship, and how the story relates to who Jesus is talking to and what He is talking about. We must always start by observing who, what, when, and where. Then we can interpret what we think was going on between Jesus and His audience at that time. Finally, we can apply this interpretation to ourselves, here and now. –

v. 1-5 ○ Observation  Jesus is talking to a crowd and teaching them. Some people there tell Him some news about Galileans who the Roman governor Pilate had murdered in Jerusalem.  Jesus uses this example to say that everyone is a sinner, and that these people were no worse than any of His audience. He reminds the audience of the people who died when the tower near the pool of Siloam fell over—these people were not more or less guilty of sin than anyone else.  Since this is true, what does Jesus tell His audience to do? Save money for the future? Have fun now while they can? Do something to make people remember them later? No, He tells them to repent. ○ Interpretation and application  We don’t know why people wanted to bring up this news, but we do see that Jesus used it to make a point.  He pointed out that we do not have control over their life and death. Therefore, that should motivate us to think about our relationship with God. No one can have a right relationship with God without repentance. • Why do we need to repent? ○ Our sin cannot be erased without someone paying the price. Jesus paid the price for our sin. Everyone can receive that free gift of forgiveness when we repent of our sin. ○ Repentance means turning from our sin, and turning to God. We tell Him sorry for rebelling

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against Him, and we make Him the Lord and King of our life. Let’s apply this to the recent death of Michael Jackson. I think if we told Jesus that Michael Jackson died, He would respond in the same way. Do we really think that we are any better off facing death than Michael Jackson? Are we ready to pay the price of our sin? • Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

v. 6-7 ○ Jesus tells a parable to reinforce His point and make it clear. Remember why Jesus used parables? To help people understand what He was saying. ○ I believe this parable was directed at the Jewish people, because Jesus was sent to minister primarily to the Jewish people. However, I also believe we can apply it to ourselves as an example of how God deals with us and leads us to repentance. ○ Observation  The first thing we see is the owner has a fig tree. He owns it and has it cared for in his vineyard. He regularly goes to inspect it, expecting to see some fruit. Jesus doesn’t say the owner expects a lot of fruit—it seems that even a little fruit would do!  The owner has been checking this tree himself for three years. In all this time, the fig tree has not shown any fruit at all. That is bad enough, but even worse, the fig tree is taking up space and nutrients in the soil that could have been useful for other plants.  Eventually, the owner’s patience with the fig tree comes to an end. It must be cut down. ○ Interpretation and application  We must remember that Jesus is telling this parable in the context of the need for repentance. It is urgent that we repent as soon as possible.  God owns us like the man owned the fig tree and expects fruit in our lives. • He plants us in His vineyard: The Bible says in Acts 17:26 that God determined the times and places for men to live, so that we would seek Him and find Him. • He created us for a purpose: He wants to have a relationship with us, and out of that relationship we will bear fruit that demonstrates we are His disciples. ○ John 15:1-8 says, “"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in

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me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” God is patient with us. • Like the owner of the fig tree, God is patient with us and gives us time and repeated opportunities to know Him. He gives us many years to produce fruit, not just three. We face judgment. • If we don’t repent and turn to God, we will face judgment for which we cannot blame God. God’s desire is not for anyone to perish, but for everyone to come to repentance. • 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

V.8-9 ○ I like this part of the parable. Thank God He didn’t just stop there! ○ Observation  The man who works in the vineyard asks for one more chance for the fig tree. He wants to try especially hard to help the fig tree produce some fruit. He intends to break up the hard ground around the tree and mix in some manure to fertilize it.  If the fig tree finally produces some fruit the next year, then all will be well!  However, if it still does not produce fruit, there is nothing more that can be done. ○ Interpretation and application  The man who works in the vineyard is like Jesus Christ, who works to do everything He can to save us. I like what the old

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Methodist Bible commentator Adam Clarke says about Jesus in this case, “He is constantly employed in doing everything that has a tendency to promote their salvation.” What does Jesus do for us? • He sacrificed Himself to cleanse us from sin so that we can serve God. He made it possible for us to bear fruit. Without Jesus’ sacrifice, we would certainly have to pay the penalty for sin ourselves. There would be no question of our being cut down like a barren fig tree. But, thank God, that we can have a relationship with God and serve Him through Jesus! ○ Hebrews 9:13-14 says, “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” • He intercedes on our behalf. God is always thinking of us and longing for our return to Him. He never wants us to fail or fall away. He will never reject you when to turn to Him. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love, but there is nothing we can do to take it away. God is the lover of our souls, always calling us back to Him. • He sends His Spirit to convict us of sin and to gently lead us back to Him. Like the man who tends the vineyard, the Spirit of Jesus works in us to break up the hard ground of our hearts and to nourish us spiritually. He does everything He can to bring us to repentance. ○ Romans 2:1-5 says, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your

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unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” ○ When we understand this point, we will see that we do not deserve any credit for good deeds in our Christian life. It is God who is working in us to will and to act according to His good purpose. When we have a relationship with God, the Holy Spirit will naturally produce the good spiritual fruit as described in Galatians 5:22-23: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God is eager to receive us back. The owner would be satisfied with a little fruit, not holding it against the fig tree that it didn’t produce fruit in the past.