6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' 8 "'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'"
Jesus’ main point here is that judgment will occur to non fruit bearers. Scripture is replete with the importance of a walk that matches our talk. The fact is, talk is cheap. It is easy to espouse Truth but difficult to live it. A person will live or flesh out what they believe. This fleshing out of Truth or, quite frankly, obedience to God’s revealed will, is called “fruit” in Scripture. This is precisely why John the Baptist cried out to the Pharisees (the religious leaders of his day):
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Matt 3:7-10 (NIV)
We are all sinners in need of a Savior. All is a very inclusive word indeed! Not one of us is righteous in our own standing. Not one. These religious leaders believed they were safe because of their ancestry as children of Abraham. Jesus came and turned this thinking around. In His talk with Nicodemus one of Israel’s teachers, Jesus states:
3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' John 3:3-7 (NIV)
No one receives preferential treatment. We all come to the foot of the cross the same: “wretched, pitiful, poor, bind and naked”. Since this is the sad state of every unbeliever, those who have been redeemed through faith in Christ, those who are children of the King, those who belong to Jesus, should indeed “shine like the stars in the universe” as they hold out the Word of life! There certainly should be a difference in the life of the redeemed which ultimately points others to Christ. The fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – should be made manifest in our lives.
Interestingly, in the parable, it was God who came to look for the fruit. This fig tree was planted in His vineyard using up His good soil. It was given an advantage over the fig tree that perhaps grew by the side of the road. Believer, the church is also God’s vineyard. Matthew Henry states:
“We are fig trees planted in His vineyard. It is a mark of favour.”
God requires and expects fruit from those planted in His vineyard. It dishonors God greatly to enjoy the privileges of the gospel and yet not act upon it. In our parable for today He has been patient. He has waited three years and has not found any fruit. He was not overly ambitious in His expectations, He merely expected fruit. Not only was no fruit produced His good soil had been wasted. Again Matthew Henry states:
“Those who do not do good commonly do harm by the influence of their bad example. And the harm is the greater, and the ground the more used up, if it is a lofty, large, spreading tree, and if it is an old tree of long standing.”
The doom is passed against it – “Cut it down!” Barren trees are to be cut down because there is no place for purposeless trees in God’s vineyard. Enter the intercessor! Christ is our great Intercessor and sets before us our example to follow in pleading for others. We owe it to our Lord Jesus that barren trees are not immediately cut to the ground. He prays for a merciful reprieve and His prayer is reinforced by His endeavors setting forth for us our parts in praying for others and the ensuing actions that are called for. Once again Matthew Henry states:
“Unfruitful professors of religion, if after long unfruitfulness they will repent, and change, and bring forth fruit, shall find all is well. God will be pleased; minister’s hands will be strengthened. There will be joy in heaven for it; the ground will be no longer used up, but bettered, and vineyard beautified, and the good trees in it made better. As for the tree itself, it is well for it; it shall receive the blessing of God; it shall be purged, and shall bring forth fruit.”
7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. Heb 6:7-8 (NIV)