It Bore No Fruit

It Bore No Fruit

Luke 13:6-9 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?’ "’Sir,’ the man replied, ’leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’"

“Die when I may,” said Abraham Lincoln, “I want it said of me that I plucked a weed and planted a flower wherever I thought a flower would grow.” Abraham Lincoln wanted it to be said of him that he bore fruit.

You are expected to be productive at your job.

Bubba Jones had died. A wonderful funeral was in progress and the country preacher talked at length of the good traits of the deceased, what an honest man he was, and what a loving husband and kind father he was. Finally, the widow Jones leaned over and whispered to one of her children,

"Go up there and take a look in the coffin and see if that’s your pa."

In this parable Jesus shows that people who occupy space and are not productive are fired. When God fires someone, it is literal. A person is literally placed in flames.

I. The symbolism in the parable.

a. The first item of symbolism is the man who planted the tree.

i. This man is representative of the God of Israel.

b. It is mentioned that the fig tree is growing in a vineyard.

i. The vineyard is symbolic of the Lord’s kingdom on earth.

c. When a tree is fruitful it brings forth something that is useful to other creatures.

i. It is helpful and life giving.

ii. In the Old Testament the fig tree represented security and life.

iii. Micah 4:4 “But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.”

iv. The verses of Jesus’ parable are referring to spiritual fruitfulness.

d. The Scripture compares people to trees on many occasions.

i. People can be barren or fruitful.

ii. Those who are fruitful bring life to the people around them.

iii. Christians are fruitful whenever they direct someone to eternal life in Christ Jesus, and bring them the sustenance of God’s Word, which is the Bread of Life.

iv. Psalm 1:1-4 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; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 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. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

v. It is seen that in order to be fruitful one must remain close to the Lord, and keep his Word or the Scripture close to one’s heart.

vi. When the Word of God truly abides in a person’s heart he or she will be obedient to it, and will do as all Christians are commanded to do.

vii. Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you . . .”

viii. Only when Christians are faithful and obedient to the Word will they become fruitful.

II. The keeper of the vineyard sought fruit on the tree for three years.

a. Mosaic law decreed that fruit-bearing trees be regarded as unclean for three years after planting, as the Lord’s in the fourth year, and to be eaten by the people only in the fifth year. This preserved the health of the tree against premature plucking, and gave God his due place.

b. Jesus condemned the Scribes

i. Luke 11:52 “Woe to you [Scribes]! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” The religious leaders were not bearing spiritual fruit.

c. Jude spoke of people who had gone astray from the Lord, and had been disobedient to him.

i. Jude 12 says, “. . . They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots.”