The fig tree in the vineyard
Do bad things only happen to bad people
Like 13; 1-9
“ Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? 3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:1-5. There are no other account of this Incident other than what Luke records.
We assume that they were in the temple of Jerusalem making their sacrifices since they had their animals with them and they were in the process of sacrificing these animals. We do not know what motivated Pilate’s actions. We only know they were suddenly and violently executed
Jesus’ response to this news reveals the common misunderstanding of the people as to why such horrible murders and executions take place. “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? (NKJV). The common assumption is only partially right. People do suffer because of sin. We suffer because of our own sin, the sin of others and living in a sin cursed world.
However, the common understanding of a violent death such as suffered by these Galileans was that they were sinners to a greater degree than most people. That is a false assumption that still floats around in society. The manner of death does not indicate the degree of sinfulness of the person who died unless the death is a direct consequence of the sin.
Jesus’ answer to His own question is direct. “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”.
Then again Jesus brought up another example of sudden, violent death that had occurred when a tower in Siloam collapsed. Siloam is on the south end of Jerusalem in the section also known as the old city of David or Zion. The temple was built to the north of this area. Hezekiah built a tunnel to channel the water from the Gihon spring to the pool of Siloam.
Again there are no other account of this Incident other than what Luke records. Jesus does not tell us what kind of tower it was, why it collapsed or why these people were near the tower. The particular word used often refers to structures that were part of a city’s defense system, but it could also be used for a watch tower in a field, a castle or even a tall private building. Buildings can collapse suddenly without warning for a variety of reasons including structural failure and earthquakes. The people could have been carrying out work related to it, living in it, enjoying its shade on a hot day, or just passing by. We don’t know any of those details. We can surmise that because it killed eighteen people that it was a fairly large tower.
Jesus brings up this story to emphasize His point and that it also applies to tragic accidental deaths and not just murder. There was a common idea that people who died in such tragedies were greater culprits or debtors to God This idea also allowed people to justify themselves and think they were safe because they were not as bad as those who had such tragedy strike them. It is an idea that is still around because it is based in the false idea that bad things only happen to bad people.
There were plenty of sinners in Jerusalem and these eighteen were not any worse than the rest. “No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”. He gives the same very serious warning again that without repentance that they were subject to likewise perish.
Job had enough problems without his three friends falsely accusing him. They did well for seven days while they sat there with him and said nothing. I personally think that the longer they sat there the more scared they became because they knew Job to be a good man, but they did not want to even think that anything like the tragedies Job was experiencing could happen to them, so they had to find some wickedness in Job.
Eliphaz gives his own observation, “Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright destroyed? According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble harvest it” (Job 4:7-8). His accusation is that the innocent do not suffer like this, and since you are suffering, you must not be innocent, so confess your sins. Bildad appeals to traditions from pervious generations and concluded that Job’s sons died because of their sins against God and that if Job implored God and would be pure and upright, then God would restore him (Job 8:4-8). Zophar is sarcastic and accuses Job saying if he would put away his iniquity, direct his heart right and seek God, then all would be made right (Job 11). None of them paid much attention to Job’s lament. False assumptions result in false conclusions.
Jesus’ point here and in verse 3 is not that they who were listening to him would die by murder and tragedy, for that would be contradictory since you can’t be murdered and then die in a tragedy. You only die once (Hebrews 9:27). I also do not think Jesus is promising that by repenting you will avoid being murdered or dying suddenly in a tragic accident since many faithful Christians throughout history and in the present die by murder or tragic accidents. I believe that Jesus’ point here is that they should not to think of themselves as some how better than those who have suffered such things because we will all die – by man’s hand or tragic accident- what is important is are we prepared for death.
In our text, we find two very different perspectives reflected. One is that of the Jewish leadership and of many of their followers. The other is the perspective of God, as seen in the viewpoint of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In verses 1-5, a certain group of people viewed the tragic and untimely death of a group of men as an indicator of great sin and of God’s wrath. To Jesus this tragedy took on an entirely different meaning, one which He shared with His listeners. The parable of the fruitless fig tree in verses 6-9 is our Lord’s response to the previous incident, teaching Israel about themselves and about God.
Man’s natural way of viewing things is never the same as God’s (Isaiah 55:6-9), and thus we can only know God’s thoughts from His Word, as revealed to us through His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). Let us approach this text as those whose perspective is warped and distorted by sin, and let us look to God to give us that perspective which is like His. Let us listen well to these words of Scripture and heed them as the Word of God.
As we approach this text it is especially important for us to remember Luke’s audience and his purpose in writing this gospel. Luke wrote this gospel for Gentile believers. He is not writing to a Jewish audience, as Matthew has done, but he is writing to Gentiles, showing them how a Jewish Messiah, in fulfillment of His promises to Israel, can bring salvation to the entire world.
Our text from this lesson is one which helps to explain why Israel rejected Jesus as her Messiah, and of the way in which God used Israel’s hardness of heart and rejection of Christ to reveal the Kingdom of God. The nature of the kingdom of God is very different from that which Israel expected, and it is brought about in a very different manner than they thought it would be. Few texts will give us more insight into the reasons why God took the kingdom away from Israel and gave it, as it were, to the Gentiles.
Jesus was surrounded by a multitude of thousands (Luke 12:1), sometimes teaching the masses (e.g. 12:54) and at other times teaching His disciples (e.g. 12:22). Sometimes it was not clear just who He was speaking to (cf. 12:41). At one point in time a delegation came to Jesus with some tragic news—a report that Pilate had recently slain a group of Galileans as they were worshipping. He mixed their blood with their sacrifices, we are told (v. 1). We do not know whether those who came bearing this account were Galileans themselves, or, whether they were not.
There are differences between these two groups of men who died, but the similarities seem more striking to me.
First, those in both groups died. Jesus is not speaking of suffering in general terms, but specifically of death. He also warns His audience of the death which they will experience.
Second, both groups died in a similar way—quickly, unexpectedly, tragically.
Third, both groups died at a place and time when they may have felt very safe.
When would a legalistic Jew feel more spiritual and “closer to God” (thus “safe” from divine judgment) than when he was performing his religious ritual of sacrifice. The Galileans died while offering sacrifices! And the 18 men who died in Jerusalem died while standing near a tower, undoubtedly a tower that was a significant part of their defense network. The tower would be that place where guards were stationed, the place from which an attack from outside the walls of the city would be countered. Where else could anyone have stood that would have made them feel more secure? And yet they died by the tower. Literally, they died under the rubble of that tower. That which they viewed as their salvation was their destruction.
Judaism, from the perspective of the self-righteous Israelite, was his salvation. Being a physical descendant of Abraham was all one needed to be assured of a place in the coming kingdom. This was what the typical Israelite thought. Jesus’ words should have sent a chill down the spine of every listener. These people all died doing that which made them feel safe and secure.
Jesus’ words, as I understand them, and as they are twice stated in our text, are specifically directed toward the nation of Israel:
“I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all [“likewise,” NASB] perish.
The Lord calls upon all of His hearers to repent. The word “repent” is not new, but here it underscores the fact that those who are listening are sinners, too
The relationship between the preceding five verses and this parable may not be immediately apparent, but it is clear and direct. Towards the end of chapter 12, Jesus was speaking to Israelites as Israelites, and warning them of the destruction which was coming for the nation. This parable of the “fruitless fig tree” is drawing attention to the same thing, only in a different way. The fig tree was a frequently employed and well-understood symbol of the nation Israel . Jesus uses this parable to underscore for His audience, once again, the utter failure of Israel to live up to the standards and expectations which God had held for it over its centuries of history. The parable is not only going to underscore Israel’s sinful fruitlessness, but also the nearness of its destruction, in tree-terms, its time for being cut down.
Repentance does not keep you from dying physically, but it is the first step in receiving spiritual life so that you will not perish eternally. Repentance is a simple concept, but a hard thing to do since it is against our human nature. Repentance does not only mean an intellectual exercise of changing your mind. This allows people to claim to believe in Jesus and get assurance that they will avoid hell without changing their manner of living. But that is not the true nature of repentance. If repentance is only a mental assent left by itself, then according to James 2:14-26 it is a useless faith that leaves the person spiritually dead and therefore condemned.
Then what is real repentance: real repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of lifestyle. If there is no change of lifestyle , then there was no change of mind, there was no repentance and no faith. Jesus gives this crowd that He has already rebuked several times earlier (Luke 12: 57 - one more warning and another call to repent. Luke does not tell us whether they heeded the warning and repented or not. The question is now whether you have done so? If not, today is the day to do it.
Jesus concludes His teaching on this subject with a parable about God’s patience and the nature of repentance.
6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ”
The parable is an illustration of the nature and state of both the crowd Jesus has been teaching and of the nation of Israel in general. Jesus has taught, warned, rebuked and gave hope in God’s offer of forgiveness through faith in His Son who was standing in front of them. For the most part, they remained blinded by their pride and stubborn in their self-righteousness. This parable illustrates God’s patience with them, but warns that He would not remain patient with them forever.
Figs were a common fruit in Judea and still are today. They are a sub-tropical plant that thrives in the Mediterranean climate of warm, dry summers and cool, but not cold, wet winters. This particular farmer planted his fig tree in his vineyard where it should have done very well and put it in the care of his gardener. After three years of expecting fruit from it and not finding any, he commands the vine-dresser to cut it down. It was a waste of the ground in which it was planted. Please note that this tree is not three years old. Most fig trees do not produce until they are four or five years old. The three years is the amount of time he had been coming expecting to find fruit on it. The tree is probably seven or eight years old.
The vineyard-keeper intervenes. He knows that figs usually respond well to fertilizer, so he proposes that the tree be left alone one more year during which he would dig around it and spread lots of manure. He has some optimism this will help and it will produce in which case it would be worth keeping The tree was not only fruitless and useless, it used up valuable ground. It should be cut down if it continued not to produce.
Farmers understand this imagery very well. Useless and unproductive plants are not tolerated, nor should they be. A farmer has the right to expect a return on his investment. This farmer is “fed up” with this fig tree, but he is persuaded to wait one more year. Time for this “tree” is short indeed.
The application was obvious to both the nation and to the individuals hearing Jesus. God has been extremely patient with the Jewish nation, and like the prophets prior to the Babylonian captivity, Jesus is proclaiming that time was running out for them to produce the fruits of righteousness. Historically, less than 40 years after Jesus spoke this parable, Jerusalem was captured and burned by the Roman legions. Its people were killed or scattered either fleeing for their lives or captured and sold as slaves. Time was also running out for the individuals that heard Jesus that day. God was patient, but either they repented and brought forth fruits of repentance , or they would certainly face God’s judgment. The message John the Baptist and Jesus had proclaimed from the beginning of their ministries was still the call, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He now adds the serious warning that if you do not, you will perish. Repentance brings forth its fruit in a life that becomes characterized by humble righteousness instead of pride and iniquity. God’s long-suffering patience would soon run out and judgment would come upon those that did not bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Luke 3:8-14).
The text does not specifically state why these men told Jesus about Pilate violently killing the Galileans, but Jesus’ answer indicates that it may have been to deflect some of the rebukes He has given to the crowd on this occasion. A common method to defend against exposure of your own sin is to point out those you think are worse than you. Jesus makes the rebuke stronger and sharper. Neither the Galileans nor those killed by the collapse of the tower in Siloam were greater sinners than them, and if they did not repent, they would also likewise perish.
This parable not only teaches the sinfulness of the nation Israel, it also underscores the shortness of the time and thus the urgency for the nation to repent and be saved from the wrath of God which is to come. That “fire” of which John the Baptist has warned (Luke 3:8-9) and more recently our Lord (Luke 12:49ff.) is drawing near in time. Let the Israelites cease to ponder the sins of others and begin to act in repentance concerning their own sins.
Do the “three years” that the owner has waited for figs (v. 7) correspond to the length of time our Lord has already spent preaching the gospel to the nation Israel? Jesus is already pressing toward Jerusalem (9:31, 53; cf. 13:31-35). As the time of His death draws near, so does the time of Israel’s destruction.
While this parable, like the account of the tragic deaths of the Galileans and those who died by the tower of Siloam, conveys a message of warning to the Israelites, it also corrects another error in the thinking of the people. The inference underlying the conclusion of the people in verses 1-5 is that God hastened the death of those who died, in judgment of their sins. Our parable tells us the exact opposite. The people were wrong to conclude that these people who died prematurely were greater sinners than their peers. God had not come to judge them early because of their greater evil. Indeed, this extended time, this delay in judgment, was for the purpose of allowing God’s people further opportunity to repent. While some sinners may very well interpret and apply His delay as an occasion to expand in their sin (cf. 12:45), the righteous will know better.
The erroneous conclusion of the people reveals the perspective of the people; the point of the parable reveals the perspective of God.
The Jews felt that both divine blessing and divine indignation were God’s response to man’s deeds. They thought legalistically.
What the Israelite had forgotten was that the Mosaic Covenant was temporary and provisional. The promises God made to Abraham would not be fulfilled through the Mosaic Covenant, but through a new covenant. This new covenant was prophesied and described, for example, in Jeremiah 32 and 33. The blessings of God and the coming of the kingdom of God would not be the result of Israel’s obedience to the law, but due to the righteousness of Messiah, and through His death on behalf of sinners, bearing the condemnation of the law which man’s sins merit (Isaiah 52:13–53:12).
Why would Israelites reject the Messiah and the new covenant which He came to establish? Why would they prefer the condemnation of the law to the blessings of forgiveness and eternal life in Christ? There is only one answer: These Israelites were self-righteous. They did not regard themselves to be sinners, but rather as those who were righteous before God and thus deserving of His blessings on the basis of their good works.
The lesson for the individual is that borrowed time is not permanent. God's patience has a limit. In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree. In the same way, God in His mercy grants us another day, another hour, another breath. Christ stands at the door of each man’s heart knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin. But if there is no fruit, no repentance, His patience will come to an end, and the fruitless, unrepentant individual will be cut down. We all live on borrowed time; judgment is near. That is why the prophet Isaiah wrote, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7).
The Lord Jesus gives us some answers to the difficult questions in our text. In the context, Jesus has just been rebuking the multitude because they were able to discern the weather, but they were oblivious to the signs of the times, namely, that Messiah was in their midst (12:54-56). He used an illustration (12:57-59) of a man who is going to be dragged into court with a losing lawsuit against him. If he is smart, he will quickly settle with his opponent before it’s too late. The point is, we all have a debt of sin toward God. If we are aware of our situation, we will be quick to get right with God before we come into judgment.
Jesus was speaking to men who did not apply spiritual truth to themselves (12:56-57). From His reply, we can also surmise that these men were smugly thinking that those who suffered such tragedies were deserving of God’s judgment, whereas the fact that they had been spared such tragedies meant that they were pleasing to God. Their theology was like that of Job’s comforters, who thought that Job was suffering because he had sinned. Jesus corrects this mistaken view by showing that we all are sinners worthy of God’s judgment. Twice (13:3, 5) He drives home the application: Were those who suffered greater sinners? “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Then Jesus tells a parable (13:6-9) that underscores the point: If you don’t repent, you will soon face God’s judgment.
Thus rather than asking the question “Why?” with regard to suffering, we should ask the question, “What does this tragedy teach me?” Our Lord’s answer is;
Tragedies should teach us that since death and judgment are imminent, we need to be ready through true repentance.
We must understand at the outset that repentance alone cannot atone for our sin. The blood of Christ alone satisfies God’s just wrath against our sin. We can weep over our sins for days, but our tears will not get us into heaven. Our sorrow for our sins does not somehow cancel out the debt we owe. Only Jesus Christ and His shed blood can atone for our sins. Our trust must be in Him alone, not in our own faith or repentance. Repentance and a change of lifestyle will see us through. We have to change our life of rebellion against God and be in obedience to the words of the Scriptures.
In order to repent of our sins initially and to grow in repentance, we need to get a bigger view of God’s absolute holiness and of His right to judge sinners; and we need a deeper view of our own sinfulness, down to the heart level. Both Jesus’ words in 13:3 & 5 assume God’s sovereign right to judge every sinner. He is the creator and rightful owner of all that exists. It’s His vineyard and we are His fig trees, planted there for His purpose and use. As the owner of the fig trees, God has the right to expect those trees to produce fruit for His use. If they do not produce, He is perfectly just to cut down those trees and throw them in the fire. "Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire," said John in Matthew 3:10. No one can dare say, “What do You think You’re doing?” if God decides to cut down an unfruitful tree. He made it for His purpose; He owns it; He can do what He chooses with it. The more we see of God’s sovereign and holy right to judge His creation, the quicker we will be to repent of our sins.
But also, to repent initially and to grow in daily repentance, we also must see our utter sinfulness and rebellion before Him. The owner of the vineyard planted the fig tree within the confines of the wall of his vineyard. It enjoyed his protection, his nurture, and his care. It drank up water from his supply and nutrients from his soil. But it were useless in the purpose for which the owner planted them. The fig tree didn’t produce any fruit.
Jesus, then, is teaching that because of our sin and our lack of fruit none of us deserves exemption from spiritual death. If we all got what we deserve, we would instantly perish. Since life is fragile and the future is uncertain, we all need to get right with God before we die. The way to get right with God is through genuine heart repentance, where we confess our sins to Him and turn to Him from sin to receive His mercy. When we see someone else going through a tragedy, it should drive us to apply all these things to ourselves. Tragedies are God’s gracious reminders that a worse end than a horrible death awaits us if we do not repent. As He said (12:5), “I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who after He has killed has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!”
The parable (13:6-9) underscores the message of 13:1-5, that judgment is approaching and that we must bring forth the fruits of repentance before it is too late. The parable primarily applied to the nation Israel, which was about to reject her Messiah and come under national judgment. The three years of the parable may refer to the three years of Christ’s ministry in their midst, or it may just be a way of saying, “There has been sufficient time for the nation to bear the fruits of repentance. If they don’t bear fruit soon, they will be cut down.” John the Baptizer said in Luke 3:9: "Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
But, of course, the parable also applies to individual repentance. The fig tree wasn’t a wild one that sprouted up along the road where someone threw a fig seed. Verse 6 says, "a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard."
- This fig tree enjoyed certain advantages not possessed by all fig trees. Many fig trees grew along the roadsides. They were, in essence, wild. No one fertilized them. No one cared for them. They had to survive in rocky, shallow soil with sparse nutrients.
- But this fig tree was different. It was purposely planted in a vineyard. It enjoyed better soil. The vineyard keeper watched over it and took care of it. He fertilized it and perhaps even watered it during the hottest months of the year. This tree was planted by the owner within the walls of his vineyard, which points to the fact that this tree had special privileges. If we do not respond to the message of God’s grace by repenting of our sins and seeking to be fruitful in God’s kingdom, we cannot escape the judgment. We are destructive to the owner’s purpose, in that they are just using up ground that otherwise could be fruitful. We are endangering our own souls and harming others as well.
The parable reinforces ideas from the first half of this passage. A cultivated yet unproductive tree may continue to live even without bearing fruit, only because it has been granted additional time to do what it is supposed to do. Unless it begins to bear fruit - an image of repentance, according to Luke 3:8, the result will be its just and swift destruction.
The tone of the parable emphasizes that patience and mercy temporarily keep judgment at bay. The role of the gardener offers a crucial characterization of this patience and mercy. The tree has not been left to its own devices. Everything possible is being done to get it to act as it should. Correspondingly, God does not leave people to their own resources but encourages their repentance through the working of the Holy Spirit.
Repentance becomes less interesting when people mistake it to mean moral uprightness, expressions of regret, or a "180-degree turnaround." Rather, here and many other places in the Bible, it refers to a renewed mind, to a new way of seeing things and a changed lifestyle. What then are the fruits of repentance? They include the whole process of growth in holiness that begins at salvation and continues until we are with the Lord. Thus, fruitfulness is Christ-likeness in our character and in our conduct. While believers will never be sinless and perfect in this life, they will make continual progress in holiness, not just outwardly, but in the heart, as they walk in repentance and in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
There is one other aspect of the parable that I have not mentioned: the role of the vineyard-keeper, who appeals to the owner to give him time to dig around the tree and fertilize it, in the hopes that it will yet bear fruit the next year. “If not,” he says, “cut it down.” This is a beautiful picture of God’s patience and mercy in Christ. As 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, “The Lord … is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
If you have not repented of your sins and if you’re not bearing fruit in God’s vineyard, there is still time. But, don’t mistake God’s patience to mean that His axe will never fall. His patience does have a limit. Death and the final judgment could hit you at any moment. Your need to respond to God’s offer of repentance and pardon is urgent! Life is fragile; none are exempt from tragedies. But, if you have fled to Christ for refuge and you’re bringing forth the fruits of repentance in your life, you are ready if tragedy strikes. You will not perish!
