THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE

The parable of the fig tree is a great expression of God's patience, but also of our need to repent. "He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." (Luke 13:6-9)

The Lord expects us to be productive in His service, and if we are not we shall eventually be cut down. What I would now like to do is take Jesus' parable and extend it a little further to make a very different point.

Let us say that the Lord of the vineyard expects to get an average of 100 figs from each tree every year. After the servant has worked fertilizer around the tree it bears 10 figs the next year. At the same time a tree which had been an extraordinary producer, averaging 200 figs per year produced only 150.

The Master agrees to give the previously barren tree another year to see if it will become productive enough to "earn its keep." He also tells the servant to fertilize the very productive tree to try to return it to its former glory.

The next year the previously barren tree produces 25 figs. And the other produces 100. The Master again gives the same instructions as the year before.

The following year the first tree produced 50 figs and the second 75. Then the servant came to the master and told Him that the well had run dry and that they needed to dig a new one. After looking over the land they decided the best location was where these two trees stood, and that one of them would have to go. The Lord told the servant to cut down the good producer which had bore 75 figs the previous year and save the one which had only bore 50.

The Lord had done everything he could for both trees and while one responded and continued to improve, the other just continued in decline. Therefore, the one which produced less was considered more worthy than the one who produced more.

The Lord does not always look at men the same way we look at each other. We tend to judge one another by how "productive" someone appears to be. The Lord, on the other hand, looks for growth. How productive someone is compared to how productive they used to be. (Eph. 4:15, II Thes., I Pet., & II Pet.)

If we are to please God, we must continually grow and become more like Christ. It doesn't matter how good we may be, if we are going backward or even just stagnant the Lord will reject us.