Spiritual Fruit
Luke 13:1-9
Last week being the anniversary of 911, we continued using scripture to point out what Jesus taught about disasters and tragedies natural or accidental and the death that leaves unfinished business. We compared two situations in Jesus Day with some of the terrible events in recent years.
The main point last week is that things happen in a fallen world and sometimes you don’t have a chance to take care of any kingdom business, that you might have been putting off for some reason of your own.
I hope that you have already or will very soon settle your accounts with God, through the cross of our brother Jesus Christ. If you have any fears or doubts please talk to me or someone that you trust and get the comfort and peace that you need.
“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. That he made a difference in the beauty and comfort of this world.
Today we are looking at the second part of the scripture, picking up where we left off.
This parable speaks of bearing fruit, and teaches that God has nothing to do with uselessness or fruitlessness.
If a person is working a nine to five job in the world, and fails to do his or her job, then he or she will loose their job. Why will a person lose his or her job? He or She will loose the job because no supervisor wants to see someone just occupying space. A worker is not brought in to just fill a position, but to make that position productive. In this parable Jesus shows that people who occupy space and are not productive are fired. In his description literally.
Verse 6 mentions a vineyard and a fig tree. Before this parable can be understood, one must first be able to interpret the symbolism behind the objects that Jesus was discussing. The first symbol is the man who planted the tree. This man is representative of the God of Israel. It is seen that Jesus also mentioned a fig tree growing in a vineyard. First of all, what has been learned from many of the other parables about what the vineyard symbolizes? The vineyard is symbolic of the Lord’s kingdom on earth. It often refers to his group of chosen people, namely the Jews.
Now, what does the fig tree symbolize? Jesus mentioned the fig tree on very few occasions, and the majority of the times he did it was in reference to its destruction. Some sources say it represents Israel others the Temple it self. What ever Jesus exact meaning, it tells us that the failure to bear fruit, will bring destruction.
In verse 6, we learn that “The man” came and inspected the fig tree and found no fruit. It is only normal for a person that plants a garden or vineyard or orchard will find fruit after some period of time. If the weather and plants are bad or care is not taken perhaps the owner will not be as disappointed. But there is an expectation of some kind of return. Some for of fruit. Some sign that something will be produced.
The verses of Jesus’ parable are referring to spiritual fruitfulness. The Scripture compares people to trees on many occasions. People can be barren or fruitful. Those who are fruitful bring life to the people around them. The offer shade and satisfaction to others in need.
Many Biblical experts tell us that this parable is about Israel and or the temple Or some general representation of both.
We are off the hook - Right? Sorry, I don’t think we can exclude Christians in the modern day from the situation that Jesus is talking about. We have been grafted in to the vine and we are in the vineyard. Christians are representatives of the Living God and we have obligations to keep.
Christians are to be fruitful. That means exactly the same today as it did in Jesus’ day. Christians are to direct people toward a relationship with Jesus Christ and God which automatically gives eternal life. It means that we get them into the vineyard and firmly planted in the scriptures so that they can receive their own nurture and growth.
Christians are useful and productive when they touch people for God and provide comfort and peace and a living knowledge of God.
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 in Matthew 28:19-20 which says, “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 . . .” Only when Christians are faithful and obedient to the Word themselves will they become fruitful.
The Jews and the Temple were supposed to bring forth life to God’s people, All People. They were to enable spiritual life.
What happened to made them unfruitful. If meditating on God’s law and being obedient to it will make someone fruitful, then did the Temple and its religious leaders fail to abide in the Word of God?
In verse 7 says “7So 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?’”
I don’t have personal experience with fig trees or grape vines but I can get to a lot of research on the computer so let me get you up to speed. In the culture of the day, you raised fig trees for food. The first three years they were grown in a protected place and were too young to bear fruit, and then transplanted. The next three years any fruit which might come, was given as an offering to God. It was not until the 7th year that you would expect to start personally enjoying fruit from the tree.
Folks I am not that patient. But in Jesus story, this would have been the between the 6th and 7th year that the tree has been cared for by someone. It has received water and perhaps a little fertilizer. It must have looked healthy, just not producing the expected fruit.
The fig tree being located a vineyard was not too uncommon; because they did grow strong and you could use the branches and the trunk to let the Grape vines grow. They provided food and shade.
In this parable, the owner wants to cut his losses. Enough was already wasted on this unproductive tree.
Does this story indicate that something happened to the Jews and the Temple in Jerusalem that caused it to become barren?
Perhaps the Scribes and Pharisees became proud and self-righteous, ignoring the needs of the people around them, and not giving them any spiritual guidance as their position within the Jewish culture was to do.
It appears that they ignored the masses of uneducated lower income people that came to the temple, to Jerusalem seeking God.
They were disobedient to the Word of God. And to the Law itself. Jesus condemned the Scribes in Luke 11:52 when he said, “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 in the temple, and ultimately the Jewish people were not bearing spiritual fruit. The parable is a warning to the hearers; including us today that God has an expectation.
Let me try to say it my way,
-If the leaders of the faith are not faithful and serving and teaching the people, God knows.
-If the leaders and the congregation do things for ritual and not worship –
God Knows.
-If you come to worship to punch a clock and not to give praise to God and listen for his word for you, God knows.
If a believer only comes to receive and never gives back, there is a loss in the spiritual relationship.
Maybe I need to define the word relationship – I mean that communication takes place. Not just one way. We have family that we talk with all the time, normally a good relationship is indicated. Then we have family we don’t talk to for some reason – we might call it a bad relationship.
The Jews made the choice to ignore God and the teachings of scripture and they stopped others from doing the same.
They stopped listening and made decisions , choices and rules without God’s input and direction. That is bad and over time the temple was corrupted and became more and more earthly (even market like) and there for God no longer protected or was present there.
- The lack of a spiritual relationship is unacceptable in the eyes of God.
God empowers and calls his chosen people to bear fruit and when that is ignored and self importance and pride only produces a bunch of leaves what is the owner to do? What good are leaves, they are not good to eat and if you burn them they smoke like crazy.
So, in our scripture today of course the owner is going to replace the unproductive with something new and pleasing.
The fig tree occupied a specially favored position, and it was there to please the owner. The nurture, soil and water were precious and the usage requires results.
The parable teaches that uselessness invites disaster . . . Nothing which only takes out can survive. The fig tree was drawing strength and sustenance from the soil; and in return was producing nothing. That was its sin. Consumption of the best materials without any production of fruit is a waste of space and materials.
There are . . . people in this world . . . who take out more than they put in . . .
There are Christians that do the same….
Going back to the parable, the owner told the gardener of the vineyard that he had been waiting three years to see some kind of fruit. Get rid of that bad tree. However, the gardener asks for a little more time. He has a little more fertilizer and tilling to do.
Does the Gardner really like the tree that much, To waste more time and effort. To spend hours watering and digging and fertilizing in hope of a satisfactory result.
That sounds like Jesus doesn’t it?
The selfless son of God gave everything for mankind. We have learned of the price and the value of the gift.
Jesus does love us that much and he tells us in John 15:5-8 about how the relationship works.
John 15:5-8 5"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. 6If 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. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Last week, I pointed out that we all need to check and make sure as individuals, that we have no unfinished business.
So what am I really sending you home with today?
As Christians, we are expected as individuals and as a church we must produce fruit. We must do what we are called to do. We must act naturally and not just use up the resources and expect to keep receiving the blessings offered by our heavenly father.
It is time to bloom so that we can offer God, the fruit of His Plan and Labor.
We all need to contemplate where we are bearing fruit, or perhaps more precisely how is God asking me to produce.
Here is the key thing that you need to understand. Every Christian is to bear fruit, but it will only b the fruit that you were designed for..
Perhaps you are an apple tree, then you will never be expected to produce grapes, or oranges. However you must do what s natural for you and bare fruit for the kingdom.
Spiritual fruit that feeds others in need of the love of God. The Gardner has gotten a little more time, Hope you will notice his tending as allow the Spirit to mature your faith.
All Glory be to God!
