The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree
The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree, also called the Parable of the Cursed Fig Tree, is found in Luke 13. Below is the parable in context, and we will see what we might learn from this parable.
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
6 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.
7 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?
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
Meaning of The Parable of the Unfruitful, Cursed Fig Tree
As an introduction to the parable, Jesus references historical accounts in which people were killed tragically. It seems that there was a common belief that these people were killed because they were great sinners. Jesus does not seem to support this idea, but instead He says, “unless you repent, you will also perish.” Next, He teaches the people with a parable.
The Parable of the Unfruitful, Cursed Fig Tree describes a fig tree that was planted in a vineyard. The man who planted the fig tree came to the tree, expecting to find fruit, but there was none. This occurs consistently for three years.
The man who planted the tree decides that he might as well cut it down because not only is this tree failing to produce, but it is taking up nutrients from the soil that could be taken in by other plants in the vineyard.
The caretaker of the vineyard convinces the man to give the fig tree one last chance. The caretaker will fertilize the tree, and if it still does not produce within the year, then it will be cut down.
There is no conclusion given about this fig tree. Was it fruitful and spared, or was it unfruitful and cut down? What is the meaning of this parable?
First, let’s think about what Jesus said before teaching this parable. It can be easy for the people of God to get hung up on the sins of others, thinking that any bad thing that happens to them is deserved. Meanwhile, they do not take proper care for their own soul. If they are not repenting of their sins and growing in obedience to God, then they will die along with the people they condemn.
When Jesus spoke this parable, it’s likely that He had the Jewish people in mind, particularly those who rejected Him. Many of them, especially among the Scribes and Pharisees, thought highly of themselves while they were quick to condemn others for their sins. Many of these sinners repented and received Jesus, but those who did not were cut off when the Old Covenant passed away and the New Covenant was established.
Although there was a meaning to the parable that spoke directly to the people in Jesus’s day, we can learn from it now.
I think the greatest thing that we can take away from this parable is to take care of our own souls first before we get too hung up on the sins of other people. If we don’t, then while we are focusing on the coming destruction of others, we fail to see that our own destruction could be just around the corner.
We live in a time that can greatly tempt us to become distracted by the sins of other people. This can include individuals in our lives, but also greater matters socially, politically, and nationally. While there is a time to help people repent, if we have a lot of our own sins to deal with, then what good is it doing us to worry about everyone else?
Paul the Apostle wrote about this idea in his first letter to the Corinthians. He said, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” If Paul could have such a humble mindset, arguably being the greatest of the apostles, then how much more should we have the same attitude?
As Christians, we want to be found “fruitful,” which means our lives are bringing forth “fruits of the Spirit,” which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits demonstrate that we have true faith, and that our faith causes us to follow Jesus and become transformed by Him.
Though we are transformed, I think we should always consider ourselves to be as the unfruitful fig tree. Like the scriptures say, “I am an unprofitable servant.” If we always consider ourselves to be lacking, then this motivates us to seek God in humility and with contrition. God gives us more grace because we do not think much of our progress. Also, when we do not think much of our progress, then we are less likely to get hung up on the sins of others.
There are a couple other ideas that come to mind when reading this parable. The first is the plea of the caretaker of the vineyard. When the master wanted to cut down the tree, the caretaker asked for one last chance. He said that he would do his best to nourish the tree so that it becomes fruitful. This seems like a good symbol for the ministers of God.
Faithful ministers are motivated by a healthy fear of the Lord, and with this fear they do all that they can to encourage their fellow servants in Christ to become “fruitful.” They fertilize people with the word of God, and with encouragement on living out their faith by acknowledging their sins, repenting, and seeking the grace of God to help them live according to the teachings of Jesus.
I also like that the parable has an open-ended conclusion. We do not know what happened to the fig tree. Likewise, we do not know what the Lord will do with any of us. Not only is Jesus the master of the vineyard, but He is also the caretaker. When we put our trust in Him, He will fertilize us and help us to grow. He does have His servants who can help us, but the job of these ministers is to point us to Jesus, encourage us to pray and to fight against sin, and to pick us back up when we have fallen. If we are putting our faith in Jesus, and we truly want to live for Him, then He will cause us to be fruitful. Yet, this is no light matter.
There are going to be many people who claimed to be Christian, but they do not truly have salvation. I think this has a lot to do with failure to “bring forth fruits of repentance” that keeps us in the correct state of mind. This mindset helps us to rely on Jesus and not ourselves, knowing that any good thing we are able to do is from Him.
So, we seek Him often. As we seek and see our weakness, how can we become overly worried about the sins of others in a hypocritical manner? Such a state is one of deadly pride, and there is no fruit in it. However, it seems normal for us to battle these kinds of prideful attitudes. Especially in a time of such great sin. The Lord knows this temptation, and He can forgive us and help us to be sober minded, knowing that without Him, we would die.
Knowing this, let’s do what we can to be more fruitful, but without thinking too much of our progress. Then, we can be like the caretaker of the vineyard who tries to help unfruitful trees produce, because we know that those who do not produce are cursed.
On a final note, there is no such thing as an easy grace gospel that is not fruitful. Grace empowers us to fight sin and gain victory in Christ, who is God with us, unto everlasting life. This is the gospel. Any other gospel is accursed because there is no fruit in it. This does not mean that we never sin, but it does mean that we repent of our sins as they occur, not just once, but continually. It means that we seek Jesus for His mercy, and we do what we can in faith to live in obedience to Him because we truly love Him.
If we love Him, then this means He first love us. So, we do not give up or become too hard on ourselves. Instead, we trust in Him even more and humble ourselves before Him. In so doing, we will learn to discern right from wrong, and with this knowledge we will become acutely aware over time of how much mercy we truly need. With this knowledge, our heart is softened, and we learn to love God and love others more. We find freedom from a condemning heart towards mankind and instead do what we can to lead them to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
PREVIOUS PARABLE POST: The Parable of the Watchful Servants
The online book, These Things Saith He is one attempt at encouraging fruitful faith. There are some ideas within this book that I am rethinking, so there might be another version coming out in the future. However, the main ideas are not going to change. It’s more of a change of focus that takes in some Christian teaching and history that I have learned since. Take it for what it’s worth, and at the least I hope it encourages the readers to pursue a life lived in Jesus Christ.
This article originally appeared at thelordalone.com. Feel free to share and leave a comment.
