The Barren Fig Tree, Part 1

If you have your Bible, I would invite you to turn with me to the 13th chapter of Luke. We're going to talk about the parable of the barren fig tree this evening. In my way of introduction, I just want to let you know that I think that the greatest pursuit individual can ever have is the pursuit of knowing God. So we want you to know Christ, and we trust that when you come to Christ's community church and you study the Word of God with us, that you are growing in your knowledge and in the grace of Jesus Christ.

Christ our Lord. Most of us, unfortunately, only know God superficially. And thus we have superficial lives. We have shallow lives. We're not very deep at all. And yet God wants us to become deep. He wants us to grow in our understanding of who he is. Tonight, we're going to study a parable that's going to give you a clearer grasp on the understanding of God. You are going to be so glad you came tonight. You're going to be so blessed because you're here. I mean, every time I these parables, I think, man, this is the best one yet.

They just keep getting better and better and better as I go. And I guess it's the week that I'm on is, the parable I'm on that week is the one that's my favorite. So I guess this week it's the parable of the barren fig tree. And most people know very little about this parable. And so we're going to follow the outline we have followed before. We're going to give you the introduction. Then we're going to give you the interpretation. And you are going to be so glad you came. Have I said that enough?

Okay. Just want to make sure you get it. I know, I'm glad you're here, you know. God's glad you here. I want you to be glad you're here, all right? Luke chapter 13. And I want to begin by by looking at the introduction. And by looking at the introduction, it really is our instruction because it gives us the setting and then it gives us the story. And you'll note that in these middle parables, we talked about it last week, that Luke are those middle parables. They begin in Matthew 13 with the kingdom parables.

These between Luke 10 and Luke 19 are of the ones that happen between the transfiguration and the triumphantry of our Lord, but there's always a context around them, a setting, something happens, a question is asked, the Lord does something, and it leads the Lord to teach a parable, which has profound truths. And this one is quite fascinating. Luke 13, verse number one, now on the same occasion, there were some president who reported to him about the Galileans whose blood pilot had ming with their sacrifices.

And the answer and said to them, do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? I tell you no. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those 18 on whom the Tower of Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who lived in Jerusalem? I tell you no. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. The first five verses give us the setting.

And then Christ is going to give us a story that help us understand the point he wants to get across. The setting is very important. Why? Because Jesus had been asked a question. The Jews had a mindset. And you've got to understand their mindset. They're God's chosen people. I mean, if you're God's chosen people, you're the best, right? You're better than the Samaritans. You're better than the Galileans. You're better than the Romans. I mean, those people are sinners. They're wretched people. But we're children of Abraham.

We're followers of Moses. We're God's chosen people. That's the Jewish mindset in Jesus' day. And because we're the chosen ones, we're the best ones. We're the good ones. And they're the bad ones. And so they wanted to ask a question of the Lord that would solidify this thinking in their mind. Lord, there were some Galileans who went in to offer sacrifices at the temple. And Pilate slaughtered him. He killed him. Now, we don't know why he did it. Pilate was a gruesome man. He was a murderous kind of man.

And, you know, he had the power to wield. whenever he wanted to wield it because he was the ruler there in Judea and he could have killed whoever he wanted to kill and there'd be no repercussions for that but somehow these these galileans were in the temple you think that would be a safe place right that'd be a good place to be I mean if you're going to be safe you're going to be in the house of God and and you're going to be worshipping God and serving God and that's the safest place to be but these galileans went in to offer sacrifices to the Lord and and Pilate killed them just slaughtered him and mingled blood with their animal sacrifices, so their blood would flow with the sacrifice of the animals.

Kind of a gruesome setting. And so they wanted to ask the Lord a question about this. Everybody knew of the event. It wasn't something that only a few people knew. It was all throughout Jerusalem. Everybody knew about this. Oh, that's just gross. How could pilot ever do something like that? That's just terrifying. And yet, it was something that plagued the Jewish mind. These men had to be more guilty than us, right? They had to be worse sinners than we are for this to happen to them. That's why in John 9, Christ was asked about the man born blind.

Who sinned? This man or his parents? I mean, this guy's a Jew. If he's a Jew, man, he must have had some kind of gross sin in his life for this to happen. Because this just doesn't happen to God's chosen people. Bad things don't happen to God's people. That's the mentality of the Jewish nation. And so who's sinned? It must have been either him or his parents. And what did Jesus say? Either one of them has nothing to do with whether or not he's sin. He was born blind so that you'd be able to see the works of God today.

Has nothing to do with this man's sin or his parents' sin or anybody's sin. Has everything to do with me and what I want to do. But that was their mentality. That's why Job's miserable counselors, when they came to him, they told him, Job, it must be because of sin in your life. And the Bible has already told us that Job was the most righteous man on the face of the earth. And so listen to Elifaz in Job 4, verse number 7. Remember now, whoever. perished being innocent. Come on, Job. No man ever perished to his innocent.

Or where were the upright destroyed? Tell me, Job, when were the upright destroyed? Where were the upright destroyed? Upright people, upright, good, standing Jewish people don't have bad things happen to him. Job, Bill Dad would come and he'd pipe up, and he'd say a few words over in chapter 8. He'd say, if your sons sinned against him, then he delivered them into the power of their transgression. The reason God wiped out your family is because they sin, Job, and God wiped them out. It was because of their transgression.

See, that was a Jewish mindset. And so when they come to Christ and they talk to him about this event in Luke chapter 13 that took place in Jerusalem, what they are doing is trying to solidify in their minds that these Galilean, were wretched sinners. They were evil people. That's why it happened to them. Because they were Jews. They were the chosen ones. Misfortunes such as that. Tragedy such as that cannot happen to God's people. It was an attractive way for them to think about life. That's the way they wanted to view life.

God loved them. Because God loved them, they had to be better than anyone else. So in a sense, they're saying, okay, Jesus, why don't you expound on the inadequacies of the Galilean sinners? Just to somehow show everybody that we're all right. So Jesus refused to play their game. He says, do you think that these Galileans were greater sinners? than all other Galileans. And somehow these guys had some secret sin that would mark them out as worse sinners than others just because they suffered a horrible fate.

He says, I tell you no. Not at all. That's not the way it is. And unless you repent, you will likewise perish. That is, unless you repent, unless you turn from the error of your way, unless you turn from your sinfulness, you too are going to perish. You too will die, and you will die in your sins. And then Jesus adds to the story. He brings in another scenario. He says this. Or do you suppose that those 18 on whom the Tower of Sallon fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in?

Jerusalem? Remember the tower that fell? The tower that was built by Hezekiah, a tower that would somehow keep water coming into the city if there ever happened to be a siege, a tower that he built that fell over. And 18 people lost their lives. I mean, they were walking down the street. I mean, maybe they were going to the temple. Maybe they were going out to lunch. Maybe they had their kids with them. They were out on a wonderful afternoon, sunny afternoon, walk, and all of a and the tower fell over and bang, they died.

Was that because their sin? Were they worse culprits than everybody else? Because they had tragedy come upon them? While others didn't? I tell you no, Christ says.

That is not the case. And unless you repent, you will likewise perish. An amazing, amazing scenario. Christ says, understand.

You need to. repent. You need to turn around. You need to change directions. You need to have a change of mind that factually enhances your lifestyle and takes it from going that way to going that way. You need to turn from your sin. That is the setting. Now Christ gives the story. One man, one author said this way, repentance must happen in our souls or we will perish in the judgment. If Jesus has not changed your conduct, and if he is not continuing to change your conduct, you are very likely not a Christian.

Repentance is the style of true Christianity. Repentance is not an option. That's true. Christ says you need to repent.

Nag is a story. Fascinating parable. Let me read it for you. He began telling this parable. certain 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 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 and the answer said to him let it alone sir for this year too until i dig around it and put in fertilizer and if it Bairs fruit next year, fine.

But if not, cut it down. Christ gives a parable. There was a certain man. We don't know anything about the man. He just was a man. The man had a vineyard. In the vineyard, he planted this fig tree. He had a caretaker who would come and till the ground and watch over it. And everything had been properly prepared. Everything was just right for this tree to grow. and to grow figs, and to be the kind of tree that would be used in a very profitable kind of way. And the owner comes back. He says, you know what?

For three years, I've been waiting for figs to come. There are none. This tree is useless. This tree is worthless. I don't need it. Cut it down. Get rid of it. It's taking up good ground. It's taken up good soil. You see, there was nothing wrong with the soil. oil. There was nothing wrong with the owner. There was nothing wrong with the caretaker. There was something wrong with the tree. It didn't produce any figs. So God says, or the, the caretaker says, or not the caretaker, excuse me, the owner says, you know what?

It's worthless. Get rid of it. It's got to go. It's had excellent care. You've taken care of it. But it's not doing what it's supposed to do. There's just caretaker. And look what he does. He pleads. He pleads for one last opportunity. You know, sir, could you just give me one more year? Just one. If you give me one more year, I'll dig around it, I'll put some new fertilizer around it, I'll take extra special care of it. And then at the end of that year, if nothing happens, cut it down. But please, sir, could you give me just one more chance?

One more year. One more opportunity. And if it doesn't happen, then you can cut it down. Astonishing, mercy, and grace. What's the interpretation of this? What does this mean? Two things I want to share with you this evening. What is the specific interpretation and what is the general interpretation? Remember, this parable is going to teach us about the character of God. It's going to help us come to balance with God's character. So we understand who he is, how he function, why he functions the way he does.

Specifically, understand this. The fig tree is representative of Israel. The owner is representative of God. The caretaker is representative of Jesus Christ. So as you read through the Bible, you read, realize that Israel is referred to as a fig tree many times. You can read about it in Jeremiah 24, Josea 9, Micah 7. And by virtue of his analogy, those listening would come to grips with the fact that Israel as a nation was symbolized in the Old Testament as a fig tree. And God is saying there is this tree, has lots of leaves.

It's been taken care of. It's been nurtured. It's been watched out for. But it has no figs. It's worthless. It has no fruits. It does me no good. Therefore, I'm going to judge it. Therefore, I'm going to condemn it. Therefore, I'm going to get rid of it altogether. equivalent to repentance. You don't do that. Over in the book of Isaiah, the fifth chapter, we have the never-ending saga of God's dealing with Israel. It says in chapter 5, verse number one, these words, let me sing now for my well-beloved, a song of my beloved concerning his vineyard.

My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill, and he dug it all around. removed its stones and planted it with a choicest vine and he built a tower in the middle of it and hewed out a wine vat in it then he expected it to produce good grapes but it produced only worthless grapes and now inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah judge between me and my vineyard what more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done in it why when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones.

So now, let me tell you what I'm going to do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed. I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground and I will lay it waste. It will not be pruned or hoed. But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain, no rain on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of host is the house of Israel and the men of Judah. His delightful plant, thus he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed, for righteousness, but behold a cry of distress.

God says, I have given you everything. I have done for you what I have done for no one else. And yet you refuse to do what I've asked you to do. You have refused to produce that what I have designed for you to produce. And therefore, I'm going to judge you. Therefore, I'm going to deal with you my way. I plant you in a choice spot. I built a hedge around you. I give you a trim. I expect righteousness and you give me sin. I expect fruit and you give me no fruit. It's never in the story with the nation of Israel.

In Luke chapter 13, the analogy is very clear to those who listen. God planned to judge them. And the caretaker, the caretaker, the caretaker would plead to the owner. He would plead based on the mercy of the owner. And the caretaker would come and say, give me another year. Give me one more chance, one more opportunity. And then, if nothing happens, then go ahead and judge the tree. if they reject the last act of patience and remain fruitless, go ahead, then you can judge them. This is a warning to Israel.

This is a warning of impending judgment coming upon them. This was their last chance, and they would end up rejecting Christ, and God would judge them. For in 70 AD, they would be dispersed all over the world as God would bring a judgment upon that city. upon the Jewish nation as the Roman soldiers marched in and Jerusalem was was destroyed in over 1,100,000 Jews were crucified in that city. So Seifis tells us that they couldn't crucify anymore because he ran out of wood. And if there was enough wood, there wouldn't be any place else to hang them.

For the streets were littered with the dead bodies of Jewish people. God said, cut it down. The caretakers said, give me one more chance. One more opportunity. One more opportunity to nurture the ground, to see if we can grow the tree. And unfortunately, nothing happened. Generally, or specifically, excuse me, the application is to the nation of Israel. And their relationship to Jesus Christ, the caretaker of the vineyard, owned by God himself. But generally, there's an application to any. anybody who doesn't produce fruit, right?

There's an application that God is going to judge you, that God is going to bring about his judgment on all those who take up ground and show themselves to be worthless, that God will one day judge them. The Bible is so clear over in Matthew, if you just go back to Matthew chapter 7, Christ said it this way. In verse number 16, you will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles are they? Even so every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

In the parable of the soil or the soils, we learned that the soil that was a true believer was a soil that produced fruit, was a soil that demonstrated repentance, that demonstrated a change of heart, that demonstrated a change of attitude, that demonstrated a change in action, that demonstrated a change in direction. There was something that took place in the life of that soil that caused it to produce fruit, whereas the other soils did not produce any fruit. And Christ would emphasize it over and over and over again.

In John 15, verse number 16, he says, I chose you and I appointed you as my children to bear fruit and that your fruit would remain. He said that to his disciples. I've chosen you. I've appointed you. It's a guaranteed fact. You're going to bear fruit. No question about it. It's not. It's not. not optional because I chose you and because I chose you and because I appointed you, I expect you to bring forth fruit to prove that you are my disciples. James said the same thing in James 2, verse 17 and 22.

Christ said the same thing in Matthew 12, verse number 33, as he spoke to the Pharisees when he said these words, either make the tree good and its fruit good or make the tree bad and its fruit bad. For the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you be an evil speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good. And the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil. And I say to you that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment.

For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be Christ says one of the evidences of a changed life is a changed language that somehow your conversation will be different than it was before.

That's why Christ said by your words you will be judged and by your words you shall be condemned. Christ would emphasize the fact of fruit bearing all throughout his ministry. Paul would say in Galatians 5 as he speaks about the fruit of the spirit, how it's love and joy and peace and goodness and long-suffering and patience and kindness. It's those things that demonstrate in an attitude, a difference. than the world. And Christ expects his children to bring forth fruit. Let's pray.