Lord Jesus, please be my vision as I begin my day.
“Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, ‘For three years now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it I find none. Cut it down! Why should it continue to deplete the soil?’ But the worker answered him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. Then if it bears fruit next year, very well, but if not, you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:6-9)
The elapsed time in this parable is around 5 years total since the man planted the fig until he checked for figs again and found none. It takes a fig tree two years before it is mature enough to begin bearing fruit and the man would started to look for fruit. And the parable states the man looked for fruit for 3 years. The point in any case is that more than enough time had been given to expect the tree to bear fruit. The purpose of a fig tree and why it even exists is to bear fruit. If it does not, as the man stated, what good is it? Cut it down and let’s plant and cultivate another tree that will bear fruit. In this parable, it is not actually fig trees Jesus is talking about, the parable uses a fig tree to represent his disciples, you and I Christians in the church. There are many more passages in the Bible that state the purpose of a Christian is to bear fruit. We read some of these passages in earlier chapter of Luke.
“Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (3:9)
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury produces evil, “ 6:43-45)
I am continuing to reflect on our baptisms. There was an “unto”, a purpose for our baptism, that purpose is for us to bear fruit. And what is the fruit you are to bear? Jesus tell us, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Making disciples of Jesus is the fruit we are called to bring forth.
For the fig tree, it takes 2 years before it is mature enough to bear fruit. For us, it is immediately after we are baptized. Compared to the parable, for some of you reading this it has been way longer than 2 years since you were baptized plus 3 years of Jesus checking to see if you are bearing fruit. Some of you it has been 10, 20, 30 or more years since you were planted by your baptism in the vineyard of God, natured, and expected to bear fruit. So, how much fruit in all that time have you produced and is in your basket? How many people have you shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with, then granted access to you lives and nurtured into a disciple of Jesus until they are producing fruit? How many pieces of fruit (disciples) have you produced in the last year? Last two years? If the owner of the vineyard looked at your walk as a Christian as he did the fig tree would he say, “I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it I find none. Cut it down! Why should it continue to deplete the soil?”
Listen carefully. Let those who have ears hear. If you are reading this devotion there is a good chance you call yourself a Christian. At the core of why you are calling yourself a “Christian,” and why you were created, baptized, redeemed and set apart was not to: attend church services on Sunday or watch them on line; attend house churches; attended Bible studies; attend men’s and women’s small groups;; attend Christian concerts and raise your hands in worship; attend retreats like Emmaus, Cursillo, Paseo, New Room, or other conferences; pray and read your Bible alone in your living room; read this and other devotions; read other books on Christianity. Yes, you need to and are to participate in these good things. And many of you have been participating in these good things for decades now. However, these things are all the “digging around” and “fertilizer” as described in the above passage to help you produce fruit and do what you were created, baptized, and redeemed to do, and that is make disciples. If you are not bearing fruit, you are “depleting the soil” and not fulling the purpose for which you exist.
Now this is where most people in their minds go into the rationalization, comparison to others, excuses, and self- justification for why they are not bearing fruit, making disciples. If the above passage applies to you as a Christian, please don’t go there. Just simply and honestly repent, ask Jesus for forgiveness, and intentionally make plans to make disciples. For some of you, you may not be bearing fruit because you have stopped, stepped away from, or gotten lazy in all those things that I listed that are the “digging around” and “fertilizer” that are needed to help you produce fruit and you need to start an intentional “fertilizing routine.” For some of you, you may not know how, and I’d love to help you.
My family, I pray you set aside time to honestly look at your walk with Christ and if you are bearing fruit, I pray you will not turn to rationalization but to repentance, not to comparison but to the cross and spend time with the Holy Spirit discerning how you will intentionally, without delay, going to begin bearing fruit and making disciples, in Jesus name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your reflections and prayers with us on this blog in the comment box below.
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One of my passions is helping churches or small groups understand and embrace their call to be disciples of Jesus in their community.. I offer and lead discipleship trainings in person and on-line. If you are interested I would love to talk to you bout it. Email me at garyl@onedirection.community.
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