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Luke 13:6-9
Excerpted from: Producing FruitNow this parable is just as much for us today, because it gives us insight into God's purpose for us. The man who had a fig tree in His vineyard is God. The dresser is Christ. And the fig tree, we could say, is either the church or us as individuals.
The fig tree was considered hardy for the Palestine area. It would be normally expected that it would do well there. The climate was agreeable to it. Apparently the right amount of rain generally fell. And it was expected then that it would produce a great deal of fruit.
Now, in this parable here, salvation is again not the issue. The issue is growth. And again, Jesus is teaching us that uselessness invites disaster—a tree producing no fruit when it should be expected to produce fruit.
What was the tree's sin? It was not producing anything. In the analogy here, it was taking from the ground. It was taking from the heavens. But it was giving nothing back!
We sometimes wonder if it is possible for us to have the strength to do this. You see, right in the parable, the dresser is fertilizing us. Christ is giving us the strength to do what we need to do. So, it puts us right in the corner. We cannot go to Him and say, "God, you never gave me what I needed to do this"—because we have been given. And He gives us what He gives us for what reason? So we can produce fruit. Now, what He gives us is called dung, or fertilizer, in the parable there, but I think we get the point. Growth for growth's sake is not the issue. It is fruit that is the issue. The tree was growing, but it was not producing any fruit. That was the issue.
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Our Heavenly Citizenship
What Would You Do With a Second Chance?
EssaysLessons From Roots (Part Three)
Lessons From Roots (Part Two)
Thanking God for Jesus Christ
SermonsResponding to God's Pruning is Not Passive (Part One)
God Expects a Return on His Investment (Part One)
Don't Stand Still!
Magic Doesn't Work (Part 3)
Do You Recognize This Man? (Part 4)
Patience With Growth
Matthew (Part Twenty-Seven)
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