LESSON 2, VERSE 6:
The Parable we are studying is
brief, only four verses long. This just might give us the luxury
of looking at its preceding context. Maybe there we shall find a
"hint" to help us interpret this beautiful little Story Jesus
taught.
"There
were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans,
whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus
answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were
sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such
things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all
likewise perish. 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? I tell you, Nay: but,
except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke
13:1-5
Then Jesus illustrated with the "dung"
parable, our actual Text for a few days.
"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. 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? And he
answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till
I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit,
well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut
it down." Luke 13:6-9
Now, let's compare and contrast these two
Passages.
The certainty of judgment looms in both
pictures.
So does the value of "reasoning" with God,
respectfully, of course. "Come now, and
let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins
be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be
red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18
Notice too that in the first situations, both
with an angry Pilate and with the fallen tower, no "adversary"
or "mediator" appears. That's not the case with the fig tree!
But, presumably, in both paragraphs
"repentance" is a necessity. It's plainly stated in one and
latently implied in the other.
Then, the Lord explains the "meaning" of
Verses 1-5, but not necessarily in Verses 6-9. He lets us get it
on our own, with the help of the Holy Spirit of course.
We probably need to notice these preceding
Verses, that's 1-5 again, because the very definition of
"parable" demands such.
"He spake also this
parable ...." Luke 13:6a, as they say. The very
first clause in our Text.
"Parable" translates its namesake, "parabole."
It just means something that has "been thrown" ("ballo" in
Greek) "alongside" ("para" in Greek) another like thing, usually
for illustrative purposes.
So, we "place" Luke 13:6-9 beside Luke
13:1-5, and doing so has helped!
When I first began studying this morning,
Luke 13:1-5, I could not "make sense" of it, not like I should
have.
But now that I have "compared" or "thrown it
down right beside" its neighboring verses, things are beginning
to fall into place!
Jesus surely, among other truths, is here
also emphasizing the essence of God's Grace!
Pilate slew some, many others lived.
The tower crushed eighteen to death. It
probably "missed" that many too, maybe even more.
The fig tree was as good as "gone," until a
caretaker volunteered more time to "save" it.
All typify grace on the part of Almighty God!
Come to think of it, so does the account that
follows this farm story, this "don't cut my tree 'til I dung it"
event.
Read it please. It has "Grace" written
everywhere! "And Jesus was teaching in one
of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman
which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed
together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when
Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her,
Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his
hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and
glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with
indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day,
and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought
to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the
sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou
hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox
or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to
watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from
this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things,
all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced
for all the glorious things that were done by him." Luke
13:10-17
Wow!
Verses 1-5, no mediator!
Verses 6-9, a human mediator!
Verses 10-17, Jesus as Mediator, God the Son!
Verses 1-5, Grace implied.
Verses 6-9, Grace offered.
Verses 10-17, Grace opposed.
We have lots to study here!
Lord willing, another Lesson tomorrow.
In the meantime, try to "learn" the Story,
Verses 6-9. Either get it by heart, word for word; or in
essence, the general idea anyway.
One more time, it's so brief.
"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. 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? And he answering said unto him, Lord,
let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung
it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not,
then after that thou shalt cut it down." Luke 13:6-9
Lord, help us to learn the truths you have
embedded in this Parable. In the words of the Psalmist, we pray:
"Open thou our eyes, that we may behold
wondrous things out of thy law."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3, STILL VERSE 6:
Luke tells us of
Jesus: "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. " Luke
13:6
The verb "spake" is "lego" in
Greek. It just means "to speak, to tell," the utterance of some
form of communication. But here, amazingly, it's framed as an
"imperfect" verb, sort of a "tense" marker, had we been studying
English.
"Elegen," the exact form of "lego"
used here, means that Jesus' speaking was not just over and done
the second this sermon ended! He did complete His thought. In
fact, He may have never told this exact Parable again. But the
"implication" of an imperfect tense verb is that the action has
lasting consequences! The story never looses its power! It
impacts lives yet today!
And this particular "tense" is
often used of God's Word, the Bible, very often! It is now two
thousand plus years old, yet as fresh as the morning dew! It's
also eternal, having been perennially established in Heaven!
God's Word, including this
little parable, never quits teaching!
It is complete in content, no
more Scripture is being written! Do not expect a 67th Book! But
it is not complete in power and ability to change lives! Those
things are perpetual!
Jesus "spake" unto them this
parable!
"A
certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and
he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. "
One of the earmarks of any parable is that
the person therein remains anonymous. He is just a "certain
man." If a proper name is given in a suspected parabolic Text,
it is not a parable!
Luke 16 is not a parable. Hell is a
real place, not a figurative mindset. There was a real rich man
who was lost. And a real beggar named Lazarus who
was saved. See that proper name please.
"Certain" translates "tis," simply meaning
"someone." Here it's in the masculine gender. So, we're dealing
with a man.
He is the vineyard owner. It clearly says
"his" vineyard. That means he owns the fig tree also.
Additionally, the owner, the lord of the
manor, oversaw the "planting" of his fig tree! The verb "had"
suggests such supervision, "echo," meaning to "hold on to"
something. Tight control!
"Planted" is "phuteuo," from an original verb
meaning "to puff up, to blow out, to swell!" That's what happens
when the seed germinates and grows!
"Planted" here is a perfect participle. We
are being led to assume that this tree once planted, kept
reproducing itself. That's true scientifically. And
grammatically, in this case.
But what good would a fruitless
tree have been?
The word for "fig tree" is "suke,"
from "sukon," merely a "fig." In the New Testament "suke"
appears 16 times, all being translated the same way, "fig tree."
And it is usually taught that
the "fig tree" is an emblem for "Israel." Assuredly this is so.
In Joel 1:7 God Himself is upset over the way the Jews have been
treated, the Nation of Israel: "He hath
laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree:
he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the
branches thereof are made white." God just called Israel
"My fig tree!"
Case closed.
Well, Israel also was God's
"vine!" God's vineyard, the work of His Hands, the "planting" of
His design! If you have time, see Isaiah 60:21 and 61:3, both as
examples.
Jesus is preaching to the
Israelites directly.
And to us Gentiles indirectly.
After some time, the fig tree
obviously having grown, the owner seeks fruit. The verb "seek"
is "zeteo" and can mean "to crave." However, in its strongest
sense, it means "to demand" something too.
The Lord likes figs!
Our God loves to see "fruit" in
our lives!
Fruit for His enjoyment!
For His consumption!
But, alas, there was "no
fruit."
"Ou," here spelled "ouch," is
the Greek prohibitive that is absolute! Not a fig on the whole
tree! This little particle is often used in questions where a
positive answer is expected, but not given!
His mouth, the owner's, may
have been watering. All available evidence suggested that the
tree would have been "loaded" with fruit!
But not so!
Are we glorifying our Lord
today, specifically by bearing fruit?
That "fruit" in our lives can
be twofold.
Souls brought to our Lord,
reproduction in kind. This is like a fig tree duplicating
itself, another little tree growing nearby! But the owner here
is not looking for little trees nearby! His taste is
piqued!
The other possible fruit
scenario, the Holy Spirit "growing" into our lives, is likely
meant here. You know, the Spirit's sweet "fruit" of love and
joy and peace and longsuffering and gentleness and goodness and
faith and meekness and temperance. Galatians 5:22-23
This is particularly what our
parable today is emphasizing.
Wow!
Be a soul winner.
Be sweet and joyful, too.
Fruit.
"A
certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and
he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. "
Don't disappoint your Lord!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4, VERSE 7:
It's amazing how
even a glance at a verse of Scripture sends all kinds of
"signals" to the Believer in Christ.
The Holy Spirit seems to
overflow us with information and motivation and sometimes,
exultation.
For example, just as it stands,
Luke 13:7. "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?"
The "speaker" is the landowner.
The whole vineyard belongs to him, including the fig tree of
course.
The expression "dresser of his
vineyard" translates a single Greek noun, "ampelourgos." Here
are blended "ampelos," meaning a network of "vines," and "ergon"
meanng "to labor." This man is a "farmer" of grapevines, a
specialist in this area of agriculture. He also is an employee
of the owner, either as a free man or as a slave.
This "vine-worker" is very
important in our little parable here because he becomes the
"intercessor" for the fig tree. I think this is going to end up
being a "type" or "symbol" of praying for the little Nation of
Israel.
The imperative "behold" is "idou,"
primarily meaning "look." It can be rendered "see." Often the
King James Text has "lo" as well.
The noun "fruit" is "karpos,"
meaning "produce or results or harvest or grain," most often
being some edible item. Once Paul mentions a man, a Believer,
named "Carpus," this exact noun! A Christian named "fruitful!"
Two verbs, "seeking" and
"finding," show hunger on the part of the land owner. He's
actually craving these non-existent figs! Examination, scrutiny,
and observation are insinuated here as well.
The man desires figs, and his
farm has disappointed him!
On top of all that, this is the
third time he's looked for a harvest! The first thing about this
whole verse that impressed me was the land owner's patience.
Three years!
I am told that a fig bush needs
to grow and mature and might take that long to bear fruit. But
all of them, unless a major problem exists, should be fulfilling
their purpose by the third year.
No rush to judgment here.
And since land space in ancient
Israel was so precious, the area a "fruitless" tree occupied
could be put to much better use!
A fig tree hardly exists for
shade purposes!
Or fire wood!
It needs to bear those sweet
little morsels of delight, for deserts and pies and preserves
and here, "snacks!"
Then comes the more definite
order, "Cut it down." One word in Greek, "ekkopto." The root "kopto"
is "to cut," with the prefix, "ek" meaning "out of" or "away
from."
Remove the tree!
Needless to say, the verb is an
imperative, a stark command!
Apparently nearby ground was
fertile enough to produce results, gapes or other figs. At least
to the point that this particular tree seemed to be the problem.
Not the weather or the earth or the employees.
"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?"
The verb "cumbereth" is "katargeo,"
with "argeo" meaning "to be idle or inactive." Then at times "to
linger, to delay." The prefix "kata" just intensifies the root
meaning. This tree has been really inactive!
And maybe just for information
purposes, "ground" is spelled "ge," the heart of our word "geography
or geology, the "earth."
A decision has been made.
Based on finance.
Based on practicality.
And maybe, just a little bit,
based on the owner's frustration. He has that right, you know.
His farm is meant to being him
delight.
Christian friends, do you see
the lesson?
Or is it a warning?
In John 15 Jesus teaches this
truth more directly. "I am the true vine,
and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth
not fruit he taketh away."
Fruit is our very purpose for
existence.
Here, spiritually speaking, the
fruit appears to be something sweet and nourishing and luscious,
"figs!"
Another "fig tree," that kind
of fruit, is not what the owner has in mind, at least not at
this time. We are not talking "reproduction" here. We're talking
"overflow," reaching the God-given goal for one's existence.
In fact, would a farmer even want a fruitless fig
tree reproducing itself?
Yes, this is the fruit that's
meant: "But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
Or at least that's the way I see it.
And if a man or woman claims salvation, yet
bears no "love or joy or peace or longsuffering" in his or her
life, our Lord (like that land owner) surely is disappointed!
And something is wrong in that life!
Badly wrong!
Jesus again: "Herein is
my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my
disciples." John 15:8
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5, VERSE 8:
These words were spoken by an
employee to his boss. By a vine-worker to the land-owner. He is
essentially pleading for the life of a tree, a fig tree!
"And
he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also,
till I shall dig about it, and dung it." Luke 13:8
When you really think about it, this little
parable is full of grace. Today's verse merely furthers that
argument.
The verbal adjective "answering" incorporates
the little Greek word "krino." It means "to judge or discern."
The land farmer has carefully thought about what he's going to
say! He is not answering this matter quickly!
He here avoided the pitfall of "hasty words."
Solomon warned us: "Seest thou a man
that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a
fool than of him." Proverbs 29:20
Then notice what the vine-worker called his
superior, "Lord." The word is spelled "kurios" and means "one
with supremacy." It is essentially a term of respect and honor.
Here's the right way to ask for something,
especially from one in authority!
Back to Proverbs. "A
soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up
anger." Proverbs 15:1
All the poor laborer wants is one more
opportunity to "save" the fig tree! To spare its life. To allow
it to fulfill the purpose for its existence.
And wisely, the farmer himself, if permission
is granted, is going to do all the work!
"Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it,
and dung it."
The plan is threefold.
1. Let it alone, please.
2. Allow me to dig about it, loosening the
soil.
3. Then I shall fertilize it too.
Each step is critical to the tree's survival!
A man caring about a tree!
But, remember, that tree to Jesus and His
hearers in this parable is a picture of Israel, the Nation.
Without someone's "intercession" and
subsequent "labor," that tree would be no more!
God the Lord really wants people to plead for
Israel!
"Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within
thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces."
Psalm 122:6-7
"For Zion's sake will I
not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the
salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth." Isaiah
62:1
"I have set watchmen
upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their
peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not
silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he
make Jerusalem a praise in the earth." Still Isaiah 62,
this time verses 6 and 7.
Begging for the preservation and salvation of
Israel, God's fig tree!
"Brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be
saved." This is Paul, in Romans 10:1.
Here he is again one chapter earlier.
"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my
conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I
have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I
could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my
brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." In other
words, Paul would have been willing to die and go to Hell, if
God would have only saved Israel at that time! Romans 9:1-3
And, back to the parable, the vine-dresser,
he only asked for one more year of grace!
"Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it,
and dung it."
One never knows how much time he or she has
left!
Twelve months!
A four-season cycle!
Only fifty-two weeks, short weeks!
The verb "dig" is "skapto," found only 3
times in all the New Testament. All these are in Luke, too. A
man digging a foundation for his house, Luke 6:48. And the
questionable steward in Luke 16:3, who could not dig!
It's work, digging!
Hard work!
Preparing soil!
Trying to make bad dirt into good dirt!
And for the verb "to dung," the word the Holy
Spirit gave Luke is "ballo." All it means is "to throw."
However, with "kopria" as its object, a noun meaning "manure,"
the fertilization process is being described. To drop something
in the soil that's been loosened! To add some type of catalyst
to help the tree bear fruit!
And what might that be?
Again, it's fertilizer.
Animal waste, manure.
Tomorrow, Lord willing, more about that
"dung."
Without it, the fig tree likely is not going
to survive!
Do I care about God's Fig Tree?
In Joel 1:7, God, while clearly talking about
Israel, said of an enemy: "He hath laid my
vine waste, and barked
my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it
away; the branches thereof are made white."
If a person hates Israel, God promises him or
her trouble!
Curses!
See Genesis 12:1-3. Plainly God pledges to
Abraham and his seed, his generations:
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee."
And question two from today's verse, do I
realize the length to which God wants me to go just to bear more
fruit to His Name?
A full year!
Digging!
Adding dung!
Waiting!
Watching!
Hoping!
Why?
Because fruitlessness in a life is not
a good thing?
In fact, in Jesus' great parable of the seed
and the sower, Matthew 13:3-9, "no fruit" meant no real life!
Fruitless christians may not even be real
Christians, not at all!
Think about it.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6, STILL VERSE 8:
The word is
"dung."
I can only find Jesus using it
one time in all recorded Scripture. And even that occasion
involved His teaching a parable.
A parable about a fig tree
located in a vineyard.
Here's an employee talking to
his employer. The one in authority wishes to eliminate the
fruitless fig tree. The earth-worker asks for a few more months
to do one more thing. "And he answering
said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall
dig about it, and dung it." Luke 13:8
The grammatical construction
here translated "dung it" is "ballo kopria." Literally it means
"to thrown manure" into the loosened ground around the fig tree
in question.
I've been thinking overnight
about this Text.
Usually "dung" is something to
be removed, the sooner the better. The Old Testament has whole
units of "law" teaching the Israelites how to do so, especially
as they traveled from Egypt to Canaan. See Deuteronomy 23:13,
for example.
Paul takes all his human
accomplishments, impressive as they are, and calls them nothing
but "dung!" That is, when compared to a relationship with the
Lord Jesus Christ! "Yea doubtless, and I
count all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I
may win Christ, and be found in Him." Philippians 3:8
In the days of Nehemiah, as
that spiritual giant rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, one of the
gates that had to be repaired was the "dung" gate!
"But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the
son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it,
and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars
thereof." Nehemiah 3:14
This was the location where
trash and refuse and garbage were removed from the City. It was
a vital part of their sanitation program! Needless to say, such
a program is necessary for any municipality.
Yet some Christians do not seem
to have a corresponding spiritual "dung gate" in their lives.
Countless believers have not confessed and forsaken a sin in
years! No "purging" for them, thank you!
Then likely, they are, as Jesus
said: "Whited sepulchres, which indeed
appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's
bones, and of all uncleanness." Matthew 23:27
We need to live clean lives!
To the Glory of God!
Using 1st John 1:9 very often!
"If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness."
All I've said today is true,
Biblically true.
No doubt.
But here in our Text, Luke
13:6-9, this little parable about the fruitless fig tree in the
vineyard, "dung" is treated as something helpful!
Oh, it's still vile.
It yet must be removed from
sight.
But it is not without some
beneficial qualities.
When it's "buried" anyway!
"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. 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? And he
answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till
I shall dig about it, and dung it:
and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after
that thou shalt cut it down." Luke 13:6-9, the whole
thing.
The hope, obviously, is that
the "dung," the "manure," will serve as a fertilizer for the
tree!
Nudging it to bear fruit!
Sparing its very life, in
reality!
Giving it greater purpose!
We have, I think, a spiritual
principle here. The more "trash" I can get out of my life, the
more "dung" of sin and transgression and failure ... the more
"fruit" I can bear to the Glory of God!
That is, if I treat that
"dung," that "filth" properly.
If I grieve over having to
"forsake" those dirty little habits, no progress will come.
If I refuse to "quit" those
things, no progress will be made in my Christian journey. And,
of course, no fruit will be borne either.
However ... if I eliminate the
spiritual "dung," whatever God might reveal it to be, and "bury"
it wherever God says, get ready!
Growth is on the way!
That stuff, having been removed
from one's life, works best when buried!
It's veritable "fertilizer" for
spiritual growth!
"Fruit boosters!"
When Paul that day "discounted"
his heritage and nationality and tribal identity (being an
Israelite of the Tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew and Pharisee), the
Apostle "enhanced" his relationship with Jesus Christ!
He says so!
"That I may know him, and the power of his
resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings."
Philippians 3:10
Paul, having treated as "dung"
certain things in his life, was on his way to
super-fruitfulness!
An hundred-fold, you might way!
Or more!
I'm sure there's more to this
"dung" principle that we've discussed today, but this is enough
to get us started.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you
something in your life that needs to "go!" To be treated as
"dung."
Then, confess it. Get rid of
it. Bury it. And let the benefits begin.
In the process, expect more
fruit in your walk with the Lord.
"Search
me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and
see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the
way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7, VERSE 9:
The whole story hinges on the
word "fruit."
In fact, it could be called the
"parable of the unfruitful fig tree."
In the final analysis ...
"And if it bear fruit, well: and
if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."
Luke 13:9
The little tree's very
existence depended on that fruit!
That's why we Christians are on
earth, too!
To bear fruit.
The alternative, to be "cut
down."
And "ekkopto" means "to cut
off, to cut away, to cut out."
This sounds severe!
"No fruit" renders the
professed Christian useless.
But look at the verse's first
half. The landlord said: "And if it bear
fruit, well." Luke 13:9a
That is, since its soil has
been reworked.
And the root system fertilized.
Let's see what it will do!
The owner is keenly interested.
So is our Lord, carefully
watching us for any signs of fruit!
"And if it bear fruit, well."
The verb "bear" is lovely. It's
"poieo," really meaning "to build or produce or fashion." But it
can implicitly mean "to make something lovely, beautiful,
pleasant," Add "poetic" too!
Any fruit you bear, any kind in
any amount, if it's to the Glory of God ... it is absolutely
gorgeous in His Eyes!
"For God
is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of
love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have
ministered to the saints, and do minister." Hebrews 6:10,
He will never overlook it!
Furthermore, that verb "bear"
or "poieo" is framed in the subjunctive mood. It's not a
definite thing, the fruit!
It "may" be.
The vineyard owner is
expressing his hope, his strong desire, his deep longing!
God loves that fruit!
And the word "fruit" is a noun,
spelled "karpos." It is believed that "karpos" is derived from "harpazo,"
a verb meaning "to snatch, seize, to carry off by force!"
Picture "picking" the ripe sweet fruit, in a hurry.
Speaking of fruit, there's a
man in the New Testament named "karpos," really "Carpus." You
might even say his name is Mr. Fruitful!
And what did he do to be
so blessed, so honorably named?
He took care of Paul's outer
coat, his "cloke," and some of his books too!
"The cloke that I left at Troas with
Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books,
but especially the parchments." That's the only
time "Carpus" is mentioned in the whole Bible, 2nd Timothy 4:13
Take care of the Preacher, even
in some small way, and you will have borne fruit!
According to John 15, here's
the Lord's desired sequence in fruit-bearing: "fruit," then
"more fruit," followed by "much fruit!"
God the Son likes fruit!
So does God the Holy Spirit!
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and
temperance." Galatians 5:22-23
What about God the Father?
"Herein
is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be
my disciples." John 15:8
The Trinity is impressed by
fruitfulness!
A branch can't be truly tapped
or grafted into the True Vine ... without something happening,
without sap flowing, without fruit being grown!
The "well" in our half-verse
today reminds me of Jesus' words in Matthew 25:21.
"Well
done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
Oh, to please Him on that Day!
"And if it bear fruit, well."
Barren believers?
That's an oxymoron I believe.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8, STILL VERSE
9:
Our Lord was not a "lukewarm"
Person!
Colossians 3:23 could have well
served as His motto. "And whatsoever ye
do, do it heartily."
Listen to this short sermon.
"Wherefore
if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast
them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life
halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be
cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck
it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to
enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be
cast into hell fire." Matthew 18:8-9, Today's "laid back"
world would call such an attitude "extreme."
Here's Jesus at another fig tree, different
from the one we've been studying. Watch His response.
"And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he
came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said
unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And
presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw
it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree
withered away!" Matthew 21:19-20
A "hint" to this "red hot" lifestyle Jesus
pursued might be found in Matthew 11:12.
"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of
heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."
Some things are worth drastic measures!
And eternal issues must be included in that
list!
Come to think of it, it was the Lord also Who
said to one of the seven Churches of Asia Minor:
"I know thy works, that thou art neither
cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because
thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee
out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16
Maybe these examples can help us "fix" Luke
13:6-9 in our minds and hearts. Watch what the landowner is
going to do to the "fruitless" tree in his vineyard. It's pretty
drastic. He's be in trouble with the "green" folks today! The
environmentalists! "And if it bear fruit,
well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut
it down."
Cut it down!
The verb is "ekkopto," decimate the thing!
Cut it off!
Away with it!
It's stealing nutrients from the earth, food
that could be used by other fruitful vegetation!
Now, don't misunderstand me.
Based on Matthew 13:3-9, it's not necessarily
"how much" fruit one bears unto the Lord, whether an hundred
fold or just sixty fold or even as low as thirty fold, but
simply the fact that he is not barren!
He's doing something for the Lord!
Anyone who "professes" salvation, much like
that fig tree "professed" figs, and lacks the "goods" to verify
that profession, the accompanying "fruit," that person well may
be in danger of the judgment of God!
Christian friend, are you being fruitful?
For Jesus' Sake?
Peter even wrote these words to Believers.
"For if these things be in you, and
abound, they make you that ye shall neither be
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar
off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."
2nd Peter 1:8-9
Be careful!
The Lord is serious.
For the saved man or woman, "fruit" is
necessary.
It's really unavoidable.
It's a result of the indwelling Holy Spirit
in our lives.
No fruit, no Spirit?
No Spirit, no salvation!
Think about it.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9, CONCLUSION:
Today is the
last Lesson on this little parable, the unfruitful fig tree, the
one in a vineyard. Our Lord was the perfect Teacher.
"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. 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? And he
answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till
I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit,
well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut
it down." Luke 13:6-9
Let's gather some "fragments"
as we journey through this Text.
Someone pointed out to me that
the owner was just looking for "fruit." We are not told that the
fruit had to be ripe! It does not say that he wanted to eat the
figs, not for certain. Our Lord also does not demand "maturity"
from us, not at first! Little growth is better than no growth!
And sparse fruit is better than no fruit! Don't disappoint your
Lord. Be filled with the Holy Spirit, Who will ultimately
produce fruit in your life.
The vinedresser is an
intercessor, too! "Lord, let it alone this
year," he pleads! Thank God for prayer warriors! He sort
of reminds me of Jesus, too. That's Jesus our Great High Priest,
Who "ever liveth to make intercession for
us." Hebrews 7:25
Then look at the "digging." If
that little fig tree had feelings, what a cry it would have
made! Ripping into the soil nearby, tearing some precious roots
too, no doubt! Uncomfortable! No, painful! But it must be done,
to spare its very life! To bring that much-wanted fruit! And God
sometimes must "stir our nests," simply in order to help us
grow. "As an eagle stirreth up her nest,
fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh
them, beareth them on her wings: so the LORD alone did
lead him, and there was no strange god with him."
Deuteronomy 32:11-12
Then comes the "dung." Waste,
manure, refuse, filth, but even such as these have their
benefits. They can fertilize, in spite of themselves! And the
spiritual lesson here just might be that the more "garbage" a
Christian clears out of his or her life ... the more blessings
God will send! The more fruit he or she will bear! Let's live
"clean" lives to the Glory of God!
And just how did this Story
end?
Does the fig tree please its
Master? Is the vinedresser successful in his labor? Is fruit,
maybe even a plenteous crop, on the way?
We are not told.
It ends much like the Parable
of the Prodigal Son, us not knowing if the older brother got
"right" or not.
Much like the Book of Jonah,
too. Did Jonah sit out there and "pout" for the rest of his
life? Or did he repent and get "sweet" again?
Even the Book of Acts comes to
an abrupt close!
Some stories God does not want
to end, not yet.
And therein is the point.
Whether or not I bear fruit is
somewhat up to me! I must follow the Holy Spirit, yielding to
Him daily. Whether or not I live a bitter or sweet life, that's
dependent on my repentance or lack of it. So with my anger and
pouting and service for the Lord.
Am I willing to obey my Lord?
Are you?
Lessons from a fig tree in a
vineyard!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
One more thought!
And it just "clicked" in my mind. I just
"saw" it. Things just "fell into place." I believe I see
something Jesus is doing here. It had to be the Holy Spirit Who
showed me this.
In Luke 13:6-9, which obviously follows Luke
13:1-8, Jesus quite possibly has been quoting John the Baptist.
Well, perhaps not quoting verbatim, but alluding to his
preaching anyway.
Watch.
"There were present at
that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood
Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering
said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners
above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I
tell you, Nay: but,
except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
Luke 13:1-3, notice the capitalized words. This is what John the
Baptist preached again and again! Repentance! "In fact, this
was his Message. "In those days came
John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and
saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand." Matthew 3:1-2
Then, still in Luke 13, this time verses 4-5.
"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? I tell you, Nay: but,
except ye repent, ye
shall all likewise perish."
There they are again, those same words. John
the Baptist style!
Now let's quickly go to our Parable again.
You remember the essence of it, I'm sure.
What was it the landowner wanted?
He wanted "fruit" from his tree. And we
struggled a bit defining those "fruits." Was it soul-winning
fruit? Which I suspect would have been pictured as other little
fig trees growing all around. Or was it "Fruit of the Spirit"
produce, love and joy and peace and all the rest? Fruit or
fruits growing right out of, from within, the tree?
Now, here's the kind of "fruit" Jesus had in
mind, almost for sure! Quoting John again, preaching to the
Pharisees and Saducees as well as all the people:
"Bring forth therefore fruits meet for
repentance." Matthew 3:8, fruits that are indicative of a
change in one's heart and life!
That's what Jesus meant too!
And if not?
Concerning the fig tree?
If no fruit "came," Jesus had the owner,
"John-the-Baptist" style command: "Cut it
down; why cumbereth it the ground?" And where did John
ever preach such a thing? Matthew 3:10, for one place:
"And now also the axe is laid unto the
root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth
good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."
Wow!
Four places where Jesus has "touched" on
John's Ministry, apparently even using his material! Of course,
it was God's material first!
This is a case of Scripture interpreting
Scripture. Jesus and John the Baptist, the same Message!
This was quite a lengthy "one more thought."
But it's worth it if you're going to preach or teach this little
portion of God's Word.
What a parable!
