Luke 13:6-9 6And he told this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. So cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8And the one answering said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9And if it should bear fruit next year, good; but if not, cut it down.’ ”
The setting continues to be Jesus speaking to his disciples and the crowds, more specifically to the “some” of verse 1. A parable is a short story that has at least one major point and sometimes several points; as readers/listeners, we are invited to discover that point and its application. We can picture in our minds a fig tree in a vineyard. The man in this parable planted the tree with the expectation that it would produce fruit. Most trees take several years to produce fruit after having been planted.
The man in this parable was either ignorant of fruit trees or impatient and did not want to wait for the tree to mature. He appears to be the owner of the field and not the one out taking care of the tree. There are people like that who want to be in charge but do not know how things actually operate. The man’s ignorance and impatience are evident when he wants to cut the tree down. His concern is that the tree would use up the soil, with the implication that it could cause problems for the grape vines.
The one who really knows what is going on in this situation is the vinedresser. He knows how plants grow and what it will take to help the tree thrive so it can bear fruit. The solution once again focuses on the ground. The tree needed some fertilizer. The man’s fear about the tree using up the soil was misguided though partially on the right track. If the tree was taken care of properly, its chances of being fruitful would greatly increase. The tree would be given another chance to live. Otherwise, it would face the judgment of the axe.
The image of a second chance fits in well with Jesus’ call to repent in verses 3 and 5. The tree was dependent upon the vinedresser for its fruitfulness, but with the right condition, it could thrive and bear fruit. Repentance is to a person like manure is to this fig tree. It provides the right condition for fruitfulness and the way to avoid judgment. This fig tree was nearing the point of judgment. Its time had just about been used up and the land owner’s patience was growing thin.
This parable fits well with the preaching of John the Baptist in 3:9. The axe of judgment was just about at the root of this fig tree. The axe of judgment was also near the Jews. They had a choice to repent and experience the fruit of salvation, or they could harden their hearts, like the Pharisees, and experience God’s judgment. Likewise, those who read these words or hear the gospel must make a decision about what to do with Jesus and the call to repent and believe in the good news about it.
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