What is the meaning of the Parable of the Fig Tree? | GotQuestions.org

What is the meaning of the parable of the fig tree?

Jesus told the parable of the fig tree, Luke chapter 13, verses 6 through 9, immediately after reminding

his listeners of a tower over the Pool of Siloam, which unexpectedly fell and killed 18 people.

The moral of that story is found in Luke chapter 13, verse 3.

Unless you repent, you will likewise perish.

To reiterate this moral, Jesus tells the story of the fig tree, the vineyard owner, and the gardener who took care of the

vineyard.

The three entities in the story all have clear symbolic significance.

The vineyard owner represents God, the one who rightly expects to see fruit on his tree and who justly

decides to destroy it when he finds none.

The gardener, or the vineyard keeper, who cares for the trees, watering and fertilizing them to bring them to their peak

of fruitfulness, represents Jesus, who feeds his people and gives them living water.

The tree itself has two symbolic meanings, the nation of Israel and the individual.

As the story unfolds, we see the vineyard owner expressing his disappointment at the fruitless tree.

He has looked for fruit for three years from this tree, but has found none.

The three -year period is significant because for three years John the Baptist and Jesus had been preaching the message of

repentance throughout Israel.

But the fruits of repentance were not forthcoming.

John the Baptist warned the people about the Messiah coming and told them to bring forth fruits fit for repentance because the axe was

already laid at the root of the tree.

But the Jews were offended by the idea that they needed to repent, and they rejected their Messiah because he

demanded repentance from them.

After all, they had the revelation of God, the prophets, the scriptures, the covenants, and the adoption.

They had it all, but they were already apostate.

They had departed from the true faith and the true and living God and created a system of works righteousness

that was an abomination to God.

He, as the vineyard owner, was perfectly justified in tearing down the tree that had no fruit.

The Lord's axe was already poised over the root of the tree, and it was ready to fall.

However, we see the gardener pleading here for a little more time.

There were a few months before the crucifixion and more miracles to come, especially the incredible miracle of the

raising of Lazarus from the dead, which would astound many and perhaps cause the Jews to repent.

As it turned out, Israel as a nation still did not believe, but individuals certainly did.

The compassionate gardener intercedes for more time to water and fertilize the fruitless tree, and the gracious

Lord of the vineyard responds in patience.

The lesson for the individual is that borrowed time is not permanent.

God's patience has a limit.

In the parable, the vineyard owner grants another year of life to the tree.

In the same way, God in his mercy grants us another day, another hour, another breath.

Christ stands at the door of each man's heart, knocking and seeking to gain entrance and requiring repentance from sin.

But if there is no fruit, no repentance, his patience will come to an end, and the fruitless,

unrepentant individual will be cut down.

We all live on borrowed time.

Judgment is near.

That is why the prophet Isaiah wrote,

Freely pardoned.