Friday 17 August, 2012

6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

God created each of us with a purpose. He is waiting and looking for us to bear fruit.

In this parable Jesus is the gardener. When we don’t bear fruit he pleads on our behalf (intercedes for us). He also fertilises the tree. In those days there was no superphosphate! Fertiliser was manure heaped around the tree. Sometimes God lets us go through hard (pooey?) times to lead us towards repentance and aligning our hearts with his will so that we will be fruitful.

The p

assage also says that the gardener paid special attention to the tree during the year of waiting for fruitfulness. When we go through unfruitful times we are not bereft. Jesus is paying special attention at those times to help us through them.

I think it is encouraging that we are so loved that Jesus goes to all this trouble to help us fulfil our purpose. As we are told in Proverbs the Lord disciplines those he loves.

Written by Megan Cornell