Alright again to say that I’m very happy to be here and happy also to see that the flocks are coming back alright, again reminding us of the exile alright and we are coming back. And looks like we are also coming back in batches. I hope that over the weeks now more and more of you are able to come back and join us. Now we are continuing our study on the parables of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you’re first time joining us or you’re unfamiliar with the parables of the Lord Jesus Christ, now just to remind that the parables are stories that Jesus told when He was on earth.

But these, though are earthly stories or simple stories, but they have spiritual or heavenly truth. And so we want to study these parables and learn these truths from our Lord Jesus Christ. And this morning, we are going to look at the parable in the gospel of Luke and chapter 13. The gospel of Luke and chapter 13. And thus far as you might have observed or noticed that we are looking at those parables recorded in the gospel of Luke. So today Luke chapter 13, and we’re going to look at the parables recorded in verse 6 through verse 9. So please again turn in your Bible and follow me as I read this text.

Luke chapter 13 and beginning in verse 6: “Now the Lord also told this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’””. Now let us turn to God in prayer.

“Our Father in heaven, indeed we look to You for instruction. And we pray once again that You may be gracious to us to bless our time together as we open up Your truth. We come mindful, O Lord that we by ourselves are unable to understand these truth. And therefore, we look to You for enlightenment and pray that the Spirit of God may grant us understanding and open up our eyes to see this marvellous truth, for we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Alright, this parable here this morning is about the barren fig tree alright- the barren fig tree. Again I look at the graphic, I think excellent graphic to show what a barren fig tree might look like, nothing alright on the tree. Now the point of this parable alright at the very outset, I’d like to show to you what is the point here. The point here is that barrenness or fruitlessness is simply unacceptable alright. Barrenness or fruitlessness is simply unacceptable, and you can see that all through or in this parable here. Look for example at verse 6. We are told here that the farmer or the owner of the farm came seeking fruit. So that is kind of emphasised or pointed out at the beginning of the parable. It is about this barren fruit or fig tree, but the owner is coming, seeking fruit.

And then you look at verse 7. He said I’ve come seeking fruit on this fig tree. So it’s emphasised again. It’s all mentioned again. I come seeking fruit. And then in verse 9, and if it bears fruit. So the repetition here tells us very clearly what this parable is about. It’s about this man coming and looking for fruit. He wants fruit. He wants fruit. No fruit is simply unacceptable to this landowner. We know that is true even in our life on earth. You think for example even of the corporate world and when they have corporate results. Now it’s just unacceptable alright if there’s no profit or no fruit. No result, now somebody’s head has to roll alright somebody has to go.

And so that is the point of this parable here that the landowner is looking for fruit because fruitlessness or barrenness is simply no, no alright unacceptable. Now we know that sadly that many Christians have no fruit. That is the warning. If unfruitfulness or no fruit is unacceptable, now it’s a terrible thing to even be thinking that many Christians perhaps have no fruit to show in their lives. Maybe they have been Christians for many years. But you look at them. Maybe God looked at us, and He says where is the fruit? I come seeking fruit. Many perhaps have been attending church for a long time. And then God says, I come seeking for fruit. Where is the fruit? That’s the question. That’s the big question here. Where is the fruit?

Many perhaps have been listening to preaching. Maybe perhaps some of you for the last one and a half years, you tuned in. You have been listening, but no fruit. But no fruit. The Lord told this parable to remind of this great need. He said for many people, there’s simply no fruit in their lives. Look at them or look at their family, their so-called Christian family. But God is saying that I come looking for fruit, but no fruit. No fruit. God expects fruit. Jesus told this parable to emphasise that, to stress that God expects fruit. The same thing is underscored in the gospel of John in John chapter 15. John chapter 15, and listen to again here the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And John 15:2, Jesus says: “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more (or much) fruit.”. And in verse 5: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”. In verse 8: “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit”. The same emphasis there in John 15, and these are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s talking about bearing fruit. Bearing fruit is a huge matter to God, and it ought to be a big issue for us, a big concern for us.

So we have to ask the question: Is there fruit in my life? Do I have anything to show? Don’t I understand that God is saying to me that I come looking for fruit? Now that is what this parable is about. That is the point of the parable here. Then that begs the question. If that is God’s great concern; if that is what God wants that we bear much fruit that no fruit is simply unacceptable then, the question is: What if we bear no fruit? What if there is no fruit? Now this parable seeks to answer that question alright. The barren fig tree, what if you are like this fig tree? You are fruitless, nothing to show in your life when God comes seeking.

And so I’d like to answer that question “what if no fruit” by showing to you three important truths or points in this parable that we ought to grasp, we ought to see. And that’s what Jesus is saying. Three important points that Jesus brings up in this parable concerning bearing fruit. And point number one is this, where they are privileged or privileges, where they are privileges or where God has given privileges, fruit is expected. Where there are privileges, fruit is expected. Now remember God has given privileges to some. To understand this, we need to first remember that the Lord was speaking first of all to the Jews and He’s speaking about them. There’s a Jewish audience, and Jesus is saying to them that to those who have been given privileges, fruit is expected.

And so in this parable, He used a metaphor or a picture-word of the vineyard. And the vineyard is a picture or a metaphor for the Jewish nation or the nation of Israel. And so we see here in verse 6 that a fig tree is planted in his vineyard. He thinks of the vineyard. And if you would turn with me to Isaiah chapter 5. Prophet Isaiah chapter 5 in the Old Testament, and there in verses 1 and 2. And here we read, Isaiah 5:1-2: “Now let me sing to my Well-beloved a song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard”. So here is a song about the vineyard. Who is he referring to?

He said: “My Well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, He also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes.”. Now clearly the prophet Isaiah is using the vineyard to refer to the nation of Israel, the people of God. And he is telling them that they are a nation of God’s people, and God has so blessed them. God has given them so many privileges as His people. God, he says here in verse 2 He dug it, He cleared out its stones, He planted it with choices vine. God is doing a lot of work blessing this nation.

Now you might ask: What are the privileges of this nation, of these Jewish people? Now they were time and time again reminded of their privileges like in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter 4. Deuteronomy chapter 4, beginning in verse 5, and listen to these words of Moses. Deuteronomy chapter 4 and beginning in verse 5, here we read: “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgements”. God is saying to the Jewish nation. He said: “I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’”.

Why is this a wise and understanding people? Because they have the Word of God. He said God has given you His statutes. God has given you His instruction. God has given you in other words His wisdom. So you are the wisest people on earth because you have the wisdom. You have the truth of God. Verse 7: “For what great nation is there that has God so near to them (or has God so near to them), as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? (Verse 8) And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgements as are in all this law which I set before you this day?”. Moses is reminding the Jewish nation you are such a blessed people. God is so near us. God has shown special favour upon us.

You say to which other nation God has drawn so near? To which other nation God has given His statutes, His commandments? None, except to you. You have the Word of God. You have the revelation of God. You see, they were reminded of their privileges, of their blessing. Of their blessing. You remember that when Paul wrote to the Romans alright- the Romans in Romans chapter 3, he reminded the Jews of the same truth. He reminded the Jews of the same truth. They are such a privileged people. Romans 3:1, Paul says: “What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly (or mainly) because to them were committed the oracles of God”. The oracles of God refers to the Word of God.

He is again reminding the Jewish people you are so blessed. Why? You have the very Word of God. You see, a lot of people cannot understand this blessing. They cannot understand what a blessing it is to have the Word of God in our hands. The Jewish people, they needed this reminder. And because they are such a blessed nation with so many privileges, then what is expected of them? They are expected to produce fruit. That’s what Jesus is saying here in Luke chapter 13 alright. And Luke 13, Jesus says that the vineyard. You are the vineyard. You are the blessed nation. God has given you so much. And so God is now coming seeking for fruit. Now you might ask: What fruit? What fruit is God seeking from this nation, from the Jewish people?

Well, you see that in the context of this parable in Luke chapter 13, we actually know what Jesus was talking about. We actually know what fruit God was seeking from these people because in chapter 13 (Luke chapter 13), the preceding verses, now Jesus pointed that out. They were talking about these people who will be killed by Pilate’s soldiers. And people were killed because of the tower that fell upon them. And in this discussion, they were thinking, they were discussing as to who were the sinful people. And Jesus said you know what? We are all sinners, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And so what fruit is God seeking? Verse 3.

Verse 3: “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”. And verse 5, He repeats that: “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”. This is true of everyone in this world. It’s true of all the Jewish people. And Jesus looked at them and said that this is what God is seeking because they were rejecting the Saviour. They were rejecting the Messiah that God had sent to them. They were stubborn. They refused to change, refused to repent, and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. And Jesus says you know what? God has so blessed you. God has so blessed you, and God wants you to realise that you need to change. You need to come and embrace the Saviour that God has given to you.

What fruit is God looking for? What fruit is God looking for in this nation, the Jewish nation? If you look at First Peter chapter 2 alright- 1 Peter 2:9. And verse 9, now here Peter is quoting from the Old Testament, but now of course referring to the church. But this is true of both the Old Testament church and the New Testament church. But referring to the Old Testament people of God, this is true that they were a chosen generation. The Jewish people, they were a chosen generation. They were a royal priesthood and they were a holy nation. They were God’s own special people. Why has God adopted them? Why has God owned them to be His special people? Why?

Why God make these Jewish people? Is it that they are better than other nations? No! Is it that they are more in numbers than other nations? No! It is simply because of the grace of God poured upon this nation. And God adopted them, owned them, and made them His special people, a holy nation. But why? The second part of verse 9 said: “that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light”. That you may be God’s light in this world. God wants that fruit, wants us to be witnesses for Him, wants us to shine for this gospel light. God has chosen us for a purpose that we might be His people to shine in this dark world. But no fruit. Nothing from these people. And so Jesus told this parable.

You know what? God is still looking, see if anyone who has repented and see if anyone who is living out the God-given life. Now, what about us? Now, this is speaking to the Jewish nation. They’ve rejected the Saviour, no fruit in their lives despite the many privileges. What about us? Do we also not have privileges? Is it only for the Jewish people? What privileges do we have? Now let me point this out to you that we too are a privileged people. May God help us to see this, that we are so blessed to be found in a church where the Bible is preached. It’s a blessing. Now people take it you know. think nothing of that. They think that I can just go any church I can find preaching. I will find the Word of God.

To be sitting under the preaching of the Word of God is no small blessing. To be in a country where we have the freedom to gather and hear preaching, to be in a country where we have the liberty to gather for Christian fellowship in a country where there are Christian bookstores that we can go and buy our Bibles. A country where we do not need to be imprisoned for owning the Scripture. You know that there are so many countries in this world that that liberty is not given, that there is so little freedom given to the people to worship. There have been arrests all around the world of Christians just simply that they gathered for worship. The preachers have been imprisoned and persecuted simply because they dare preach the gospel.

And we are here in this nation where there is this liberty, and it is a blessing. It’s a privilege God has given to us in a country where there is peace. We are not in Afghanistan. We are not in these many war-torn countries. We are not like one of these refugees. There are tens and hundreds of refugees around the world. Every day we see them running here and there. We are not in that situation. We are so blessed by God. If only we care to sit down and count our blessing, then we’ll see that we are so blessed when compared to so many people around the world.

And let me tell you that they’ll be in the home where your parents are Christians. It’s no small blessing to have Christian parents who would bring you to church, who would read the Bible to you, who would pray with you. These are no small blessings from God. How many parents do that? How many children have that blessing of a godly parent? How many? I’m going to ask around. And that’s the reason why when Paul wrote to Timothy. In Second Timothy, he reminded Timothy of this, of this great blessing of his to have a godly mother and a godly grandmother. And Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:15. He said: “that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures”.

You people, if you have known the Holy Scriptures from childhood as a baby onwards, Paul says from childhood you have know the Holy Scripture which are able to make you wise for salvation. You know what a blessing that is to be taught the Holy Scriptures? Because it’s the only way we know how people might come to faith. This is the only way we know how people can come to faith in Jesus Christ, for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. And so you see what a blessing that is? So we can keep thinking you have Christian friends who care for us, who take the trouble and the time to study the Bible with us, who ask us about our spiritual life, it’s no small blessing. But these are the blessings of God.

And so as we look at ourselves, we can say as the Jewish nation we are a blessed people. We are so privileged. And so God expects fruit, like that’s what Jesus is saying to the Jewish people. You are so blessed, and that’s why God expects something of you. God expects fruit from us. Again what fruit? Again what fruit? Acts 17:30, listen to the words of the Apostle Paul here. Acts 17:30, Paul exclaimed. He said: “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent”. God is looking for the fruit of repentance. God wants us to turn to Him from our sin. God wants us to see what a rotten and wicked and sinful being we are that we are a rebellious people and He wants us to turn to Him.

But God is not going to expect fruit where He has not plow, where He has not given the blessing. He has given the blessing. You have heard week in week out. Maybe from your friend, from your dad, from your mom, in your own reading of the Scripture, this truth comes at you again and again that you need God. You need to turn back to God. You need to turn back to God. You need to repent. Maybe for some of you, this is the fruit that God is seeking this morning. For some of you, maybe that is the fruit that God is seeking. He said I want repentance. You have heard. You have heard not just once but many times. And so where is the fruit? When are you going to repent, turn from your sin, and turn to the Saviour?

For others. For others, maybe the fruit is what Paul points out in Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians 5:8-9, where Paul writes: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. So walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is all goodness, righteousness, and truth)”. You are no longer in darkness. You are no longer without the Holy Spirit. You are a child of God. You have come to faith in Jesus Christ. But where is the fruit of the Spirit if you profess to have the Spirit? You claim to know Christ, but where is the evidence? Where’s the fruit of it? Maybe for some of us, we need to show that fruit. That fruit. We are now children of light. We are children of God. We are people filled with the Spirit, but where is the fruit?

For some of us, maybe that is what God is looking for. Is anything to be seen in your life? So that is the first point. Jesus says where there are privileges, fruit is expected. Secondly, where there is no fruit, it will be cut off. Now that is the warning. Where there is no fruit, it will be cut off. And so in the parable here, we see the owner coming, seeking for fruit. He comes seeking for fruit. Look at what it’s said in verse 7. Verse 7: “Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.”. For three years I have come. In other words, the owner is saying that I am not an unreasonable owner of this land. He said I’m very reasonable.

I come the first year, no fruit. He said okay, maybe some fruit trees are not so fruitful alright. So I come the second year, and no fruit. And he says okay you know. And then he comes the third year, and still no fruit. And so God is saying I’m a very reasonable person. I come and I wait one year, two years, three years, but nothing. But nothing. Again if you refer back to Isaiah chapter 5. We’re continuing the metaphor of the vineyard, referring to the nation of Israel. And see what it says there. Isaiah 5:3, where God is looking for fruit, expected good grapes.

And then it says in verse 3: “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bear forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now (verse 5) please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned down; And break down its wall, it shall be trampled down.”. Now you see the same thing as it’s what the Lord Jesus Christ is saying here.

The owner comes and he says it’s not bearing fruit, I wait. I try to do whatever is possible to make you bear fruit, and I waited and waited. At the end, don’t have the fruit that I want, don’t have the fruit that I’m looking for. So what should I do? Now it seems that the Lord thinking of the Jewish nation, well, the three years is a reference to His three years of public ministry. He’s saying to them I have come, I’ve dug around, I planted, I’ve watered, I’ve done miracles, I’ve fed the five thousand. I have done all kinds of things in your midst alright. Anything possible to ensure that you see it, you get it, and you return. You recognise that I’m the Messiah.

But no. For three years He has been preaching and doing wondrous work, but they remain hardened till the end. They remain hardened till the end. And there are people like that. They have people like that. You can talk to them, you can share with them, you can preach with them, you can urge them, you can do anything with them, but remain hardened till the end. What do we do with these people? Well, here’s the warning. Then judgement came. Judgement came. And to the Jewish nation, judgement came in a form of rejection. God said I will cut you off. And so in the last chapter of Acts alright- Acts chapter 28 alright, we have this kind of indicated by the Apostle Paul.

And Acts chapter 28 and beginning in verse 25: “So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers”. Now Paul is looking at the Jewish people and he said that is exactly what the prophet had predicted. You people are so hardened, and you just will not repent. Then he said: “saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; Seeing you will see, and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.”’”.

You see, they will not. They are hardened. They just cannot see, and they will not hear. “Therefore (verse 28) let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” God has rejected the nation and turned to the Gentiles. That is a warning. If there were no fruit, they will be cut off. They will be cut off. Where it does not bear fruit, it will be cut off. That leads us to the third point. If you are not cut off yet. Maybe some of you are thinking that well, I’m still around. I’m not cut off yet. If you are not cut off yet, it’s only because God is giving you another chance.

Now back to the parable alright- back to the parable. And here we see in this parable alright that this tree is not bearing fruit. The owner said I will cut it down. Then the worker you know pleaded and said please wait. Don’t cut it down first. Give it another chance. Give it another chance. If you are not cut off yet or cut down yet, it is because God is giving you another chance. Because God is patient and because our God is gracious. The same truth pointed out by the Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 3:9. Listen to what Peter says here. 2 Peter 3:9. That if you should say where is this threat of God of judgement, and these people, these scorners will say: Oh, all the time. All the years you have been saying the same thing that judgement is coming, Jesus is coming again.

The world is going to end. There will be a day of judgement. When is that day coming if it is not here yet? It’s because of this, verse 9: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise”. The promise here refers to threat. The Lord is not slack concerning His threat. The reason why it is not here, it’s because God is “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”. That’s the reason that God is patient. That God is patient. He’s waiting patiently, not passively because He will continue to do the work. He’ll continue to dig. He’ll continue to water. He’s continued to bless you. Now He’s not passive, but He is patient. And He says according to this parable, just one more year.

Just one more year. Then He’ll come back and see whether there is fruit. And so the owner of the parable says okay, I will give it another chance. Just one more year, and I will come back to see whether it bears fruit. If it bears fruit, well. But if not, verse 9: Cut it down. If I come back again, I’m giving it another chance. But if I come back again, if it bears fruit, well. But if not, cut it down. Just one more year. See, God is patient, but this parable also tells us that He will not be patient forever because that means that we cannot wait forever. Just one more year.

Are you bearing fruit? What do those privileges, those blessings that God has blessed us with mean to us? Will you bear fruit? Do not take privileges for granted. Now here’s the reminder because where they are privileges, fruit is expected. And where there is no fruit, it will be cut off. Where it is not cut down yet, it is because God is giving us another chance. Maybe just one more week. Maybe just one more month. Maybe one more year. If there is fruit, well. But if not, then we’ll face the wrath of God. Let us pray.

“Our Father in heaven, indeed we are reminded again that You look for fruit in our lives. And help us to realise that fruit is expected because there are privileges; because You have blessed us; because You are a reasonable God. You do not seek where it is not sowed. So, Lord, we thank You for all the blessings that we have in our lives. And we pray that indeed You would work in our lives such that we will bear the fruit that You seek. And we pray again that You’ll help us to heed that warning and do not take Your patience for granted. For these, we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.