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.' "
My thoughts -
I wonder, if the digging and fertilizing would work, why not do that from the beginning? That may be a bit harsh a view for me to take. Also, if you look at this metaphor I've been the tree here for a pretty long time. There are people in my life who have worked and worked to cultivate me, and yet a majority of the time I have produced minimal fruit, if any. Maybe I shouldn't be judging here.
Also, what does the digging and fertilizing represent? I see it as Godly people taking a personal interest and working with you to prod you along to do God's will. I'm sure there are other things that would work in this metaphor. I guess you could view that as the Holy Spirit doing the work and compelling the tree into regular prayer and devotional time, which matures the tree and produces fruit.
Regardless, we all need to produce fruit, and we can't do that without a lot of work being put into our spiritual lives. Did this tree bare fruit? Was it cut down? I'm kind of glad I don't know.
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