Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

Luke 13:1-9

Jesus used parables to teach people. Parables are very short stories that help us to
understand things more clearly. When you listen to a parable of Jesus, or when you
read any other Scripture, you should think about the characters in the story, their
relationship, and how the story relates to who Jesus is talking to and what He is
talking about.

We must always start by observing who, what, when, and where. Then we can
interpret what we think was going on between Jesus and His audience at that time.
Finally, we can apply this interpretation to ourselves, here and now.

– v. 1-5
○ Observation
 Jesus is talking to a crowd and teaching them. Some people
there tell Him some news about Galileans who the Roman
governor Pilate had murdered in Jerusalem.
 Jesus uses this example to say that everyone is a sinner, and
that these people were no worse than any of His audience. He
reminds the audience of the people who died when the tower
near the pool of Siloam fell over—these people were not more or
less guilty of sin than anyone else.
 Since this is true, what does Jesus tell His audience to do? Save
money for the future? Have fun now while they can? Do
something to make people remember them later? No, He tells
them to repent.
○ Interpretation and application
 We don’t know why people wanted to bring up this news, but we
do see that Jesus used it to make a point.
 He pointed out that we do not have control over their life and
death. Therefore, that should motivate us to think about our
relationship with God. No one can have a right relationship with
God without repentance.
• Why do we need to repent?
○ Our sin cannot be erased without someone paying
the price. Jesus paid the price for our sin. Everyone
can receive that free gift of forgiveness when we
repent of our sin.
○ Repentance means turning from our sin, and
turning to God. We tell Him sorry for rebelling
 against Him, and we make Him the Lord and King of
our life.
 Let’s apply this to the recent death of Michael Jackson. I think if
we told Jesus that Michael Jackson died, He would respond in the
same way. Do we really think that we are any better off facing
death than Michael Jackson? Are we ready to pay the price of our
sin?
• Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has
laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
– v. 6-7
○ Jesus tells a parable to reinforce His point and make it clear. Remember
why Jesus used parables? To help people understand what He was
saying.
○ I believe this parable was directed at the Jewish people, because Jesus
was sent to minister primarily to the Jewish people. However, I also
believe we can apply it to ourselves as an example of how God deals
with us and leads us to repentance.
○ Observation
 The first thing we see is the owner has a fig tree. He owns it and
has it cared for in his vineyard. He regularly goes to inspect it,
expecting to see some fruit. Jesus doesn’t say the owner expects
a lot of fruit—it seems that even a little fruit would do!
 The owner has been checking this tree himself for three years. In
all this time, the fig tree has not shown any fruit at all. That is
bad enough, but even worse, the fig tree is taking up space and
nutrients in the soil that could have been useful for other plants.
 Eventually, the owner’s patience with the fig tree comes to an
end. It must be cut down.
○ Interpretation and application
 We must remember that Jesus is telling this parable in the
context of the need for repentance. It is urgent that we repent
as soon as possible.
 God owns us like the man owned the fig tree and expects fruit in
our lives.
• He plants us in His vineyard: The Bible says in Acts 17:26
that God determined the times and places for men to live,
so that we would seek Him and find Him.
• He created us for a purpose: He wants to have a
relationship with us, and out of that relationship we will
bear fruit that demonstrates we are His disciples.
○ John 15:1-8 says, “"I am the true vine, and my
Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in
 me that bears no fruit, while every branch that
does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even
more fruitful. You are already clean because of the
word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will
remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it
must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit
unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are
the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do
nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like
a branch that is thrown away and withers; such
branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and
burned. If you remain in me and my words remain
in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given
you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear
much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
 God is patient with us.
• Like the owner of the fig tree, God is patient with us and
gives us time and repeated opportunities to know Him. He
gives us many years to produce fruit, not just three.
 We face judgment.
• If we don’t repent and turn to God, we will face judgment
for which we cannot blame God. God’s desire is not for
anyone to perish, but for everyone to come to
repentance.
• 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his
promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with
you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come
to repentance.”
– V.8-9
○ I like this part of the parable. Thank God He didn’t just stop there!
○ Observation
 The man who works in the vineyard asks for one more chance
for the fig tree. He wants to try especially hard to help the fig
tree produce some fruit. He intends to break up the hard ground
around the tree and mix in some manure to fertilize it.
 If the fig tree finally produces some fruit the next year, then all
will be well!
 However, if it still does not produce fruit, there is nothing more
that can be done.
○ Interpretation and application
 The man who works in the vineyard is like Jesus Christ, who
works to do everything He can to save us. I like what the old
 Methodist Bible commentator Adam Clarke says about Jesus in
this case, “He is constantly employed in doing everything that
has a tendency to promote their salvation.”
 What does Jesus do for us?
• He sacrificed Himself to cleanse us from sin so that we
can serve God. He made it possible for us to bear fruit.
Without Jesus’ sacrifice, we would certainly have to pay
the penalty for sin ourselves. There would be no question
of our being cut down like a barren fig tree. But, thank
God, that we can have a relationship with God and serve
Him through Jesus!
○ Hebrews 9:13-14 says, “The blood of goats and
bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those
who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that
they are outwardly clean. How much more, then,
will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse
our consciences from acts that lead to death, so
that we may serve the living God!”
• He intercedes on our behalf. God is always thinking of us
and longing for our return to Him. He never wants us to
fail or fall away. He will never reject you when to turn to
Him. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s love, but
there is nothing we can do to take it away. God is the
lover of our souls, always calling us back to Him.
• He sends His Spirit to convict us of sin and to gently lead
us back to Him. Like the man who tends the vineyard, the
Spirit of Jesus works in us to break up the hard ground of
our hearts and to nourish us spiritually. He does
everything He can to bring us to repentance.
○ Romans 2:1-5 says, “You, therefore, have no
excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else,
for at whatever point you judge the other, you are
condemning yourself, because you who pass
judgment do the same things. Now we know that
God's judgment against those who do such things is
based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass
judgment on them and yet do the same things, do
you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do
you show contempt for the riches of his kindness,
tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's
kindness leads you toward repentance? But
because of your stubbornness and your
 unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against
yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his
righteous judgment will be revealed.”
○ When we understand this point, we will see that we
do not deserve any credit for good deeds in our
Christian life. It is God who is working in us to will
and to act according to His good purpose. When we
have a relationship with God, the Holy Spirit will
naturally produce the good spiritual fruit as
described in Galatians 5:22-23: Love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control.
 God is eager to receive us back. The owner would be satisfied
with a little fruit, not holding it against the fig tree that it didn’t
produce fruit in the past.