“‘If it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” Luke 13:9 ESV¹

Read Luke 13:1-9

Where I live, Autumn quickly approaches. Crops ripen in the fields. Apple trees burst with fruit. Bright orange pumpkins dot the landscape. Farmers gear up to bring in the harvest. Children anticipate corn mazes, costumes, and candy. Adults look forward to sipping warm apple cider and pumpkin lattes while consuming fresh apple donuts. Everyone is abuzz with the talk of cooler weather and the soon-to-be changing color of the leaves. In my area, this time of year often brings with it a sense of peace and thankfulness for God’s provision.

When Jesus walked the Earth, He had a time when the changing of seasons and the hope of an abundant harvest were on His mind. Though it was Spring physically at this time in Jesus’ earthly life, spiritually speaking, Autumn approached as Jesus went along a specific road to a particular task. The harvest about which Jesus was thinking was not yet observable to the human eye. The awesome change about to take place was not apparent to the untuned heart. But what would soon happen would be the most significant change the world had ever experienced and the most momentous harvest of history was soon to begin.

Unsettling

Nearing the end of His time on Earth, Jesus was traveling cross-country on His way to Jerusalem. (See Luke 13:22 & 33). It was nearly time for the Passover Feast. Passover was one of the festivals that all able-bodied Jewish men were required to attend. (See Deuteronomy 16:1-8 & 16). Many people joined Jesus as He journeyed. Along the way, some of His traveling companions shared the troubling news “about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.” (Luke 13:1). This appalling event had just happened in the very place to which they were traveling!

Nazareth, the town in which Jesus had grown up, was in Galilee and Jesus had done most of His ministry in Galilee. (See Luke 4:14-16). Several of Jesus’ disciples were Galileans. Maybe this familiarity with the region was the reason those who walked along with Jesus wanted to share this information with Him. Perhaps those who were killed were well known by Jesus and His companions. Maybe Jesus even had had some recent interaction with those Pilate slaughtered.

The event must have been heavy on the hearts of those who shared the news. Discussing it likely stirred up a variety of emotions among the travelers. What had to be particularly disturbing to the interlocutors was that those who were murdered and whose bodies had been desecrated were religious people; they had been offering sacrifices when they suffered this cruel fate. Since many in the group were traveling to Jerusalem to observe a religious festival, they had to be wondering if Pilate was on a tirade and would lash out at them as well. Would they be safe in the Holy City?

In response to this news, Jesus brought up another tragic then-current event that had also happened in Jerusalem concerning “eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them” (Luke 13:4a). This didn’t seem to be new news to those who journeyed with Jesus. But when they were reminded of it in light of the previously discussed tragedy, they must have considered how completely dreadful it would be to receive information of an awful happening concerning one of their loved ones. Most of the travelers were men who, in obedience to the LORD, had left their families at home to go to Jerusalem and observe the Passover. What if a freak accident happened to some of those they loved before they got back home? A dark emotional cloud must have hung over what should have been a celebratory time.

Unremembered

Interestingly, neither of these incidents was brought up by the other Gospel writers. Besides what is written here by Luke, these events did not make an impression on history. Unfortunately, much of what happens in the everyday lives of average humans, even those things that shock and consume the attention of many people, never get recorded in history. Probably with all of the cruelty, fighting, and thousands of crucifixions of this time period, the loss of these few people was not considered significant enough to record. But these events were of concern to those in Jesus’ presence that day.

Documented history does tell us that this time period was very volatile. There were many conflicts between Pilate and the devout Jews. Most of the strife was over Pilate setting up his headquarters near the temple, displaying items around and in view of the temple that glorified false gods, and using temple resources to fund some of his projects. Much of what Pilate did and stood for perturbed the Jews. History records several times when Pilate killed the Jews who stood their ground against his unholy actions. Likely, the Galileans who were slaughtered were nobly resisting Pilate on some religious issue.

Likewise, no one in times past, whose writing still exists, reported the cause for the deaths of those on whom the tower fell. Were they laborers building the tower? Were they in the wrong place at the wrong time when the tower gave way? Was the tower negligently built? Was there a natural disaster that caused the tower to fall? We do not know but those who were around Jesus that day may have had some idea.

Misunderstood

The Jews of that time period had a misconception concerning unfavorable circumstances. They believed that bad things happened to people as a result of their sins. Such an example was recorded by the apostle John.

“As [Jesus] passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:1-3).

In this instance, Jesus went on to miraculously heal the blind man. The uproar that ensued after this man’s healing revealed the true hearts of many among the religious elite.

Likely, it was because of this wrong belief about the purpose of adversity that Jesus said, concerning those Pilate slew, “‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way’” (Luke 13:2)? And, about those who were killed in the tower collapse, “‘Do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem’” (Luke 13: 4b)? Jesus answered both of His questions with, “No!” (See Luke 13:3 & 5). Obviously, these bad things did not happen to these unfortunate people because they were heinous sinners. Jesus pointed out that they were no different than anyone else.

Unexpected

What was probably most surprising were the comments that Jesus made next concerning these events. After answering His own questions, Jesus declared twice, “‘I tell you; … unless you repent, you will all likewise perish’” (Luke 13:3 & 5). What did Jesus mean by likewise perish? Were those to whom He spoke going to be persecuted? Would they be the victims of tragic accidents? Such thoughts were most likely already swimming around in the minds of those in Jesus’ audience.

But Jesus’ concern was different than what the average person around Him was considering. Jesus’ thoughts were on heavenly matters, not earthly ones. Likewise perish didn’t refer to the untimely deaths of these people but to that for which they died. The devoutly religious Galileans gave their lives in defense of a religious system of works-righteousness that could not give them eternal security. Those whose breath was snuffed out by the toppling tower gave their lives in promotion of a worldly system of human accomplishment that also could give them no hope for the next life.

Sadly, in both the natural and spiritual realms, these people gave their lives pointlessly. Those in both groups were destroyed by human pursuit: one group in self-righteousness in defense of a temple that would not long stand, the other in the promotion of human effort for a tower that did not remain upright. One party sacrificed themselves for a religion that had long ago neglected its real connection with God. The other company was crushed by a structure that didn’t fulfill its purpose and would not be remembered. Sadly, whether the focus was religious or secular, human-centered accomplishment failed both groups of people.

Elsewhere, Jesus warned about the potential for humans to get so consumed by earthly pursuits that they do not consider heavenly activity.

“‘For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man’” (Matthew 24:37-39).

Unprepared

When Jesus used the phrase, likewise perish, He was referring to the sad eternal destiny of those who spend their lives on fruitless earth-centered pursuits while neglecting that which is necessary to begin engaging in heaven-centered pursuits. That essential, but often overlooked, element is repentance. One is unable to accomplish anything of lasting value until he/she partners with the Eternal One. No one can join Jesus in His work until he/she first forsakes the sin which is rendering him/her powerless in heavenly matters. From the beginning of both John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ ministries, the subject of their preaching was that of turning from one’s sin and turning toward Christ.

“In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 3:1-2).

“After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15).

Until one forsakes his/her life of sin and comes to saving faith in the Messiah, everything he/she does is ultimately fruitless. Every message, every miracle, every action, and every encounter of Jesus with humans during His earthly ministry called out, “Repent and believe.” As His time on Earth was culminating, Jesus became increasingly more emotional concerning the state of the souls of those to whom He ministered.

“‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing’” (Luke 13:34)!

Redirected

As emotions ran high and as His audience considered the tragedies and pondered Jesus’ comments concerning them, Jesus began to tell a story. To those for whom the subject at hand was becoming too depressing, Jesus’ parable was a welcome distraction. But to those whose spirits were unsettled by the conversations concerning these troubling current events, His story could give purpose to the suffering that was going on in and around them. To those whose hearts were pricked concerning the need for repentance, His story could bring hope. And to those who were aware enough, Jesus’ parable could awaken them to a pivotal point in history that was about to take place. Jesus used the previous discussion to prepare His traveling companions for the truths in this parable:

“‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, “Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?” And he answered him, “Sir, let it alone this year also until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down”’” (Luke 13:6-9).

Unfruitfulness

To those who knew the Scriptures, the mention of a man with unfruitfulness in his vineyard should have reminded them of the writings of the prophet Isaiah.

“Let me sing for my Beloved my love song concerning His vineyard: My Beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; He built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. ‘And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. What more was there to do for My vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes’” (Isaiah 5:1-4)?

Those who had ears to hear Jesus’ story would have quickly deduced that the man in Jesus’ parable represented the LORD. It wouldn’t have surprised them that the owner of a vineyard would respond to a fruitless tree by cutting it down. Isaiah had written that God had a like reaction when He was similarly disappointed in His vineyard.

“‘And now I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.’” (Isaiah 5:5-6).

Likewise, Jesus’ listeners would have not been surprised that the fruitless fig tree was a picture of Israel. Isaiah had plainly stated in his comparable metaphorical story,

“For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant planting; and He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry” (Isaiah 5:7)!

But those who listened may not have so readily identified the vinedresser who stood in defense of the tree and offered to diligently care for it for just a bit longer before it was judged unworthy of its place in the vineyard. Jesus’ parable would have stirred up questions: Who was the vinedresser who pleaded with God for more time to give Israel another chance to prove itself fruitful? Who offered to diligently care for and help give Israel everything needed to produce good fruit before they were so radically convicted? For whom would the LORD have so much respect that He would relent from disaster at this one’s beseeching? What calamity was so eminent that someone would need to intervene? What did any of this have to do with repentance? And why was this discussion happening on the way to Jerusalem for the Passover Celebration? In searching for the answers to these questions, those in Jesus’ listening audience would be primed to discover the best news ever.

Judged

In His parable, Jesus mentioned a three-year time period. Jesus’ earthly ministry was coming to a conclusion. He had been ministering for about that length of time. Jesus was headed to Jerusalem to perform the act for which He had come. For nearly three years, the Jews had been hearing the message, “Repent and believe.” Jesus had been tenderly and diligently caring for God’s People like the vinedresser in His story promised to cultivate the fruitless fig tree. Soon, the Jews would be inspected to see if this extra care had produced any fruit. Sadly, many of them missed the opportunity. As the apostle John testified:

“The true Light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God’” (John 1:9-13).

Not long after Jesus finally arrived in Jerusalem, He encountered a particular fig tree.

“[Jesus] He became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, He went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And He said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once” (Matthew 21:18-19).

As in the parable Jesus had recently told, this unfruitful fig tree was a picture of the nation of Israel which largely denied Jesus as their Messiah. But that rejection provided the opportunity for the Gentiles, who had not originally been able to come to God, to be adopted into His family.

“Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly [to the Jews], saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles’” (Acts 13:46).

“Paul was occupied with the Word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles … Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.’” (Acts 18:5b-6 & Acts 28:28).

The Proof is in the Fruit

As spiritual trees in God’s Christ-centered vineyard, there is only one way to produce fruit: a connection with Christ. Jesus taught His disciples:

“‘Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the Vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing …  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples’” (John 15:4-5 & 8).

Fig trees are supposed to produce figs. Apple trees should make more apples. Pumpkin vines are expected to grow pumpkins. Disciples are supposed to produce disciples. Christians should be making more Christians. In Christ, we should be reproducing His character and His kind.

The purpose of a fruit tree is to produce fruit. If it doesn’t do its job, the owner of the vineyard, garden, or orchard has every right to cut it down. If we, as Christians, are not producing fruit for Christ, we are not executing our responsibility and we are in danger of facing the consequences. It is God’s vineyard; He gets to decide the standards.

Whether in religious or secular spheres, it doesn’t really matter how successful we are if we aren’t right with Him who stood in defense of us, who pleaded for us, who drew us to Himself, who took our sin and gave us His righteousness, and who works in us to produce His fruit, we are wasting our lives and we are unworthy of our places in His garden.

A sense of peace and thankfulness for God’s provision toward us should motivate us to share with others who need this same peace and provision. Many of us are traveling with Jesus on our way to something great which He is accomplishing through us but the path is not free of obstacles. The road on which Jesus has us passes by many whose lives are strewn with tragedy. Just like Jesus used the fertile soil of unsettled hearts in His discussion of the then-current events to awaken His audience to a greater, more tragic reality for the unrepentant, may we help bring people from ruin to repentance, from hurt to harvest. May we care enough about those with whom we rub shoulders that we are compelled to bring them closer to Jesus, who is their only hope.

In Jesus’ parable, it was when the vinedresser pleaded for the tree that the vineyard owner held back his destruction of it. But this reprieve was only for one year. If the tree failed to produce fruit after it was given this special care, it would then be cut down. We are running out of time; may we be convicted by our lack of fruitfulness, repent of our fruitless pursuits, and rely on the power available to us through our association with Jesus to reproduce fruit for His glory.

In Jerusalem, on the Passover, Jesus, “the Lamb of God, [took] away the sin of the world” (John 1:29b) by sacrificing Himself. The Autumn of Jesus’ earthly life had come. Everything He did from allowing His blood to be spilled to His ascending again to Heaven, prepared for a harvest of souls, both Jew and Gentile. Jesus gave His body and His blood to produce this harvest. As His followers, we are called to give our all to reproduce fruit for Him. But the good news is this: even if we are forced to sacrifice our bodies and blood for the cause of Christ, we can be assured that sacrifice will not be pointless.

When the Autumn of our lives comes, may we be confident that we did not waste time so consumed with the fruitless pursuit of worldly gain that we missed our opportunities to turn to Christ. When our time on this Earth comes to a close, may we not find we were so absorbed with the fruitless pursuit of religion that we lacked a relationship with God. Instead, may we be so devoted to producing Christ’s fruit, through Him, in this world that when we meet Him face to face, we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servants” (see Matthew 25:14-30), not “Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (see Matthew 7:21-23).