Luke 13:6-9
6"He {Jesus} also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 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. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’”
We've come to the end of our study of trees. This part is continued from part 6 with more about the fig tree. In case you missed that part, follow this link: http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/why-did-jesus-curse-fig-tree-tree.html.
Now, there was "a certain man," it says, "who planted a vineyard."
Who is this "man?" Look closely at the passage and you'll notice that the word "man" is in italics. That means the word was added there by translators. It doesn't appear in the original Greek text. All it says in Greek is this word: "tis," which means "any one, someone, a certain one or thing." More accurately, a certain "someone" had a vineyard and found one day that somehow a "fig tree" had been planted in his vineyard by a person or persons unknown. How it came to be there is not documented but it's clear that the owner of the vineyard, this "certain someone," did not plant it. It came in from the side by stealth, no doubt planted there by an enemy.
Just like in the passage where Jesus cursed the fig tree for having no fruit, this certain "someone" was looking for fruit on this fig tree, too. He also found none on it, though he had been searching for it for three years.
So the "keeper (Jesus)" says to the "certain someone (The Father)" of the vineyard, "Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that YOU CAN CUT IT DOWN."
{See Part 6 of this series on why Jesus cursed the fig tree by following this link: http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/why-did-jesus-curse-fig-tree_31.html}
The Holy Spirit is painting pictures for us again. God had planted the nation of Israel as a beautiful, fruitful vineyard in the world, a vineyard that was going to bring light and life to the whole world because of The Son that would be born to them from the tribe of Judah; Jesus.
True to His word, in the fullness of time, God did indeed send His only begotten Son into His "vineyard."
Jesus walked among His people ministering to them for three years looking for fruit which had been present in times past. He was digging and probing everywhere He went, looking for someone...ANYONE...in leadership or in positions of influence, to give up their self-righteous pretensions--->their "DUNG," so He could "fertilize the fig tree, which typifies Israel, in order to bring back fruitfulness to the people that He loved so dearly. He did not find anywhere near enough to do the job.
What He found was all the appearances of holiness; people attempting by their own works to follow the law: Dressing in the approved fashion, offering the sacrifices as prescribed by law.....all the outward trappings of religion: leaves...but no substance: NO FRUIT.
A fig tree with leaves on it but no fruit is worthless!
Learning more about fig trees in general will be useful here. If you have read part 6, this will be review.
The fig tree is not, as you may have heard, a symbol of the curse. Figs, vines and pomegranates were, in fact, the holy trio of fruits in the temple and in worship in the Old Testament. They were blessings. The fig is a wonderful fruit and contains more seeds within each fig than any other fruit on earth and, thus, a symbol of fruitfulness. They are also an excellent source of nutrition.
But, as you learned in part 6, it wasn't the fruit that posed a problem. It was the leaf and the tree.
Figs are first mentioned in the garden of Eden after Adam and Eve fell. Their eyes were opened, they knew they were naked, and they sewed "FIG LEAVES" together. When their eyes were opened, they knew they had sinned against God. The fig leaves were their attempt to cover their shame, a picture of man trying to save himself by own efforts; by "self-righteousness." But as we all know, "without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins."
Our God, in His mercy, personally made them coats of skin, a "blood covering."
Even though the fig tree is a picture of natural Israel, this story has application for the Church as well. The Holy Spirit is showing us that, within the Church, there is once again a "fig tree" planted in "the vineyard." It came in from the side, by stealth, planted by our enemy, the devil.
You see, many churches have all the trappings of religion but no substance; LEAVES, BUT NO FRUIT. Everywhere you look there are churches teaching "salvation by grace," but a "righteous by works," meaning, by "self-righteousness. In other words, "DUNG!" We know this because Paul says in Philippians 3:8--"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but DUNG, that I may win Christ."
Jesus has been digging around the base of the "fig tree," looking for enough "DUNG:" in other words, enough people willing to give up all their "pretensions to righteousness," so He can fertilize the "fig tree" with the aforementioned "DUNG," and make it fruitful once again. If He cannot find enough "DUNG," He will have to cut down the "fig trees" in question and cast them out of the vineyard, meaning, those churches will shut down.
Those "vineyards" will then be handed over to husbandmen and women who will preach the true Gospel to the sheep of his pasture instead of beating the sheep with righteousness by works of the law; their works-based system of pleasing God.
Per Jeremiah 23, in the last days, God will replace those shepherds who have abused the sheep of His flock, taught them this evil, mixed up faith/works "doctrine" and raise up preachers of righteousness who feed them.
So let's give up our DUNG: Our striving to "DO" what God says. It is right believing that brings about right living. Let's trust and believe in Jesus' finished work. Remember, we are transformed by beholding: NOT SCOLDING!
It is Jesus that gives us power to go and "BE" witnesses of Him; and "being" is not the same as "doing." Jesus has already done all the heavy lifting. Rest and trust in that.
So you see that the problem with the fig tree was it had "LEAVES BUT NO FRUIT."
And that is how there came to be a fig tree in the vineyard.
Who is this "man?" Look closely at the passage and you'll notice that the word "man" is in italics. That means the word was added there by translators. It doesn't appear in the original Greek text. All it says in Greek is this word: "tis," which means "any one, someone, a certain one or thing." More accurately, a certain "someone" had a vineyard and found one day that somehow a "fig tree" had been planted in his vineyard by a person or persons unknown. How it came to be there is not documented but it's clear that the owner of the vineyard, this "certain someone," did not plant it. It came in from the side by stealth, no doubt planted there by an enemy.
Just like in the passage where Jesus cursed the fig tree for having no fruit, this certain "someone" was looking for fruit on this fig tree, too. He also found none on it, though he had been searching for it for three years.
So the "keeper (Jesus)" says to the "certain someone (The Father)" of the vineyard, "Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that YOU CAN CUT IT DOWN."
{See Part 6 of this series on why Jesus cursed the fig tree by following this link: http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/why-did-jesus-curse-fig-tree_31.html}
The Holy Spirit is painting pictures for us again. God had planted the nation of Israel as a beautiful, fruitful vineyard in the world, a vineyard that was going to bring light and life to the whole world because of The Son that would be born to them from the tribe of Judah; Jesus.
True to His word, in the fullness of time, God did indeed send His only begotten Son into His "vineyard."
Jesus walked among His people ministering to them for three years looking for fruit which had been present in times past. He was digging and probing everywhere He went, looking for someone...ANYONE...in leadership or in positions of influence, to give up their self-righteous pretensions--->their "DUNG," so He could "fertilize the fig tree, which typifies Israel, in order to bring back fruitfulness to the people that He loved so dearly. He did not find anywhere near enough to do the job.
What He found was all the appearances of holiness; people attempting by their own works to follow the law: Dressing in the approved fashion, offering the sacrifices as prescribed by law.....all the outward trappings of religion: leaves...but no substance: NO FRUIT.
A fig tree with leaves on it but no fruit is worthless!
Learning more about fig trees in general will be useful here. If you have read part 6, this will be review.
The fig tree is not, as you may have heard, a symbol of the curse. Figs, vines and pomegranates were, in fact, the holy trio of fruits in the temple and in worship in the Old Testament. They were blessings. The fig is a wonderful fruit and contains more seeds within each fig than any other fruit on earth and, thus, a symbol of fruitfulness. They are also an excellent source of nutrition.
But, as you learned in part 6, it wasn't the fruit that posed a problem. It was the leaf and the tree.
Figs are first mentioned in the garden of Eden after Adam and Eve fell. Their eyes were opened, they knew they were naked, and they sewed "FIG LEAVES" together. When their eyes were opened, they knew they had sinned against God. The fig leaves were their attempt to cover their shame, a picture of man trying to save himself by own efforts; by "self-righteousness." But as we all know, "without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins."
Our God, in His mercy, personally made them coats of skin, a "blood covering."
Even though the fig tree is a picture of natural Israel, this story has application for the Church as well. The Holy Spirit is showing us that, within the Church, there is once again a "fig tree" planted in "the vineyard." It came in from the side, by stealth, planted by our enemy, the devil.
You see, many churches have all the trappings of religion but no substance; LEAVES, BUT NO FRUIT. Everywhere you look there are churches teaching "salvation by grace," but a "righteous by works," meaning, by "self-righteousness. In other words, "DUNG!" We know this because Paul says in Philippians 3:8--"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but DUNG, that I may win Christ."
Jesus has been digging around the base of the "fig tree," looking for enough "DUNG:" in other words, enough people willing to give up all their "pretensions to righteousness," so He can fertilize the "fig tree" with the aforementioned "DUNG," and make it fruitful once again. If He cannot find enough "DUNG," He will have to cut down the "fig trees" in question and cast them out of the vineyard, meaning, those churches will shut down.
Those "vineyards" will then be handed over to husbandmen and women who will preach the true Gospel to the sheep of his pasture instead of beating the sheep with righteousness by works of the law; their works-based system of pleasing God.
Per Jeremiah 23, in the last days, God will replace those shepherds who have abused the sheep of His flock, taught them this evil, mixed up faith/works "doctrine" and raise up preachers of righteousness who feed them.
So let's give up our DUNG: Our striving to "DO" what God says. It is right believing that brings about right living. Let's trust and believe in Jesus' finished work. Remember, we are transformed by beholding: NOT SCOLDING!
It is Jesus that gives us power to go and "BE" witnesses of Him; and "being" is not the same as "doing." Jesus has already done all the heavy lifting. Rest and trust in that.
So you see that the problem with the fig tree was it had "LEAVES BUT NO FRUIT."
And that is how there came to be a fig tree in the vineyard.
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