LUKE 13:6-9 ONE MORE CHANCE
Jesus was a first-class storyteller. Still today, his stories come across with freshness and so often, come straight to the point. So it is with this story that Luke tells us.
A man had a fig tree that wasn't much good. Year after year, come harvest time he came looking for fruit. Year after year, he was disappointed. Nothing to see. It's not much fun when you put lots of effort into your garden, and nothing seems to happen. After three years, he decided that enough was enough. Dig it up. Why should this tree go on taking up valuable space on his field, drinking up valuable water supplies, absorbing goodness from the ground, depriving other trees of moisture and sunshine, all to no avail? No wonder he said, 'Get rid of it. Why should I waste time and effort on this tree which produces nothing?'
But the man’s head gardener had a great attachment to that tree. Maybe he'd planted it; he'd watched it grow. Every year, he hoped it would improve. Every year, he longed to see evidence of fruit. So he's bold enough to put in a plea. 'Master, give it just one more year. I’ll work extra hard. I'll go round it again with manure; I'll carry water from the well myself; give it just one more chance before cutting it down.' (Read Luke 13:6-9)
That fig tree had already had every chance to bear fruit. It had been well cared for; it was planted in the right place; but whilst its promise was plentiful, it's harvest was nothing. Why does Jesus tell this story?
There’s an important principle - nothing which only takes can survive. The fig tree was drawing strength, sapping sustenance, but in return, was giving nothing back. There's a spiritual principle for us. How easy it is to think of life in terms of 'What can I get out of it? What's in it for me?' But that's not the way for followers of Jesus Christ. What's more important is that we ask ourselves, 'What can I do to help? What are my gifts? What contribution is God calling me to offer?
But this is also a message of hope. With God, there's always another chance. Think of some of the people whom God has used. Peter - the man who denied that he even knew Jesus; Matthew the rotten old tax collector; Paul, who was arresting and persecuting the early believers. In human terms, all those people would have been written off as failures, and no hopers. But God looks on the inside. He knows that we make mistakes; but He's infinitely patient and kind, and like the father in the story of the prodigal son, eagerly awaits our return. He'll always give us another chance. If we respond to Him, He will always accept us, put us back on our feet, and encourage us forwards.
Perhaps God is calling you. God can heal us, revive us. Perhaps He's saying, 'Come back to me and live.' The offer of a new chance is always there. Whoever we are, God says to us, 'Come to me, be fed by me. Let me dig round you again and again. I’ll go on digging as often as it takes. Allow me to apply fertiliser. I know how to ensure that you bear fruit.'
Let’s pray that we may take our call seriously, as we respond to God, receive him for ourselves, and pray for God’s grace that we may bear spiritual fruit in our lives.
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