Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig-tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 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?' " 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig round it and fertilise it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' " (NIV)
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
We are often in too much of a hurry. We plant and then immediately want the fruit. But trees need time to develop in strength. The background to this parable is in Leviticus 19:23-25, which says, "When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree ... For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God." The 'first fruits' always belong to the Lord, but to give Him the weak crop from the first three years would insult Him. So the first full crop would be expected in the fourth year and would be given to the Lord in worship.
In Jesus' story, the fig tree bore no fruit at all in the first three years. The options were to cut it down or work hard in improving the soil for a year, trying to encourage it to fruit. Although the owner had every right to get rid of the tree, it was given a limited second chance. It was like Israel, which had been spiritually unproductive for many years and during the three years of Christ's ministry resisted the call to repentance. Interestingly, the day Jesus was raised from the dead was also the Feast of First Fruits - hence 1 Cor. 15:20: "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep." Fifty days later the church was born at Pentecost and continues to be productive.
God is patient, but only for a while. In Greek, the word 'patient' means 'long angry'. It is not that God has abandoned His right to judge those who are spiritually unproductive, but He delays to give more opportunity for rebels to repent. 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." So, Isaiah 55:6-7 says, "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon." It was true for ancient Israel; it is still true today. The urgency of the gospel lies in knowing that repentance cannot be put off for ever, and people need to get right with God while there is still time. Nobody can ever count on tomorrow; so "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts ..." (Psalm 95:7b-8a).
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