And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country.² When the season came, he sent a servant^[a] to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully.⁵ And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. ⁶ He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. ⁹ What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.” Mark 12:1-9

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants begins with these words, “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it…”.   Why do so many people put a fence around themselves and refuse to share their fruit with others? When we put up fences between us and our neighbors, we are, in essence, putting a fence up between us and G-d. But there are many reasons why people decide not to share their G-d-given fruit with others. First, they believe that what they have is only theirs. They forget that all we have comes from G-d. Second, by hoarding their things, they believe they are protecting themselves from having others steal their fruit, or damage their fruit, or just the general feeling of keeping their fruit because it is theirs.

I know that at times we pray for G-d to put a hedge of protection around us so that we are protected from our enemies. But this hedge of protection can become a wall that separates and isolates us from the “others” around us. G-d asks us to love G-d with all our heart and soul, which then compels us to love the “others” around us—not just in our own personal sphere, but those all around the world. G-d’s love compels us not to put up walls, but to break down all barriers around and between us.

Pastor Dave   

“And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.¹² On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.¹³ And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.” Mark 11:11-14

“The fruitless fig tree” – one of the parables where a fig tree plays a prominent role. For the Prophets, the fruitless fig tree was a metaphor for the people of Israel—like in Joel 1:7: It has laid waste my vines, and splintered my fig trees; it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down; their branches have turned white.

Micah 7:1: Woe is me! For I have become like one who, after the summer fruit has been gathered, after the vintage has been gleaned, finds no cluster to eat; there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger.

Hosea 9:10: Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree, in its first season, I saw your ancestors.
But they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to a thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved.

For Jesus, the fruitless fig tree is also the people of Israel. They had become a fruitless faith – they were going through the motions, but were not impacted in the heart. Jesus wants us to bear good fruit, worthy of repentance. Our faith in G-d should produce fruit – not so that we have salvation, but because Jesus has won that salvation for us. Our fruit instead helps with our Sanctification—our journey with Holiness. This text can be a frightening text – because it shows the power of G-d to smite – without consideration and with a mighty hand.

But there is another parable involving a fig tree—in Luke 13. This story talks about the gardener who asks for and is granted more time to fertilize the fig tree. This is a story of Grace–the Luke story is a true story of the Grace that Jesus offers us all—for it ends with unlimited second chances—which is what I believe defines G-d’s Grace. We always have another chance with G-d—because we are loved beyond measure.

We are called to bear good fruit every day—and if this day, if today you find yourself fruitless, do not lose heart. There is another day—another chance with Jesus—day, after day, after day.

Pastor Dave