Luke 13:6-9 – “And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any.  7 “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’  8 “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'” NASB

This is somewhat of a difficult passage for most people to fully wrap their minds around and accept.  The reason I say that is if you fully examine the message it suggests that there can and will come a time when God through the Holy Spirit will deem that a person has become nothing more than an ornamental shrub rather than a fruit tree in the Kingdom. 

Two possibilities can be gleaned from that realization.  One is that if you fail to produce fruit in your life through relationship and obedience to God, He may choose to remove you from the earthly orchard and take you home.  The Second is that failure to produce fruit separates you from God and that is seen in ‘cut it down.’

No matter which interpretation you choose the fact is clear that God is not desirous of ornamental shrubs in his garden He wants trees that ‘bear fruit.’  The kingdom is not enhanced by fruitlessness.  Lives are not touched by fruitlessness.  If we are nothing more than an ornamental shrub in the garden of God, we have little functional value.  The reward of fruit bearing is pruning so that you can bear more fruit!

I do not mean to suggest that you must be a pulpit preacher or doing great exploits for the Kingdom simply that you are doing what the Holy Spirit has assigned you to do and being faithful in that.  If you do that you will bear fruit, the fruit God chooses not the fruit man deems valuable.  Our lives should be trees that the lost can come to and be introduced to the life-changing fruit of salvation.  Our lives should be trees that the saved can come to and receive the life-enhancing fruit of wisdom, knowledge, encouragement, and brotherhood.

We are to be Trees of Righteousness and those trees bear fruit.  If you want to know how Jesus feels about fruitlessness reexamine his reaction to the Fig Tree that had leaves indicating fruit but no figs.  That will move you to serious thought and hopefully such self-examination that you will turn to Him and call out for His mercy and pray like David, “Renew in me a right spirit, create in me a clean heart, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” 

We have been equipped, commissioned, and commanded to Bear Fruit!  Examine your heart and life and if you are fruitless it is time to run to the Throne Room of prayer and cry out for renewal and restoration in an attitude of repentance.

God bless you as you go through your day!