THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 13:1-9
“But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:5)
Jesus is warning His religious audience not to focus on the sins of others.
The fig tree was well known to Jews as a prophetic symbol of Israel.
The prophets used it to challenge God’s people for not bearing good fruit.
Jesus is saying, ‘stop focusing on other’s sins, I’m talking to YOU!’
To ‘repent’ literally means to rethink, to change the way you think and live.
‘Consider your own faith life, are you producing the fruit of the Spirit?’
This is what Jesus is working for in His followers: fruitful lives.
As Jesus followers, we ought to be the most humble of all.
We ought to know how deep and wide our sin is, and His grace for us us!
Jesus died to cover our sin and guilt; He rose to restore us to goodness.
With the fertilizing helping of Jesus, we can grow and change over time.
If we’re not growing and changing more like Jesus, we are fruitless.
This is Jesus’ warning to His followers: work on yourselves, not others!
Jesus is working for, and looking for, results – will I work with Him?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, Your greatest frustration is with Your own followers. Help us to stop judging others, and to rethink our own lives. You are working for life-change, and looking for us to join in the effort.