PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Luke 13:1-9
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“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, what kind of fruit are you producing?’
This is what Jesus the gardener 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 help us grow in goodness.
With the fertilizing helping of Jesus, we can grow and change over time.
Too often this verse has been used to condemn others, but this misses the point.
Jesus is redirecting judgmental critics who suppose other’s sins are worse than theirs.
This is his gentle warning to me: ‘work on yourself, and let me work on others!’
PRAYER
Lord, your greatest frustration is with your own followers. Help us to stop judging others and to allow you to prune and strengthen our own lives.
Lord help us to cultivate with patience instead of being so quick to cull – thank you for giving us the opportunity to repent, thank you for making it possible for us to be cleansed and for asking so little for so much grace.
It’s easy to become too complacent – content to just live a life for myself – forgetting that I am expected to bear fruit – fruit for the kingdom. Satan wants to keep us complacent – when Christians remain silent and no longer fight for justice, reconciliation, peace and for mitigating poverty – Satan has us where he wants us – when we debate internal issues and don’t respond to the needs around us – he has us inactivated. He probably prefers that no ‘disaster’ may come upon us to wake us up – keep us acquiescent in our own bubble. Lord, help me to wake up and see what is happening! It so easy to ignore the issues and the injustice of our day!
Be ready.
Be ready at all times.
The Lord gives grace and mercy to turn away from sinful ways, but that time is now. Now is the time to do His will and not my own. Have Thine own way Lord. Help me daily to do Your will.
Purify my heart,
Let me be as gold and precious silver.
Purify my heart,
Let me be as gold, pure gold.
Refiner’s fire,
My heart’s one desire
Is to be… holy;
Set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be… holy;
Set apart for You, my Master,
Ready to do Your will.
Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy.
Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from my sin, deep within.
Refiner’s fire,
My heart’s one desire
Is to be… holy;
Set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be… holy;
Set apart for You, my Master,
Ready to do Your will.
Refiner’s fire,
My heart’s one desire
Is to be… holy;
Set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be… holy;
Set apart for You, my Master,
Ready to do Your will.