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 warns 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 them for not bearing good fruit.
Jesus is saying, ‘stop focusing on other’s sins, I’m talking to YOU!’
To ‘repent’ 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: fruitful lives.
As Jesus followers, we ought to be the most humble of all.
We ought to know our sin and weakness, and his grace for us!
Jesus died to overcome our sin; he rose to help us grow in goodness.
With the fertilizing helping of Jesus, we can grow and change.
Too often this verse is used to condemn others but this misses the point.
Jesus is redirecting judgmental critics to repent for themselves.
He is gentle challenging me: ‘work on yourself, and let me work on others!’
PRAYER
Lord, your greatest frustration is with your own followers. Help me to stop focussing on others and to allow you to prune and strengthen my life.
No excuses – I’m the one that needs to repent – can’t blame it on someone or something else: the devil made me do it! Rather because I have repented and am forgiven – I live a life of repentance that bears fruit. Help me to be fruitful Holy Spirit. “…I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any…” I must not be a tree in full leaf that bears no fruit. Of what use it is it!
I need to produce good fruit.
The focus needs to be o myself and not others. I need to take the log out of my own eye than focus on the splinter in somebody elses eye. Focus. Focus.
I need to focus on my living for Jesus and serving Him – living/loving/doing – all in His daiy presence. Serve Him.
1 Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.
2 Love Him, love Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Love Him, love Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.
3 Thank Him, thank Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Thank Him, thank Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.
Verse four could be
Serve Him, serve Him, all you little chidren,
God is . . . .