Jesus tells a parable about a man who plants a fig tree in his orchard but finds no fruit after three years. The man tells the gardener to cut it down.
The gardener said, “Sir, leave it one more year while I hoe around it and manure it. Perhaps then it will bear figs. If not, you can cut down.”
Luke 13.8-9
Jesus’ parable of the fig tree reveals God’s hope and compassion for people. The gardener, who cares for each tree, pleads for more care and more time. Let it grow another year. A little loosening of the soil, a little more nourishment, maybe it will bear fruit.
In what ways are you like the owner of the vineyard? In what ways like the gardener?