Go to Part #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6
Luke 13:6-9
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”
What is the point of the parable Jesus tells in these verses? How does it relate to the broader issue of tragedy, sin, and repentance that were highlighted in verses 1-5?
People in the world are like trees in God’s vineyard. In verse 7, the owner of the vineyard comes seeking fruit on his fig tree. He planted the tree so he could harvest and enjoy the fruit. The purpose of the tree is to benefit the one who planted it! The purpose of God in the world, from His act of creation to His sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, is not, ultimately, to make humans happy and comfortable.
We exist for God’s glory! There is no one more glorious, no one more valuable in the entire universe than God. There is nothing more important in the entire world for God to do than to shine more and more brightly as the All-Satisfying and Worthy One. That’s why we’re here! Jesus is helping us to turn our focus from human pain and suffering in this world in order to focus on God, the one for whom all humans were created!
Why do bad things happen to good people? I hope and pray that we can all now understand that this is the wrong question. A better question is: Why don’t bad things happen to all people? Or, Why do good things happen to any people?
Paul tells us in Romans 12:15 to “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” When tragedy strikes, we should never respond with a callous indifference that says “Oh well, no big deal, just a few less sinners in the world to worry about…we all deserve it anyway.” NEVER! We should weep. We should mourn. We should comfort those who are hurting.
The difference is that, as Christians, as people who have heard God’s very words from this book, we will know that there is much more to weep and mourn about. We will weep and mourn our own sin and the sin of the world that turns its back on a holy, loving, and gracious God.
At the same time, we will rejoice! Yes, we will rejoice even in the face of tragedy. The horrors that confront us will be a reminder not only of our sin, but of our awesome God who has made a way for that sin to be erased. We will rejoice and, in the midst of tragedy, we will shine forth, displaying the beauty and worth of Jesus Christ for the whole world to see!
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