Daily Devotional for Tuesday, March 10

The Fig Tree

“Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” Luke 13:7.

Fig trees were in abundance in Israel in the time of Jesus, and they still are today. They are mentioned over fifty times in the Scriptures. Fig trees can produce two bumper crops in a year. In Bible times, the fig tree symbolized prosperity, health, safety and even Israel as a nation.

The fig tree in this text is of concern to the owner of the vineyard because it had not produced any fruit for three years. It had remained in the same place and looked to be alive but yet still no fruit. The owner was not moved because he wanted to punish the fig tree but because it was making the ground in that space useless. That ground had been made inactive and its potential nullified. It was being completely wasted. Another fig tree that would bring forth fruit could easily replace it.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

This is a true saying, “Faithfulness without fruitfulness is not faithfulness.” What spiritual fruit are you producing? Do a regular fruit check in your own life.

Jonathon D. Smith