Understanding the Parable of the Fig Tree in Luke 13
Here is the Parable which Christ told in Luke 13--
6 “He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 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? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."”
Now any Jew who knows the Torah will find verse 6 to be very strange -- a fig tree planted in a vineyard where grapes are planted is something that the law forbids. Deuteronomy 22:9 says--
“You shall not sow your vineyard with different kinds of seed, lest the yield of the seed which you have sown and the fruit of your vineyard be defiled."
To cut a long story short, God is the Owner of the vineyard. Christ in whom is the fullness of the Godhead bodily is the Dresser or Keeper. The fig tree in the vineyard is a picture of self-righteousness in the church (vineyard) which is all about righteousness by faith in Christ. Recall Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves in Eden when they saw that they were naked (lacking in righteousness) after eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil- a picture of the law which tells what is good and what is evil and kills just like the tree? That is the purpose of the law, beloved- to show us how naked (devoid of righteousness/guilty of sin) we are--
"19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are." Romans 3.
It's not surprising that the Owner of the vineyard found no fruit on the fig tree in His vineyard. But this is not because the person with the "fig tree" mentality is not producing works. It is because all of his (self-)righteous works of the law which he is doing in a bid to get God to bless him are as described in Isaiah 64:6--
"We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in Your sight."
Like the woman with the issue of blood (a type of the church) who could only produce menstruation rags and no child/fruit as long as she was enmeshed in all sorts of fasts, attempts at obeying the law and works in a bid to bear fruit, such people are in the church trying to bear fruit by their works. But only when we forsake such self- righteous "fig leaves" works and depend utterly on Christ as our Righteousness and Strength do we bear "much fruit." (John 15:5.)
So the Vinedresser (Christ Himself who speaks God's heart) said:
"8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall DIG about it, and DUNG it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."
I put "dig" and "dung" in caps for emphasis.
"Dig" in Hebrew is "Karah" and it means "to give a banquet or feast." Beloved, Christ's “I shall dig about" the fig tree is Him inviting the self-righteous to come and feast FREELY on His goodness of salvation from sins, redemption from the curse, freedom from satanic oppression and every earthly ill which many are trying to get from God through their “menstrual rag" righteous works, obedience and 70 days fasts. We see this in The Parable of the Great Banquet in the very next chapter (Luke 14:15-24) where the invited guests gave silly reasons for not being able to attend. Here's a link to what the parable means for we who believe Jesus:
Also very important: Dung it. Dung it. Dung it. This from the Vinedresser's word of what He does to the unfruitful fig tree--
"8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall DIG about it, and DUNG it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."
If we take anything away from this piece, by God's Grace, let it be "Dung it” because this is what Christ is doing in the lives of many today — dunging the fig tree aka those who think that they are or can produce the fruit of righteousness before God by their arm of flesh/human effort.
But what does "Dung it" it mean?
We see this in the life of Paul, a former Pharisee of Pharisees who "obeyed the law without fault" and wrote that "According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless." Paul had stupendously more obedience, works and human credentials than those which many wave about as why God blesses or should bless them today. But he counted all of his works/credentials as DUNG so that he might gain Christ!---
2 “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh!3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials 4 —though mine too are significant. If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more: 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee. 6 In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. 7 But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. 8 More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as DUNG! - that I may gain Christ, 9 and be found in Him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness —a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness." Philippians 3.
Beloved, that is the life of the one for whom Christ has "Dung it." He stripped us of our covering of “fig leaves" aka self-righteous works which man does to get God to bless, save and deliver and clothed us with His own blood-bought robe of righteousness which is free for all who stop their silly efforts to save themselves and look utterly to Christ for salvation.
This is what He wants you to do, beloved-- like Paul, see all those fig leaves/self righteous works of the law and those activities which "pastor" says will make God bless, save or deliver you as DUNG. They do nothing but serve as a barrier to being embraced by God's Grace. As it was with the woman with the issue of blood, only by abandoning such works and trusting utterly in Christ (being in union with Him) do we get to stop producing "a menstrual rag" and get to bear much fruit.
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