Fruitless or Faithful? — The Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6–9)
In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen. May the blessing of the Father who calls us and His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ who saves us, and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies and transforms us be with us all, that we may hear His word and bear fruit—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Amen.
Today, the Church, in her wisdom, places before us the gospel of the Barren Fig Tree from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke:
“He also spoke this parable: ‘A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:6–9, NKJV)
Let us meditate on this parable in three words summarizing its message—Time, Warning, and Grace.
1. Time Was Given
O beloved, God has planted each of us in His vineyard. He has not cast us into the wilderness of sin but into the care of the Church, the nourishment of the Sacraments, the light of the Holy Scriptures, and the example of the saints.
Yet what shall we say if, after all this care, our hearts remain barren, empty of repentance, love, and works of mercy?
The Lord comes year after year—through every Lent, every Holy Liturgy, every reading of the Gospel—seeking fruit. And what does He find?
Do we offer figs of purity, meekness, and forgiveness? Or do we remain entangled in thorns of pride, bitterness, and idle words?
Let the words of the Apostle awaken us:
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2, NKJV)
Time, my brethren is not a right. It is a gift. And the Lord does not give it without purpose.
2. Warning Was Declared
The Lord said, “Cut it down. Why does it use up the ground?” (Luke 13:7).
This is not the harsh cry of a wrathful Master but the just sentence of a long-suffering Lord whose patience is not infinite.
Even the earth groans under the weight of fruitless lives. As the Lord spoke through the Prophet Isaiah:
“What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes?” (Isaiah 5:4, NKJV)
Let this warning pierce our hearts like the arrow of divine love—not to condemn, but to awaken. “For even now, the axe is laid at the root of the tree” (Luke 3:9).
What would you say if God called you this night? What fruit would you show Him?
Would you say, “Lord, I kept the fast but not the peace. I prayed with my lips but judged with my heart. I entered the church but not the poor man’s home”?
3. Grace Was Offered
In the face of judgment, the Keeper of the vineyard intercedes: “Let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.” (Luke 13:8)
Who is this compassionate Keeper, but our Lord Jesus Christ, who ever intercedes for us (Romans 8:34), who pleads before the Father, not with words but with His wounds?
He gives us another year, another Lent, another day.
He waters us with tears in prayer, enriches us with His Body and Blood, and stirs our soil through trials that awaken repentance.
Let us not despise His grace. Let us not be found idle.
The Holy Apostle James said:
“Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18, NKJV)
Let each of us resolve to bear fruit—visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, forgiving our enemies, praying with sincerity, and living with humility.
Conclusion: Awake, O Sleeper
O beloved, the hour is late. The day is far spent. As St. Paul cries:
“It is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11, NKJV)
Let us not delay until the tree is cut down and the time of grace is no more.
For God is merciful, but not to be mocked. He is patient but not forgetful.
Let us, therefore, strive to be found as fruitful trees in the vineyard of the Lord, bringing forth fruit in due season—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.
May the Lord bless us, transform our hearts and minds, that our homes may stand on the Rock, our hands serve in the harvest, and our hearts long for Heaven. Amen.