Saturday, March 25, 2023
How do you feel about gardening?
I used to keep a flower garden when I was younger as well as help my mom in the vegetable garden. Then I went to college, got a job, and bought a house. I’ve attempted to start a garden in my backyard, but it seems to take more time and energy than I currently have to spare. For now, I’m just thrilled to keep my houseplants alive.
In Luke 13:6-8, Jesus tells a parable of a fig tree. This story may be a little weird when first read, and it may help to know that fig trees are often symbolic of the nation of Israel in the Bible. I am not a biblical scholar, but I believe Jesus is commenting on God’s chosen people here. God chose the Israelites, then he delivered them from slavery, guided them, protected them, and blessed them. But instead of honoring the covenant between themselves and God, his people chose to turn away. They did not produce the fruit God had intended for them, and so God allowed for them to be conquered and ruled by others.
This is an extremely oversimplified explanation of the Old Testament, which sets up the new work Jesus is doing in the New Testament. Because Israel could not honor their covenant with God, he sends his Son to give them special care—teaching them, correcting them, and ultimately sacrificing himself to save them and the rest of humanity. After that, God made it possible for all of us—Jew and Gentile alike—to have a relationship with him. This means salvation is now available to everyone, but it also means that everyone has a personal responsibility to repent. The Jews couldn’t claim it simply because they were God’s chosen people, and the Pharisees couldn’t earn it by simply being better than the next guy.
Luke 13:2-5
2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
We cannot earn our way into heaven. Our salvation is not dependent on good works. But Jesus also taught us that when faith isn’t lived out in a way that produces fruit and good deeds, it’s not true faith (James 2:14-26).
Fortunately, God is not expecting us to produce fruit in our lives on our own. Our lives produce fruit naturally when we grow our faith, by building our relationship with God.
Much of this chapter is Jesus teaching to the Israelites as a nation and to the Pharisees—but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from studying the Bible, it’s that I relate a lot more to the Israelites and Pharisees than I would like to admit. Whether you have a flourishing garden in your backyard or struggle to keep a succulent alive, may we all learn to live from God’s Spirit, growing his fruit in our lives.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things.
Questions:
Do you ever catch yourself thinking you’re right with God simply because you’re “better than the next guy”?
Which fruit of the Spirit do you struggle with the most? Where do you see God producing the fruit of his Spirit in your life?
Next Steps:
Continue to grow your faith and relationship with God through spiritual disciplines and practices—prayer, studying the Bible, watching the weekend message, and meeting with other believers through Groups.
Look for opportunities to live out your faith and the fruit of God’s Spirit. If you haven’t already, check out GrowthTrack to see how God has wired you to use your gifts and serve.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that salvation is a gift and not something I must earn, because I know I never could. Help me better understand your teachings and grow my relationship with you, so that you can produce the fruit of your Spirit in my life. May your will be done in me and through me. Amen.