Luke 13:6-9
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
In today’s passage Jesus uses a story to illustrate the urgency of repentance. Read Luke 13:6-9 as if you were present and listening to Jesus tell this story.
Parables like this one are simple stories that communicate deeper moral or spiritual messages, and in this parable there are two takeaways. First, it is the nature of created things to serve the purpose for which they were created. Fruit trees produce fruit - it’s their very nature. They aren’t ornamental and they aren’t planted to provide shade. This tree in Jesus’ parable is not fulfilling its purpose, because a fruit tree without fruit is pointless.
The nature of God’s people is to produce shalom. God’s people are meant to bless the families of the earth by bringing about the restorative, redemptive works of God wherever they go. As created beings, this is the essence of their purpose.
Take a moment to assess the fruitfulness of your life over the past several weeks. Have you been alert and aware of the presence of Jesus with you? Have your actions and attitudes reflected the shalom goodness of God? How have you been a blessing to others?
Sit with these questions for a moment and share your thoughts and feelings with Jesus.
Read Luke 13:6-9 again focusing on the gardener in the parable.
The second takeaway in this parable has to do with God’s character. God is a patient “gardener” who provides care and cultivation for created beings. God did not set the world in motion and then sit back to see what would happen. God is actively caring for and cultivating people, and it is God’s desire that all people find and fulfill their purpose.
But people can reject God’s efforts, and the result is tragic. People who refuse to turn back to God through the way opened by Jesus will never know who they were created to be. They will miss out on their purpose in life and the world will miss out on the fruit their lives could have produced.
Still yourself in the presence of Jesus and let all your thoughts and emotions settle. When you feel calm, picture yourself as the tree in Jesus’ parable. Notice the patience, kindness and care of the gardener. Then listen for a while.
What might Jesus want you to remember or do today?
How will you respond?
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