The Road Devotional | Lent 2024

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” 

In this story of an unproductive fig tree, we can easily see the parallels with our own lives as followers of Jesus. Jesus often talks about “fruit” as the standard by which things in our lives should be measured; even the standard by which our good works should be judged.

Q. If you were a fig tree, would you be productive or unproductive? Would the world see you as producing good fruit or bad fruit? How would the church see you? How would Jesus see you?

While the man who owns the tree has already lost hope in the unproductive tree, the gardener convinces him to give it another chance. In Genesis, we see God working the garden of God’s good creation. In John’s gospel, we see a risen and resurrected Jesus mistaken for the gardener by his follower Mary.

Q. If God (through Jesus) is the gardener in our lives, is it not good that we are being given another season to bear good fruit? What will you do with the grace that has been given us even when we are unproductive or bear bad fruit?

We all encounter the season of winter in our lives where it becomes harder to see or produce fruit in our faith. Other’s might be quick to point out that this is a reflection of a lack of faith; however, more often than not this is an invitation for you to do some “root work”, to rest, and to prune.

Q. When was the last time you spent resting, doing some ground work to help you grow better fruit?

God, thank you for your patience and mercy. Help us to be mindful of the fruit we bear in our lives. We consent to Your transformative power to cultivate fruitfulness within us.

Amen.