Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
Luke 13:6-9

Have you ever planted a fruit tree in your yard? If so, did you hope that someday it might produce something pleasing? That assumption also exists in this parable. For three years the owner of the vineyard had hoped that the tree might produce, but to no avail. So finally, the owner was ready to replace the tree with on that wouldn’t just take up space. Luckily (for the tree) one of the workers begged for a one-year reprieve. But time was ticking.

It seems that we may have been placed in God’s vineyard to do more than take up space. What talents, gifts, abilities has God graced you with? Do you think it might make God happy if each of us was to bear fruit from our talents for the kingdom? I once heard someone describe an act of kindness or a good deed done for someone else as the “rent you pay for the space you’ve been given on earth.”

Such acts might make God and someone else a little happier.

Prayer

God, help me to use what you have given me to make someone’s life better today. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.