Stewards of Life, Pt. 4: "To Be Or Not to Be"

TO BE OR NOT TO BE? (LUKE 13:6-9)
The fig is highly valued not only by the Jews but also her neighbors (Ps 105:33). The Israelites were promised fig trees in the Promised Land (Deut 8:8). In Palestine and other warm climates the fig yields two crops annually- one about June and one about August. Figs can be eaten fresh or dried. Fig cakes are worthy presents even for kings (1 Chron 12:40). (“Figs,” International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft)

The Jewish Virtual Library says: “Fig trees, along with wheat, barley, grape, pomegranates, olive oil and honey, were historically one of the seven species of Jewish diet. The biblical seven species were the staple foods consumed by the Jewish people in the Land of Israel during biblical times. They still characterize the local landscape, although only wheat remains a staple. However, the seven species dominate large areas of the countryside, accentuating a sense of continuity between the biblical Land of Israel and the modern state. In biblical times the fig was eaten fresh or as a seasoning, in addition to being used to make honey and alcohol. The fig itself is today an expensive delicacy. In fact it is best eaten straight from the tree in the late afternoon after being baked naturally by the sun. Dried figs covered in sugar are also a popular item.” www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/ jsource/Judaism/species.html

The fig tree that bore no fruit in the parable has traditionally been referred to Israel, the landowner who planted the tree is God and the caretaker who pleaded for the tree is Christ. Leon Morris explains: “The owner has been looking for fruit for three years, which seem to indicate a well-established tree. A failure to bear for three years sounds ominous. It was unlikely that such a tree would ever again.” (Luke, 222).

What is God’s expectation of His people, Israel or Christians? Are we to live in the past and live on others’ glory? Why is it important to bear fruit?

Make the Landowner Proud
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. (Luke 13:6)

The saying that any seed grows in Southern California soil is not true in my case. A few years ago my wife and I were excited about planting trees in our backyard. Our gardener bought us two trees - orange and nectarine. The gardener charged us $50 for each tree and another $20-$30 to plant it. The first year the tree bore small oranges – the size of limes – and the nectarine was worthless.

The next year I told my wife that I was going to have the nectarine tree chopped down because it was an eyesore in the middle of the backyard. The orange tree was spared, because it was a small tree next to the rose tree, but she pleaded for the tree: “Give it one more year before you cut it.” Another year passed but the results were worse. Both trees had no fruits, but just buds. So we asked the gardener to put the nectarine tree to rest. In the meantime the orange tree was safe because it was in a corner and it was no bigger or taller than the neighboring rose tree.

The landowner in the parable had his work cut out for him and a big project ahead of him, I discover while researching on tree planting. Planting a tree is neither easy nor hard, but it requires work. The planter has to locate a site that is directly in the sun. Then he has to dig a hole twice as wide as the root diameter of the tree already wrapped with mud like a ball and dig it deep to cover the height of the root ball. The soil dug out of the hole is later used to backfill around the root ball. A 4-inch tall berm or wall of earth is built around the edge of the hole, with mulch (i.e. shredded bark, compost) filling the berm, making it easier to water the tree and reduce weed competition.

If the tree trunk is not sturdy enough, the gardener has to use two stakes, one on either side of the tree, to give the trunk support in its first year. Right after planting, the planter has to fill the dug basin with water to settle the existing soil around the root ball. The tree requires about one pint of water each day in its first week, one quarter the next week, two quarters of water every third day in its third week, and back to one quarter of water week four and beyond to wean the tree slowly off supplemental irrigation and get the root system large enough for the tree to thrive on natural rainfall.

God’s tree was meant for bigger things. It was a priority and it was given an honored position and unflattering attention and had advantages other fig trees could only dream of. It was planted in the vineyard, a plantation fit for grapes. It was given good care and entrusted into safe hands of men with green thumbs. The owner had all the time, help and devotion for this tree. He had his employees fertilize the ground, water the tree and check for bugs.

The owner spared no expenses to fatten and grow the tree; he placed it in a vineyard, not in his own backyard. It was not only under the care of experts, but also placed in the choicest of nurseries. The fig-tree was the envy and toast of trees. It had preference over the landowner’s other activities, acquiring preferred status in the vineyard and given preferential treatment over vines or grapes. Superior soil awaited the fig tree. The owner so cherished the tree that he occasionally checked (v 6) its condition and health – whether it had full sun, superior soil and gardening support.

Make the Location Count
7 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?' (Luke 13:7)

Money, it seems, can be made from specialty crops and even backyard crops. High-value specialty crops include roses, bamboo, Christmas trees, garlic, ginseng, gourmet salad blends and sprouts.

Roses are a trouble-free cash crop and can sell for $12 a piece. Bamboos can produce a yearly harvest of up to ten tons per acre and can fetch as much as $150 for the special plant/container combinations. A Christmas tree grower can reap about 1,100 saleable Christmas trees at harvest time on an acre of land, which would net him $30,000 to $50,000.

Small growers love foolproof garlic that retails for $6 a pound and can harvest up to 15,000 pounds on an acre of land. Asians willingly fork out the money for wild-simulated American ginseng that can fetch up to $250 per pound. A grower can sell gourmet salad blends from his greenhouse for $8 a pound.
http://www.profitableplants.com/specialtycrops.htm

Backyard=raised crops such as blueberries, grapes, raspberries and strawberries can earn the grower up to $15,000 gross income per acre. Herb crops, grown for culinary herbs, fragrant herbs and medicinal purposes, can net the grower as much as $12,000 - $15,000 per acre.
http://abundo.classifiedmaster.com/pages/backyard_cash_crops_yield_high_p.phpp

In an agriculture dependent society, farmers do not grow fig-trees in a vineyard for shade or conservation, but for income. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, fig-trees are cultivated all over the Holy Land, especially in the mountain regions, but they are usually shrubs, not trees; barren, not profitable or productive. Farmers in the mountain villages of Palestine with their extensive fig garden depend on them for a living. Years of patient labor is essential before a newly planted group of fig-trees can bear profitably. So, growers have high hopes for a rich yield and a financial bonanza.

The fact that the fig-tree was not a shrub meant it had an owner. Its seed was not carried to its current spot by insect, bird or animal. Its germination, occupancy and sanctuary were intentional or planned, not accidental or random. Yet all the owner demanded was fruit, not quotas, especially as a fig tree is rather sizable, fruitful and flowerless.

Yes, the landlord was a wealthy man, but he had a vineyard to manage, an operation to run, and a staff to pay. He had a family, a business and a lot to attend to. He couldn’t afford the luxury of a scenic tree, a breathtaking landscape, a panoramic view, a blended garden or a barren season. Further, a barren tree not only takes up room, but also exhausts the soil in which it grows (J. Norval Geldenhuys).

Make the Labor Worthwhile
8 “'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'" (Luke 13:8-9)

I admit I do not like figs nor understand how my wife can just cut it in half and suck the fruit from its skin. It is lacking in juice, drab in color and blend in taste. In fact, I dislike the seeds as well! Figs are not found or sold in my native land. I drool for durians, mangos and rambutans. However, I found out recently that figs are good for soup. My sister-in-law from San Diego came to visit us with soup in hand in one summer. The soup was delicious. In the soup were lean pork, watercrest vegetables and Chinese almonds.

So when I asked my sister-in-law how she made soup from figs, she said, “Very easy. You don’t even need lean pork. You can even make soup with figs and apples.” So I went online for a search for fig soup and found how to make 6 servings of “dried fig, apple and almond soup.” Below is the recipe:
1/4 cup Chinese almonds (nom hung)
4 to 5 Chinese almonds (buck hung)
3 medium red Delicious apples, unpeeled
8 ounces pork loin, well trimmed
10 Chinese dried figs, rinsed
(http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/1999/wisdom/soup.html).

The contributor of the recipe says, “The soup is suitable for any season. They are reputed to be good for moistening the lungs and therefore recommended to combat coughs. Regular dried or fresh figs can be used, but there is no substitute for the Chinese apricots (which are actually apricot kernels). “Nom hung” or Southern China almonds are known for their sweetness. “Buck hung” or Northern China apricots are slightly bitter, but they bring out the flavor of the Southern China almonds. When you buy these almonds in Chinatown, you must ask for them by their Cantonese names. I have tried this soup with Granny Smith apples, but I prefer the red Delicious apples. This is the soup that helped cure a persistent cough I had after months of trying codeine cough syrups, throat-coat teas, and every lozenge on the market.”

The landowner’s patience was exhausted. He gave the tree all the time in the world to bear fruit. He wasn’t greedy; all he wanted was one fig to show proof of its potential. He had scratched his head year after year seeing its unfruitfulness, continually double-checking his tree planting manual and technique to see if he had got it right, consulting experts on why his prized tree had nothing but leaves.

The tree, unexpectedly, received support from the chief gardener, who knew how much the owner loved the tree and so took it upon himself to make time and bear responsibility for the fig tree. Some commentators picture this as Christ’s mediation for Jews and sinners. The gardener had one last untried idea, which was embarrassing to talk about. The tried and true method was as old as man himself, so he plucked up his courage to approach the owner. The NIV word “fertilize” (v 8) does not do justice to the Greek word; the translation has actually sanitized, commercialized, modernized and weakened the force of the word. The original word is dung or manure. Jesus is the only one who has used this Greek word, which he used twice altogether. Jesus warned, in the only other occurrence of this word, in Luke 14:34-35: “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.” The same Greek word translated as “manure” in Luke 14 is “fertilizer” in this parable. It seems horse, cow and chicken manure are the best type of fertilizer.

Proper handling of manure can provide valuable plant nutrients and reduce fertilizer costs. Further, the application of livestock manure to eroded hill-tops has enabled farmers to increase yields of both small grains and grow crops on hilly land. However, some question whether or not manure is really worth the expense and labor of hauling onto the field. Manure has to be removed from feed lots and sheds, though it takes very little extra effort to spread it on the land.
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/crops/a1059w.htm#manure

The caretaker practically soiled his reputation, involved himself in dirt, put himself on the line and made his own life harder, messier and busier for the sake of the tree, although he did not blame himself or suffer pay-cut for it.

Conclusion: It’s been said, “Bloom where you are planted.” John the Baptist lambasted the Pharisees and Sadducees: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' ….Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt 3:8-10). Salvation is free, but it is not cheap. God did not save you to be a passive bystander, but to be an active participant, a willing volunteer, and a grateful servant. The church is not meant for one’s social networking and self-help but for Christian fellowship and formation. You have pastors, Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, and brothers and sisters who have contributed to your growth. Are the countless hours, lessons and sermons spent and poured on you bearing fruit? Are you aggressively blossoming, maturing and serving? Or are you wasting precious water, costly real estate and needed manpower!

Discussion Questions (Contributed by Daniel Hung):
1. What does the unfruitful fig tree in this parable refer to? (see Mt 3:8-10 and Lk 13:1-5) Why is the fig tree unfruitful?
2. The consequence of being unfruitful is to be “cut down” (vv 7,9). What does this mean? What will be the final outcome (see Lk 3:9) and what lesson does this teach us and remind us?
3. Why did the vinedresser make such a request and prepare to put in so much extra efforts to save the fig tree (v 9)? There is no ending to this parable. Do you think the fig tree will eventually bear fruit after one more year?

Reflection Questions:
1. Are God’s grace and mercy, judgment and punishment contradictory?
2. The Bible talks frequently about fruit bearing (e.g. Ps 1:3; Jer 17:7-8; Jn 15:1-6; Gal 5:22). How can one bear good fruit and what fruit have you borne?