When to Move On
The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree (Luke 13:6–9) sits by itself apart from the original context. There are no clues about to whom Christ addressed this simple parable. One exoteric meaning is that one should cultivate a project properly before discarding it as a failure.
A short review of the parable:
13:6 — A fig tree had no fruit.
13:7 — No fruit for three years, so the owner told the vinedresser to cut the fig tree down.
13:8 — The vinedresser asked for one more year and stated he would fertilize the tree properly.
13:9 — If better cultivation doesn’t produce fruit, we’ll cut it down next year.
There’s no indication that the master approved the vinedresser’s plan to fertilize the fig. There’s no follow up about whether this approach produced figs the next year. It’s also not explained why the vinedresser hasn’t already been cultivating the tree properly. It’s safe to assume that the outcome is not the important message of the parable.
Christ is addressing what I personally call the law of three. The fig tree has been unfruitful for three seasons, rather than killing it, perhaps a different approach is required. When one is striving to achieve a goal and has failed three times, a new approach may be needed to ensure success. If there’s an option to try a new…
