Give It One More Year

Repentance, Mercy, and the Narrow Door · Luke 13

Story guide: A vineyard keeper loosens soil beneath a mature fruitless fig tree while its owner listens among fruitful vines. Jesus rejects the idea that recent victims were worse sinners and calls everyone to repent.

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1Some were present at that very time reporting to him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

2And answering, he said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans became sinners beyond all the Galileans, because they have suffered these things?”

3No, I tell you; but unless you reorient toward God, you will all likewise perish.

4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them—do you think that they became debtors beyond all the men living in Jerusalem?

5No, I tell you; but unless you reorient toward God, you will all likewise perish.

6And he was telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.”

7Then he said to the vine-dresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and have found none. Cut it down. Why should it even keep using up the ground?’

8But he answered and said to him, ‘Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put manure on it.’

9And if it bears fruit in the future—well and good; but if not, you will cut it down.

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