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A Personal Story
The man’s fig tree was barren. It had never produced fruit and he was done with it. The time had come to cut the tree down. Why was this fig tree even using up the ground?
The keeper of the vineyard understood his boss’ concern over the unfruitful fig tree, but the tree had been planted for a reason. After all, it was a fig tree and when a fig tree bears fruit, it is refreshing and delightful.
So, the vineyard keeper asked his boss for some time to cultivate and fertilize the tree in the hope that in time it would bear fruit. For truly, if the tree started bearing fruit, then all was not lost. But if after all their effort the tree was never going to bear fruit, then let it be cut down.
His boss agreed and he went to work.
The Path of Darkness
That fig tree was me in 1982.
I was 22 years old and could not be more barren if I tried. Living off and on with a married woman, we were doing drugs and I was drinking seven days a week. As if things could not get worse, I got her pregnant. Because of our drug abuse, she began bleeding and I agreed to terminating her pregnancy.
I didn’t even try to save our baby.
In my sin, I could not have been further from Jesus Christ. I was lost, separated from God while I walked the path of darkness and the shadow of death.
This Gentle Soul
But God sent a keeper of the vineyard to nurture me in the hopes that I would become the fruitful tree He had desired when He planted me in my mother’s womb. His name was Efrain.
Efrain was from Puerto Rico. Ironically, his name in English is Jeff.
Efrain and I worked together and while he never forced his faith on me, he was there to share his faith when I needed it most.
It was a long process shared over a cutting table where up to four of us could stand and cut onions, jalapenos, tomatoes and more for the Mexican food we were serving.
In time this gentle soul became dear to me and I asked him for help in buying my first bible. He agreed and I made my first trip to a bible store, which was a big step for me.
I Could Feel the New Life
At the time I bought my Bible, I lived alone and was working early shifts which meant I was off by mid-afternoon. Each night I crawled into bed, picking up my bible from the nightstand and read the Gospels which Efrain had encouraged me to read. And each night as I read those Gospels, I began realizing how far apart from God I was and just how much I needed Jesus Christ.
I’m sure I didn’t even make it through the book of Matthew, before I felt the need to tell God that I loved Him. But, no matter how strong that desire was, I could not speak those feelings out loud, even though I was alone in my own apartment. It was not until the seventh night, when I summoned all of my courage to say out loud, “I love you, Jesus.”
When I spoke those words, it was as if all the walls I had built in my 22 years came crashing down. I was born again and I could feel the new life in me.
After Efrain helped me buy a bible, he moved away to go to school so that he could work in ministry. I lost track of him and it took me several years to find him and share what he meant to me. I have since lost track of him again, but hope to see him in heaven on that day God calls me to walk through the veil from this world to the next.
The Hardest Part
The next world is the one we don’t see yet, but it is there, ready to be revealed in its time.
If, like me, you are walking the path that does not lead to Jesus Christ, then let me encourage you. God loves you and wants you to live with Him when this life is over. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to make a way into heaven for you. The proof is in the Bible. Here are a couple of verses to think about.
- “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21
Jesus Christ will gladly overlook our wrongs if we turn to Him. It is called Grace and it is His grace to forgive us those wrongs, no matter what they are.
- “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4
God wants everyone to live with Him in heaven.
“Hell was never meant for man. It was created for the devil and his angels.” Billy Graham in one of his sermons.
- For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Romans 10:11-13
The hardest part is calling out to Jesus Christ. It is getting past the walls in our heart that prevent us from turning to Jesus Christ.
Don’t Look Back
Like my friend from so long ago, I encourage you to pick up the Bible and start reading the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In them, you will find Jesus Christ, His life, and His path.
God took me from the path of darkness and the shadow of death that I walked and put me on the path of true life. I can only hope that you will trust me when I say that God’s path is filled with far more beautiful things than we can ever imagine. Beautiful people, beautiful words, beautiful things and in the midst of them all is Jesus Christ moving in our lives and revealing His true self to us. I for one, could not ask for anything more.
Leave the path of darkness and don’t look back. Turn to the path of life and light today. You will not regret it.
A Note to Those Who Believe
If you believe in Jesus Christ already, then I want to take a moment to remind you that one day, the lost will be separated from Jesus Christ and heaven forever. In fact, the lost are dying as we speak. This is not acceptable!
The lost need our patience right now! They also need our love, mercy, forgiveness, understanding and more. They need every chance to turn to Jesus Christ to escape the sentence of Death!
An Incomparable Fruit
Hence, the parable of the fig tree. The lost man is barren in soul and spirit. Little if any fruit is born toward their fellow man resulting in no treasure in heaven and being separated from the hope, we hold so dear, forever.
That means that people are going to hurt your feelings. They are going to cost you in time and money. The lost are going to anger you and frustrate you.
But God’s will is that you love others when they hurt you. Even Jesus Christ called Judas Iscariot, friend, knowing that Judas would betray him. It is painful to love others when they hurt us, but loving through that pain creates an incomparable fruit that is precious to God!
Listen to the Heart
And He wants you to forgive others, even when it costs you. God can restore the time and money you lose through others. But what if He doesn’t immediately restore what you have lost? Then He has treasure in heaven waiting for you. What we cling to in this life is trash anyway, compared to what Jesus Christ has waiting for us!
Listen to the heart of the lost and gently share your faith in Jesus Christ if the opportunity arises. Look to Jesus Christ for the words and timing. Like Efrain so long ago, you may be someone’s introduction to Jesus Christ.
Resource
The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree
“He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’” Luke 13:6-9