If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”If it bears fruit, fine; but if not, after that, you can cut it down.’”And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.and if it bear fruit thenceforth, well; but if not, thou shalt cut it down.
3 sermons cite this verse
… and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine. If then, if not then, cut it down This is the word of God You may be seated Monsignor Oscar Romero stood as I stood today and many pastors and priests stood behind the altar of March of 1980. As he was preparing to offer his gift to his congregation a long gunman stood at the back of the chapel in San Salvador, fired a single shot, ripped through the body of Monsignor Romero. He fell to the ground, bled over the altar as he offered his gifts before his congregation. He died in the service of worship. He was an activist for the rights of those that were marginalized and oppressed. People depended upon him and now he lay dead and like his Lord had spilled his blood in the sacrifice of service. It was that kind of day when these Galileans reported what had taken place in Jerusalem. A similar situation where lives had been given in the service of God, offering their sacrifices to God. …
… I'll fertilize it. And if it bears fruit next year, fine. If not, then cut it down. Write down point number one today. Fruit follows repentance. Man, do I love this. What Jesus is trying to teach us. He's not trying to teach us about fruit. He's trying to teach us about root. See, most of us, we get so caught up in the fruit of things that you miss out on the root of things. He tells a story. He says, this guy was walking by. First year, he's like, wow, that's weird. Got no fruit. Second year, he walks by. He's like, wow, interesting. A tree, no fruit. Third year, he walks by. He said, man, I've been walking by this tree for three years. And for three years, I see no fruit. He said, cut down the tree and get rid of this thing. It's bearing no fruit. The master, the landowner says, hold on. Hold up. I get it. No fruit. Give me one year. You know what this is representation of? …
… And he answered and said to him, Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer, and if it bears fruit next year, fine, but if not, cut it down. What is this? This is the other side of the story. This is a parable about patience, about patience. And it reminded me, just thinking about it, of Jeremiah 44. And Jeremiah obviously is God's prophet pronouncing judgment on an idolatrous Israel. But there's just a beautiful portion of this 44th chapter that lets you in on the heart of God. He is judge, of course, and He will judge, and He will punish everlastingly. But let's look at chapter 44, and you can pick it up at verse 19. And it says that they were burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven. Burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven. Back in verse 15, burning sacrifices to other gods. So, Israel is engaged in idolatry. Verse 17 again mentions sacrifices to the queen of heaven, drink offerings to her, some goddess. …