Table Talk: The Parable of The Fig Tree

This story comes from the Gospel of Luke. Prior to the parable, news came to Jesus about some Jewish people from Galilee who came to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices but had been killed by the Roman governor’s troops. Jesus asked the people – “Do you think that these people were worse sinners than all the other people of Galilee because they suffered this way?” Jesus answered with “No”, and added, “unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

Jesus then told a parable – A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. Although it looked healthy, it produced no fruit. The man told the gardener, “For three years I have come looking for fruit to grow on this fig tree and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” The gardener was reluctant to cut it down if it could be made to bear fruit. He requested that it be left there for one more year and he promised to fertilize it. Then if it didn’t bear fruit it could be cut down.  This was Jesus’ way of telling the people to get their act together.

Table Talk Questions

1. What did Jesus mean by when he told this story?
2. How do we observe the world around us, yet not get consumed by it?
3. What can help you change the way you think about things?

Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16zR8iruL0Fv2nNH9g8LHGIZ2boAbCx7B

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