The Axe at the Root: Borrowed Time in God's Vineyard Text: Luke 13:6-9
Introduction: The Danger of Presumption
We live in a soft age, an age that has domesticated the God of the Bible and turned the Lion of Judah into a housecat. We like to think of God's patience as a kind of sentimental indulgence, as though He were a doting grandfather who simply cannot bring Himself to enforce the rules of the house. We hear warnings of judgment and instinctively assume they are for someone else, for the obviously wicked, for the pagans out there. Jesus, in the verses immediately preceding our text, confronts this deadly presumption head on. Some people come to Him with news of a horrific tragedy, how Pilate had mingled the blood of some Galileans with their sacrifices. The assumption in the air was that those Galileans must have been exceptionally wicked to deserve such a fate. Jesus demolishes that thought. He asks, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
He doubles down, mentioning another local disaster about eighteen people killed by a falling tower in Siloam. "Do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." The point is clear and sharp. Do not look at the calamities of others and congratulate yourself on your own righteousness. The default condition of every man is to be under the sentence of death. The fact that the tower has not yet fallen on your head is not a sign of your virtue, but a sign of God's patience. And that patience has a purpose and an expiration date. It is a window of opportunity for repentance. This parable of the barren fig tree is not a gentle story for a children's Sunday School class. It is an illustration of this terrifying reality. It is a warning to those who sit comfortably within the covenant community, enjoying all its privileges, but producing none of its fruit. It is a story about a just Owner, a fruitless tree, a gracious Intercessor, and a final, unavoidable reckoning.
The Text
And He was telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in manure, and if it bears fruit next year, fine, but if not, cut it down.’ ”
(Luke 13:6-9 LSB)
Privilege and Expectation (v. 6)
The parable begins by establishing the setting and the problem.
"A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and did not find any." (Luke 13:6)
First, we must identify the characters. The man who owns the vineyard is God the Father. The vineyard itself is the place of covenant privilege, which in the immediate context was the nation of Israel, and by extension today is the visible church. The fig tree is an individual within that covenant community. Notice the tree's position. It was not a wild tree growing by the side of the road. It was "planted in his vineyard." This is a position of immense privilege. It has been given every advantage. It is in good soil, protected by the vineyard walls, tended and cared for. This is a picture of the person who grows up in a Christian home, who is baptized, who hears the Word of God preached every Lord's Day, who sits under the means of grace. To whom much is given, much is required.
The owner's action is perfectly reasonable. He "came seeking fruit on it." God is not a distant, absentee landlord. He is intimately involved with His people, and He has expectations. He planted the tree for a purpose, and that purpose was to bear fruit. This is not about earning salvation through good works. This is about the necessary evidence of genuine life. A living apple tree produces apples. A living faith produces the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The owner is not looking for leaves, the outward appearance of religiosity. He is looking for fruit, the substantive reality of a changed heart.
But the result is stark: he "did not find any." Not poor fruit, not a small amount of fruit, but no fruit at all. This describes a state of spiritual barrenness, a dead orthodoxy, a form of godliness that denies its power. This is the person who can talk the talk but whose life shows no evidence of genuine repentance and faith.
A Just Sentence (v. 7)
The owner's patience has run its course, and he delivers a just verdict.
"And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’" (Luke 13:7)
The owner's inspection has been thorough and patient. "For three years I have come." In Scripture, three is often a number signifying completeness or a sufficient period of testimony. Think of Christ's three-year ministry to Israel. God does not make snap judgments. His patience is long, but it is not everlasting. He has been watching, waiting, and giving opportunity after opportunity.
The sentence is severe but entirely logical: "Cut it down!" This is the sentence of divine judgment. But notice the reason given. It is not just that the tree is unproductive; it is that the tree is counterproductive. "Why does it even use up the ground?" The Greek word here is katargeo, which means to make useless or to render idle. The barren tree is not a neutral object. It is a liability. It is taking up valuable soil, sunlight, and water that a fruitful tree could be using. A fruitless professor of faith does active harm. They are a stumbling block to unbelievers, who look at their hypocrisy and mock the faith. They are a drain on the resources of the church. They are a living, breathing argument against the power of the gospel they claim to believe. The judgment is not arbitrary cruelty; it is righteous husbandry. The vineyard must be cleansed of what harms it.
The Intercessor's Plea (v. 8)
Just as the axe is about to fall, a second figure speaks. This is the gospel at the heart of the parable.
"And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in manure...'" (Luke 13:8)
The vineyard-keeper is the Lord Jesus Christ, the great High Priest and Intercessor. He stands in the gap between the holy justice of the Father and the barren sinner. His first plea is for time: "Let it alone, sir, for this year too." He does not dispute the owner's assessment. He does not say the tree is fruitful. He does not argue that the sentence is unjust. He acknowledges the righteousness of the owner's claim by addressing him as "sir" or "Lord." Christ's intercession does not set aside the justice of God; it satisfies it. Here, He pleads for a stay of execution, for a little more time, for one more season of grace.
But His plea is not for passive waiting. He promises to act. "Until I dig around it and put in manure." This is the intensive care of the gospel. The vinedresser is going to get his hands dirty. To "dig around it" means to break up the hard, compacted, fallow ground of the heart. This can be a painful process. It might be the sharp conviction of the law, a providential trial, a season of suffering, or a rebuke from a brother that God uses to break our pride and self-sufficiency. Then, he will "put in manure." This is the application of the rich, life-giving nutrients of the gospel. It is the preaching of Christ crucified, the promise of forgiveness, the assurance of grace. The Intercessor does not just ask for more time; He promises to pour out more grace, more attention, more spiritual cultivation upon the fruitless soul.
The Final Opportunity (v. 9)
The vinedresser's plea concludes with two possible outcomes, and only two.
"...and if it bears fruit next year, fine, but if not, cut it down.’" (Luke 13:9)
The first possibility is repentance and life. "If it bears fruit next year, fine." The goal of this intensive, grace-filled intervention is fruit. If the tree responds, if life springs forth, it will be spared. The word "fine" is a quiet understatement for what would be an occasion of cosmic joy. The owner will be pleased, the vinedresser's work will be rewarded, and the tree will fulfill its purpose.
But the second possibility is final and terrible. "But if not, cut it down." This is the most sobering part of the parable. The Intercessor Himself consents to the judgment. Christ's patience is not limitless. His grace can be finally refused. There comes a point where, if the heart remains hard and the life remains barren after this final, intensive application of grace, the Vinedresser will step aside. He will not plead forever. His own plea sets a time limit. After this "one more year," if there is no fruit, He Himself will concur with the owner's sentence. The one who is now the sinner's only advocate will become the amen to their condemnation.
This tells us that there is a line that can be crossed. There is a day of grace, and when it ends, the day of judgment begins. The patience of God, mediated through the intercession of Christ, is what holds back the axe. But if that patience is spurned, that intercession will cease, and the axe will fall.
Conclusion: Repent Before the Axe Falls
This parable is a direct and urgent call to everyone who sits within the sound of the gospel. It is a call to self-examination. Do not look at your baptism, your church membership, or your religious heritage as a guarantee of salvation. Those are privileges of being planted in the vineyard, and they increase your responsibility.
The question the owner asks is the question He asks of you today: Where is the fruit? Is there evidence in your life of a genuine work of the Holy Spirit? Is there a growing hatred for your sin and a growing love for Christ? Is there a tangible love for your brothers and sisters? Or are you just leaves, just barren profession?
If you are honest, and you see the barrenness in your own life, do not despair. And do not presume. The fact that you are hearing this warning is a sign that the Vinedresser is still at work. He is pleading for you. This sermon is part of Him digging around your heart. The conviction you feel is the tool in His hand. The offer of the gospel is the rich fertilizer He is applying to your soul.
Do not trifle with this "one more year." It may not be a literal year. It is simply the present season of grace you are in. Today is the day of salvation. Flee from your fruitless religion and cling to the Vinedresser. Repent of your sin and trust in Jesus Christ alone. For if you do not, the day is coming when the great Intercessor will step aside, the patience of God will come to its end, and the just sentence will be executed. The axe is at the root. Repent and live.