[:en]TIME TO FLOURISH
In Israel, it was customary to give fig trees three years to produce fruit. If they didn’t, they were cut down so the soil could be better used. In Jesus’s story, as gardener asks his boss to give one particular tree a fourth year to produce. In context, the parable implies this: the Israelites had not lived as they should, and God could justly judge them. But God is patient and had given extra time for them to turn to Him, be forgiven, and bloom.
God wants all people to flourish. He has given us extra time to respond to His offer of forgiveness. Let us pray for the unbelieving friends to turn to Him. Let us be a tree that blooms and produces good fruits. – (Sheridan Voysey)[:]