Is anything more frustrating than a tree that will not produce the fruit it was designed to deliver? After purchasing a lemon tree and following all the prescribed directions for it to flourish, we rightfully expected to find lemons. Instead, we got a dead tree that exhausted our time, money, and water–producing nothing.

‘For three years now, I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none.
So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?‘Luke 13:7

This parable is preceded by the need to repent. “But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” (Lk 13:5) We cannot thrive and produce fruit if we are rotting inside. Each of us, in our own unique way, is that fig tree. If we are unwilling to repent and rid ourselves of blight, we will bear zero fruit?

For decades, I worked in the Lord’s vineyard. When asked to lead teens in ministry, I said, ‘Yes.’ I had no clue what I was doing, yet God produced abundant fruit through my consent.

The hardest part of being a youth minister and later marriage coordinator was working with stubborn, hard hearts unwilling to be changed by the love of God. You can do everything right and still be rejected. I remember bringing it to prayer, and the Lord reminded me that He, too, was rejected, and He is God.

I felt a little less sorry for myself.

We can’t make someone want to change, accept the truth, or trust in God.
It is God’s work to cultivate the soil of their heart.

When I look back and ponder the effectiveness of our efforts, I get a glimpse of a harvest that yielded fruit in the hearts and lives of the adults who volunteered with me. It was evident that God was working powerfully with me and with them. While our efforts were directed at the youth, God was profoundly touching the lives of the adults.

Are we to do anything with barren trees?

Our duty is to be willing to cultivate the ground. We can do this by spreading the Gospel in small ways. Whether it’s the orange tree of hormonal, uninterested teens or distracted seniors, the apple tree of co-workers and friends, or the hazelnut of those we do not know. Every day is a new possibility for sharing God’s unconditional love, forgiveness, and mercy, which has the power to break apart hard soil.

If the ground is hard, nutrients can’t get in.

Still, we must try.

So, what is Jesus trying to teach us in this Gospel concerning the barren fig tree?
I believe it reminds us to pay attention and cultivate the soil in which we are meant to bloom and bear fruit. More importantly, it encourages us regarding the necessity to let the Divine Gardener do what He does best: produce fruit in us. This involves taking an honest look at the condition of our hearts, habits, and willingness to be painfully pruned.

Wait, what?

Any excellent gardener knows the value of pruning. Removing branches that do not yield fruit allows trees to thrive and bear more abundant fruit. Does it hurt? In my experience, yes. However, there is no need to fear this; God is a gentle gardener and knows the harvest born of our ‘yes.’ Trust Him, He knows exactly what He is doing. Surrendering to this process leads to a superior output.

We must ask ourselves,
-Do I cultivate and grow my Catholic faith personally and assist others? God’s Word in Scripture is invaluable.

-Am I feeding and nourishing my soul with the Bread of Life, which sustains, strengthens, and equips me?

-Do I frequent confession, eliminating the weeds and invasive habits that choke my good efforts?

-Am I firmly rooted in the vine that protects and sustains me to weather the scorching heat and bitter moments of life?

Or am I trying to manage independently, hoping my efforts alone will bear fruit?
It’s easy to fall into that bad habit. I still do it more than I’m willing to admit. When I am knee-deep in muck, frustrated, and wondering why the Lord has deserted me, it is then that I am reminded that by my own volition, I am here. Instead of working in conjunction with the Gardener, I marched forward solo.

Yield to the Divine Gardener who knows us best. A tree that doesn’t bear fruit takes up space.

Not becoming who we were gifted and designed to be wastes our lives.

After all, none of us wants to be that tree on the chopping block at the end of our lives.

Each tree will be known by its fruit. Go and bear fruit that will last.