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The Fig Tree: Preparing for the Season with Love

The Fig Tree: Preparing for the Season with Love

Last updated on: August 11, 2026 at 1:27 pm by Beverly R. Green

The Fig Tree: Preparing for the Season with Love 2026-08-11T13:27:12-04:00 Beverly R. Green

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. | Image created for Patheos.

The Art of the Parables: Part 10

As we continue to camp out with the parables, Jesus reveals to us in stories about how we should be; that is, how we should be as citizens of the Kingdom of God in this life. Previous lessons have taught about the virtues of MERCY with the Good Samaritan, GRACE with the Prodigal Son, HOPE with “other lost things,” FAITH with the Parable of the Sower, FAITHFULNESS with The Parable of the Talents, PERSISTENCE with the Persistent Widow and the Midnight Visitor, HUMILITY with the Pharisee and the Tax Collector**, FORGIVENESS** with the Unmerciful Servant**, WISDOM** with the Wise and Foolish Builders**,** and INFLUENCE with Salt and Light**.** Of course, that is all fruit that we should display in our lives to be examples to others.
Hmmmmmm … fruit … that just happens to be where we are heading. In fact, it is a particular fruit– figs.

I Chase Sunsets series note:

This is “The Art of the Parables” series. To read part nine, click here.

Parables of Fig Trees

In Matthew 24:32-33: Jesus taught, “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.”

The same word comes in Mark 13:28-31 and Luke 21:29-33.

In Luke 13:6-9, Jesus teaches about another fig tree: “A man had a fig tree. It was growing in his vineyard. When he went to look for fruit on it, he didn’t find any. So he went to the man who took care of the vineyard. He said, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree. But I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

“ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year. I’ll dig around it and feed it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

That one almost made me laugh out loud. The same conversation happened with my grandfather and a peach tree he planted in his yard. Like in the parable, the peach tree produced nothing for three years, and like in the parable, my grandfather decided to give it one more year. Guess what! The tree produced peaches, and its life was saved!

Fig trees, like peach trees, show all four seasons clearly. Mature fig trees transition from bare, dormant branches in winter to budding leaves and an early “breba” crop (small, new figs on older branches) in spring, lush green leaves and a heavy fruit harvest in summer, and yellow leaves that eventually fall off the tree in the autumn. Unlike peaches, fig trees can produce fruit rather quickly, even in their first year (which may have led to our farmer’s frustration). Also, figs must be allowed to ripen on the tree since they will not continue the process if harvested early. One can tell by studying the tree what time of year it is and if the fruit is ready. This points us to the virtue of

READINESS.

The stories of the fig trees serve as warnings to remain spiritually alert and ready if we are to live prosperously (and eternally) in the Kingdom of God. The Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 and the Great Banquet in Matthew 22:1-14 and Luke 14:15-24 also teach about being ready.

OK, but ready for what? Or should we ask, “ready for whom?”

Ready for Christ’s Return

Found in 17 different books of the Old Testament, there are roughly 1,500 references predicting the Messiah’s glorious return. The New Testament references the Second Coming in 23 of the 27 New Testament books, with over 300 dedicated references. Jesus Himself spoke of His return 21 recorded times! Sometimes He did it in parables.

Luke 20:9-19 (also appearing in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark): “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’

“But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?

***“*Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

That last verse reminds me of a line spoken by the character Sancho Panza in Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote:

“Whether the pitcher hits the stone or the stone hits the pitcher, it is always bad for the pitcher.”

The Bible says, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” We will all come broken before Him. Whether we have known Him for years or for only a moment, to come willingly and humbly broken is to come to Him ready.

Are You Ready?

A while back, Twila Paris recorded a song titled “Watch and Pray.” Some of the lyrics go like this:

When he comes here let him find us keeping our promises

Holding to faithfulness down on our knees, eyes to the east

Watch and pray no one knows the moment

No one knows the hour or the day

Watch and pray till you see Him coming

Coming through the clouds in white array

To take His bride away

“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36).

So we add READINESS to MERCY, GRACE, HOPE, FAITH, FAITHFULNESS, PERSISTENCE, HUMILITY, FORGIVENESS, WISDOM, and INFLUENCE.

I know, I know! I know what you’re asking because I would be asking the same thing:

What About LOVE?

The answer is, it’s all about love. As we are called to mercy, grace, hope, faith, persistence, faithfulness, forgiveness, humility, wisdom, and influence, each one is punctuated by love. It is the way to be until Christ returns. The scriptures confirm it over and over again.

Lamentations 3:22-23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.”

Luke 6:36: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Ephesians 2:4-9: 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7:“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

I Corinthians 13:13-14:1a: “The three most important things to have are faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love. Follow the way of love.”

Proverbs 3:3: “Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient, love is kind… It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Romans 5:3-5: “…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope”.

Colossians 3:12: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Luke 6:37: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

James 3:17: “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

2 Timothy 2:2: And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to [influence] reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

God bless you and may you be ready in all seasons!

To read this series from the beginning, start here: What Is a Parable? The Art of Teaching in Stories

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