“Why Cumbereth it the Ground?”...the Wayfarer 3/24/14

“Why Cumbereth it the Ground?”
 3/24/14

“Then said he unto the dresser of this vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down: why cumbereth it the ground?”

(Luke 13:7)

Today we go to Luke, and answers given by Jesus to busybodies, to the same ones that continually looked for the faults and foibles in others, taking joy from the problems faced by others and attempting to justify self-righteousness by blaming those problems on unseen and unproven sin, much like Job’s buddies who only saw those problems and were incapable of noticing that their very arrogance and presumptiveness was uncalled for, gave no solace, and only deepened the sorrow of a man being tried by Satan because of his very devotion to God.

“There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingles with their sacrifices.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things?

I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Or those eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.”

(Luke 13:1-5)

How often do you hear someone say, “Well, He brought it on himself.” How often do you make decisions based only on things heard about a person’s family, or how often do you jump to conclusion because of the color of skin, the accent spoken, nationality or the visible nature of a person or people?

When making decisions of who to rent to, who to give help when in need, who to hire for a job you may have open, just what are the driving factors that are used to guide those decisions?

Too often those choices are made with prejudiced minds blinded by the need to feel above the ones you may link of as less than yourself, for whatever reason you choose to think that way, instead of applying the rationale given here by Christ that all are equal in sin, all must either repent that sin or pay the price of that sin.

Galileans were considered to be lowly among most of those living in Israel, different from them therefore not as worthy. Samaritans were considered even more lowly and deemed not to be given the time of day by the self-righteous of the time.

The point made by Christ here is as valid now as it was then. God does not make His decisions based on those prejudices, but makes them based solely on the individual…and the repentance or lack of repentance of the individual.

Nations are not judged simply because of skin color, the name they choose to call themselves, nor any factors outside the compliance with His commandments and His laws given to guide them.

Christ’s admonition did not end there, but continued with a parable intended to open eyes to the fact that work was required, patience to be applied before giving up on individual or peoples, and the need to have heard and understood what is given in those commandments and laws before any expectation of compliance with and adherence to them, and if not complied with and adhered to the judgment that WILL be given them by GOD, not man.

“He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and south fruit thereon and found none.

Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down: why cumbereth it the ground?

And he answering said unto him, Lord let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that, thou shalt cut it down.”

(Luke 13:6-9)

To bear fruit, to come into compliance with God’s wishes for us, takes work being done to produce that fruit.

Just as a tree properly cared for and nurtured by fertilization of the ground can come back to life and produce the desired fruit of that tree, so too may people grow, if nurtured and taught properly find their way to be what is intended of them.

So too can nations be salvaged if proper care is given by those entrusted with that care, that would otherwise  be cut down and cut off from God’s blessings because of the lack of fruit borne.

That care is entrusted to those who follow Christ and may only be effected with the required effort on their part to correct the failure of individuals and nations to be what is intended of them.

Correction may not be made by ignoring the root cause of the problems, and simply allowing them to increase, but those very roots must be addressed, the withered ones removed and the ones attempting to grow fed to nourish them.

Christ intercedes on our behalf constantly. All praise for that fact! Were he not to make that intercession, there would be none capable of pleasing God, and all would be cut down instead of being given a chance to prove worthiness to be of benefit to Him.

When that nourishment, the teachings of Christ, the laws already given, the means to achieve favor ignored, then it is to be expected that individuals, as well as nations will be cut down.

I pray daily that the dressers of this weed infested, unproductive vineyard that rotates around the sun take notice of its unproductivity and begin the process of fertilization through spreading the Gospel as given by Christ, by carefully pruning the unproductive limbs and roots that are killing any possibility of that productivity, and do the job given them.

God is a jealous God, He is a wrathful God, but He remains a merciful God to all willing to meet the requirements set forth to obtain that mercy.

Those requirements begin with the need for and acceptance of that need for repentance, and there can be no other place to begin than that which is given.

Repentance can and only will be given when the need for it is seen and comprehended, met instead of rejected.

Once this occurs, and only once this occurs can we then be the dressers of the vineyard left us and do the job left us to do by following another requirement, that of truly loving one another as Christ loved us.

That love must replace any innate tendency to look only on others as being less worthy; thereby failing to admit our own pitiful lack of worth that refuses to allow the work left us to be done.

The tree has already been salvaged. The digging and dunging is done daily by none less than Christ himself if we allow it to happen.

The time has come to participate in that process to be a laborer in the vineyard instead of a complaining bystander.

I close in prayer for those laborers to first allow themselves to receive the nourishment needed, through prayer…true and sincere prayer, not false and self-righteous attempts to justify their own self-glorification, and through constant and consistent pursuit of guidance given us in the scriptures to be used to grow themselves then to give guidance and warning to all about them so that the entire vineyard once again becomes productive as intended.

I pray that the lord of that vineyard continue to allow just a bit longer for that digging and dunging to be done, before the foreordained decision to cut down the tree altogether is finally demanded and accomplished.

I remain, no more, no less than the simple sinner saved by grace through faith in that Lord of this vineyard, accorded that grace and mercy through the intercession of that dresser who saw in me the possibility of worthiness and who continues to intercede yet and still on my behalf.

It is only in the care of that intercessor that this unworthy soldier may ever be of any value to the Lord of this pitiful vineyard. It is only with the constant remembrance of that very unworthiness that any and all growth and productivity may be of assistance defending that Dresser and attempting to assist His efforts.

“Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer