Jesus always encouraged his hearers to live their lives bearing the kind of fruit that would bring glory to God and blessings to others. On one occasion, He told the story of a man (God) who planted a fig tree in his vineyard, but never found any figs on it. Jesus intended for his listeners to realize that the vineyard represented the nation of Israel (Is. 5:1-7), and that the fig tree represented the leadership of the nation, including the priests, scribes, and Pharisees. They were the ones called upon to set a godly example of righteousness, not only for their own nation, but for the surrounding Gentile nations as well. The owner of the vineyard (God) called for the tree to be cut down as it was just using up the nutrients in the soil. But the keeper of the vineyard wanted to give it one more year and promised to aerate and fertilize the soil. If fruit was not found the following season, then it would be cut down (See Lk. 13:6-9).

During the following years of ministry, Jesus never found any fruit born by the “leadership tree,” and forty years after His death, resurrection, and ascension (AD 70), the tree was “cut down” as the Roman army burned the Temple and destroyed the entire sacrificial system. Even though Jesus’ parable was directed at the religious leaders of His day, He fully intends for each one of us to bear fruit that will bring honor and glory to Him. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also talked about fruit saying, 

“…good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit…every tree that does not bear good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Mt. 7:17-19).  

In other words, bad trees are only good for firewood!But Jesus was not finished, 

“So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Mt. 7:20).

In the end, it’s not about the words we speak, but the lives that we live. As Jesus said, it’s about,

“…doing the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 7:21).

And so, what is the Father’s will? It’s that you and I bear the fruit of righteousness. It’s difficult to be specific about this, but I like to think that the kind of fruit we are to bear is the “fruit of influence.” In other words, we need to ask ourselves questions such as these: “What kind of influence am I upon others?” Am I influencing others for good or for evil? Am I influencing others to follow Christ or choose another path? Am I influencing others to be filled with love for others or criticism and condemnation of others? Am I setting an example of blessing others or cursing them? 

And so, I ask each one of us, “Are we making a difference in the world by influencing others to bear the fruit of righteousness in a broken society?” Jesus is looking for fruitful followers, not barren bystanders. 

Next week, we will look at the key to bearing the kind of fruit that will honor God and bless others. I hope that you will join me.