The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 13

T"ers. 6-9.-Fatalfruitlessness. We have to consider-- I. Tm,: PRIMARY SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PARABLE. ,vhat did the great Teacher i1:tend hi~ hearer_s to understnnd by his words? It was t~is (as I read it): 1. 'l'he vineyard 1s the kingdom of God-that realm of truth and righteousness which he has been, from the beginning, establishing on the earth. 2. Israel is the fig tree which God planted in his vineyard-a fig tree in a vineyard; there not by any natural right but at the option and discretion of the Divine Owner; there" only so long as it served the purpose of him who planted it." 3. Sufficient time was given to Israel to show whether it would prove fruitful or fruitless, the "three years" standing for its day of probaiion, perhaps for the three periods represented by the judges, the kings, and the high priests. 4. Israel is found to be barren; to be without true loyalty, real piety, solid worth. 5. Thus fruitless, it is only in the way; it is failing to render the service which another "people of God," another Church, would render; it is thwarting the holy and beneficent purpose of its Creator. Not only is it useless, therefore; it is positively noxious and hurtful to the world; it is a tree that must be cut down, for it cumbers the ground. 6. Jesus Christ, the Vinedresser, intercedes for it and obtains a merciful reprieve; he will expend upon it the faithful toil of a gracious ministry. 7. But he recognizes the fact that persistent barrenness must meet its appropriato fate -banishment from the kingdom of God. II. ITs APPLICATION TO OURSELVES. 1. God is founding II broad and blessed kingdom here-a kingdom wherein dwelleth righteousness and peace; a spiritual, universal, benignant empire. 2. In it he places us, as the children and heirs of the most precious privileges, seeing and hearing (as we do) what kings and prophets saw not, nor heard; enlightened as to some most valuable points, in regard to which the disciples themselves were necessarily in the dark (see homily on eh. x. 23, 24). 3. From us, thus advantaged, the Divine Husbandman demands good fruit. He may well expect that we shonld "yield much fruit" (John xv. 8), much reverence, purity, love, joy, service, usefulness. He is correspondingly disappointed and grieved when be finds but little, or even none at all 4. The unfruitful are not only the guilty, but they are the intolerably wasteful; they receive without returning, whilst others' in their place would receive and return. (1) As those who are WTO'U[Jht upon by Christian truth and influence, they remain unblessed. where others in their place would hearken and heed, wonld obey and live. (2) As those who are professing to work ~Jn and for others, they are holding some post uselessly, where others would be scattermg benefit and blessing on every hand. They cause a deplorable and unendurable waste in the kingdom of God. 5. Christ offers us a merciful reprieve. Under his patient rule we are allowed another year, another period for repentance, for reformation, 'for renewal of heart and life. It is a sacred and a solemn time, an opportunity which we must not by any means neglect. For if we do, the word of Divine condemnation will be spoken, and we shall lose our place in the kingdom of our Lord.-C. Vers. 11-13.-The opportunity of love. Jesus found himself, on the sabbath day, in the synagogue; and being in the right place, he found ~omet~ing more than he presumably went to seek (see next homily). We have our mmds directed to- L Otra LoRD's OPPORTUNITY, and the we he made of it. 1. He found this in the presence of h1t'11WITI, infirmity. There he saw a woman who had been afflict~d in body for eighteen years; she was "bowed together," etc. Not only was she subject to very considerable privation, but, as one whose figure was uncomely, she waa exposed to the ,-i,dicule of the flippant and tho heartless; and this without break for a very large proportion of human life. Here was a most fitting object of tender pity and, if tho oa, xm. 1-35.) THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. 15