In this parable, God is like the owner of the vineyard, and Israel is the vineyard. We can also say that all humans are the vineyard. Jesus is like the gardener. God is frustrated that Israel hasn’t born the “fruits” they should and wants to cut them down, then Jesus asks for time to really nurture the soil. All parables are imperfect metaphors, and they are never 100% the truth. Did God want to cut Israel down? No. God loves us all. However, it is highlighting Jesus' role as wanting to nourish the soil for all of us, so we bear good fruits. 

Ponder these I Wonder statements together...

• I wonder who the owner is in this story
• I wonder who the gardener is
• I wonder why the fig tree wasn’t bearing any fruits
• I wonder if the gardener’s plan worked
• I wonder if I ever feel like I’ve worked on something for a long time and haven’t gotten the rewards I wanted
• I wonder how God nourishes me

Who are you in the Story? What does the Story mean for you Today?