Feb. 23rd Bible Study Outline

Byron Presbyterian Church

Bible Study – February 23 2016 – 7PM – at the church – lead by Rev. Jim Renfrew


  1. Welcome and Prayer


  1. Fruit

     What’s your favorite fruit?  Describe having a bite when it’s perfect; perfect moment, perfect place, perfect taste.   Mmmmm.


  1. Jesus, on Fig Trees

     Jesus talks about Fig Trees in three of the four gospels.  Fig trees must have been common where he lived.  I cannot think of any other fruit that he mentions in any of his stories.  The primary text for tonight is Luke 13:1-9.  You will notice that verses 1-5 serve as an introduction to the parable that follows in verses 6-9.  Jesus offers another parable involving a fig tree in chapter 21, and the parallaels to that in Matthew and Mark are also shown.  

     Luke 13:1-9 is not offered as an exact or similar parable in Matthew and Mark, but Luke’s parable in chapter 21 is similarly presented in Matthew and Mark. 

     It is also interesting to see that there is a story about good and bad figs in Jeremiah 24.  I think it very likely that Jeremiah’s prophecy was well-known to Jesus.  Do you see a connection between what Jeremiah and Jesus say?

     Do you see any translation differences between the New Revised Standard Version of Luke 13 shown below and the version you brought with you this evening? 


(a)  Luke 13:1-9




(b)  Luke 21:29-33



(c)  Matthew 21:18-22




(d) and (e)  Matthew 24:32-35 (and the exact same in Mark 13:2831)



(f)  Mark 11:12-14, 20-24





(g)  Jeremiah 24:1-10



8 But thus says the LORD: Like the bad figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten, so will I treat King Zedekiah of Judah, his officials, the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who live in the land of Egypt. 9 I will make them a horror, an evil thing, to all the kingdoms of the earth–a disgrace, a byword, a taunt, and a curse in all the places where I shall drive them. 10 And I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they are utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to them and their ancestors.


  1. Focus on Luke 13

The entry point to the story is the description of two things that everyone was talking about – Pilate murdered a group of Galilean pilgrims at the Jerusalem temple, and a tower collapsed in a Jerusalem

neighborhood killing eighteen people.  We could think of tragic events from our own time – a house that went up in flames killing the family inside, or a hurricane impacting a coastal city with great destruction and loss of life.  What question about these events was Jesus answering?  Are such tragedies signs of God’s judgments, or do they represent something else?

Sidebar:  What are the characteristics of fig trees?  What is their size?  How much fruit do they bear?  How are they planted, nurtured, cultivates and harvested?

OK, so there’s a fig tree that hasn’t been producing.  What to do?  Cut it down?  No, give it special attention for a full year to see if it will bear fruit.  If not, then cut it down!

So what is Jesus saying, what’s his point?  Here are some possible explanations.

(1)  Jesus loved giving gardening tips.  Here’s how to get a poorly-producing fig tree to flourish!

(2)  There is a secret meaning in this story – only dedicated followers of Jesus get it.

(3)  It’s an allegory, so the key to understanding it is to parallel the features of the story with something else.  One common view is that Jesus is referring to Israel, the Temple, the priests or the Pharisees when he talks about the fig tree.  Or is it something else?  If an allegory, what do you match with the owner, the worker, the soil and the tree? 

(4)  The story is “parabolic” in nature, not an allegory; it is meant to turn you and your world on your head.  It’s meant to alarm you, shock you, or surprise you – you think you’ve got it all figured out, but maybe you don’t have a clue!  In this “churn” God prepares you to learn something new and here it is!

(5)  It’s all about anxiety and hope.  Read the parable as if YOU are the fig tree.  Your first feeling is fear, God is fed up with you and will chop you up into mulch.  The second feeling is amazement – just when you thought you were doomed, God is going to give you another chance!  This is all about hope!

(6)  It’s apocalyptic.  It’s not just about you, it’s about our religious community, it’s about our culture, it’s about our world.  God is fully prepared to turn the whole forest of trees into kindling, and it could happen five minutes from now.  This is your last chance to get it right!  Don’t mess up!  (Follow-up question:  How many chances do we get?)   Does this description of God who is ready to uproot you and throw you on the compost heap align with your understanding of God? 


  1. Luke 13:1-9 as a Lenten Theme

This text is included in the Lenten cycle of readings for Year Three.  What Lenten themes do you find as you read it?


  1. Luke 13:1-9 as an Intersection

Does this reading intersect with your life?  In what ways?  Do you find this text to be a challenge or a comfort?  Does this text draw you in, does it push you away, or does it cause you to hold back?  Does it leave you more confused than when we started to discuss it?   Are things clearer to you now?

Reality check.  Can you put your understanding of this text in a sentence or two that would be meaningful to young children?  Does it have a good message for teenagers?  Is this a text you would share to a “beginner” Christian, or is it better for more “mature” Christians?  Are YOU a beginner or a mature Christian?


  1. And Anything Else That Comes Up!


  1. Closing Prayer to Launch Us on the Next Stage of Our Adventure






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