6-7 Then he told them a story: “A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren’t any. He said to his gardener, ‘What’s going on here? For three years now I’ve come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?’

8-9 “The gardener said, ‘Let’s give it another year. I’ll dig around it and fertilize, and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn’t, then chop it down.’”

Read full chapter

Bible Gateway Recommends

The Message Student Bible (Hardcover)
The Message Student Bible (Hardcover)
Retail: $34.99
Our Price: $24.99
Save: $10.00 (29%)
The Message Full Size--soft leather-look, life-light black
The Message Full Size--soft leather-look, life-light black
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $47.99
Save: $12.00 (20%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars
The Message Compact Bible--soft leather-look, black
The Message Compact Bible--soft leather-look, black
Retail: $29.99
Our Price: $9.99
Save: $20.00 (67%)
The Message Prayerful Reading Bible, Softcover
The Message Prayerful Reading Bible, Softcover
Retail: $29.99
Our Price: $21.99
Save: $8.00 (27%)