If it does not bear fruit, you can cut it down

Gospel Reading: Luke 13:1-9

Can suffering and misfortune serve any good purpose? When calamity and disaster hit the Jewish people, such as their 400 year enslavement in the land of Egypt, they often saw it as the consequence of their unrepentant sin and persistent unfaithfulness to God. God, however in his mercy, promised to deliver the Israelites when he sent his servant Moses to lead his people to freedom.Jesus' parable of the barren fig tree challenged his listeners to consider what causes fruitfulness or barrenness in their lives.