Jesus hopes to find fruit in the life of his people. If he doesn't find it, judgment follows.
Then Jesus told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.
So he said to the worker who tended the vineyard, 'For three years now, I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and each time I inspect it I find none. Cut it down! Why should it continue to deplete the soil?'
But the worker answered him, 'Sir, leave it alone this year too, until I dig around it and put fertilizer on it. Then if it bears fruit next year, very well, but if not, you can cut it down.'"
Luke 13:9-12 NET
The Lord is patient, as the parable teaches, but the main theme is imminent judgment. God is patient, but his patience has a limit. Jesus told this story against Israel, which would be rejected as God's people. The nation failed to do his work. It was being given one last chance to change. The same principle applies to the church and to Christians. If we fail to do his will on earth and to do his work, he will cut us off. Will the patience of God result in our repentance, or will we continue to be unproductive?