The Parable Of The Unfruitful Vineyard

“A parable is a short story, proverb, or riddle that is meant to challenge one’s notions and provoke change in one’s life—if the hearer’s heart is ready to both understand and apply the message.”

Luke 13:1-9 - The parable of the unfruitful vineyard

The key to unlock the meaning of this parable:

“I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” - Luke 13 verses 3 and 5 (NIV)

The first time Jesus appears, in the first Gospel, the first instruction he gives is “Repent."  From then on, it's his most consistent message. In all times and every situation, his advice is to repent. Not just the scribes and Pharisees, not just the powerful—he tells even the poor and oppressed that repentance is the key to eternal life. - Frederica Mathewes-Green.  

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV)

“Direction, not intention determines your destination” — Andy Stanley