6 As God’s partners,^[a] we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. ² For God says,

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁶ Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. ⁷ Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’

²⁰ So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

⁴² “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.

³² “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.

¹⁹ I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn.^[a] You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.”