The Parable of the Fig Tree has a harsh prelude. Jesus tells all of the people that they must repent or die. Then he offers a story of hope about a dying fig tree that a vineyard owner wants to cut down because it is ruining the soil. The gardener caring for the tree asks for one more year, one more chance, to fertilize and aerate the soil to see if the tree can bear fruit. The gardener invites us to the other side of “repent or die,” which is the ongoing journey of “forgiveness and new life.” Through Jesus, we find abundant second chances. In letting go of our death-dealing ways, we are taken into the larger story of freedom, new life, and fruitfulness.