Parable of the Budding Fig Tree Parable of the Budding Fig Tree The Parable of the Budding Fig Tree is a parable told by Jesus in the New Testament, found in , , and . This parable, about the Kingdom of God, involves a fig tree, as does the equally brief parable of the barren fig tree. According to the Gospel of Luke: Luke presents this parable as eschatological in nature: like the leaves of the fig tree, the signs spoken of in the Olivet discourse of Luke 21:5-28 indicate the coming of the Kingdom of God. An alternate interpretation is that the fig tree represents
Parable of the Strong Man will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save. (, NIV)</poem> It has been suggested that "Beelzebul" means "house of Ba'al," and that the image of the strong man's house was originally a wordplay on this. In the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, which does not have the context of the Beelzebul controversy, the parable has been interpreted as merely suggesting that "shrewd planning and careful strategy" are necessary in order to accomplish one's goals. Parable of the Strong Man The Parable of the strong man (also known as the parable of the burglar and the