Friday / Always Fruitful
Read Mark 11: 12-14, 20-26 (NLT)
The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.
Think
When I first read this passage, my reaction was that it wasn’t fair for Jesus to curse the fig tree for not having fruit when it wasn’t the season for figs. After all, the poor tree wouldn’t naturally be making fruit at that time of year. It’s like looking for apples on an apple tree in December; It just doesn’t work that way. But then I did some research into how fig trees grow in Jerusalem, and something surprising jumped out at me: Fig trees make their fruit first, and afterward they make their leaves.
When Jesus, feeling hungry, looked into the distance and spotted the lush green leaves on this fig tree, he naturally assumed it would have already made its fruit. That’s how fig trees work. But when he got to the tree, he realized that this tree had made a show of being fruitful—it had already made its leaves. But it was a false appearance—a lie; the leaves were supposed to indicate that the tree had already made fruit. But this tree was barren.
Jesus cursed the tree for its charade, its hypocrisy. It had the appearance of fruitfulness, but when Jesus looked closely, there was no fruit. Despite the early season, the tree could have made fruit. But it just put on a show of being fruitful, instead.
I have to be careful not to be like the fig tree—having the appearance of faithfulness, but not producing any actual fruit. Even when life is strange or hard and I feel lost and broken, God still is with me. If I have the Spirit living in me, then I can be fruitful no matter what season it is in my life.
Pray
Oh Creator God, great Gardener of my soul, you made me to produce fruit in the world for you. It’s so hard sometimes to keep on going. Life is so difficult, and I want to just hide away. But you want me to be fruitful in every season, Lord. Please fill me with your Spirit so that I’m never alone. Help me to produce fruit for you in everything I do and everywhere I find myself. Amen.
Do
Have you ever eaten a fig? Have you ever seen a fig tree growing? Time to get online and do some research. Learn about figs—where and how they grow, what types are best to eat, how to make a fig bar cookie. If you can, print out a picture of a fig tree and hang it somewhere you’ll see it every day. When you do, remember that God wants you to bear fruit for the Kingdom.
The View from Mt. Hope 