To be fully HUMAN — A Daily Reflection

  

 

Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.  Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

 

The morning after He cleared the temple, Jesus was on his way back to the city.  Even though He had spent the night in Bethany , most probably with Lazarus, Mary and Martha, He was hungry.  With Mary’s industrious attitude, it’s a little hard to imagine Him getting out of the house without her feeding Him a huge breakfast.  However, it’s a long walk to Jerusalem from Bethany , and scripture says that He was hungry.  He saw a fig tree by the side of the road up ahead.  Most likely, the tree was a large, lush one, since Jesus immediately assumed that it would have plenty of figs.  However, when He got closer, He saw that there were no figs to be had…. only lots of pretty, lush leaves.  When Jesus saw this, He said, "May you never bear fruit again!"  And the tree shriveled up immediately, turning brown and dying.

 

Now, why would Jesus do such a thing?  Sounds pretty self-seeking, doesn’t it, to curse a tree just because you’re hungry and the tree doesn’t have any fruit?  But look a little closer.  That tree represents the church and the individual Christians within it.  What looks good on the outside, upon close examination, may be worthless - and fruitless.  Just because a person dresses well, spouts a lot of scripture and Christian "lingo"… just because a person shows up at church every Sunday and serves on committees and does all the other "Christian" things we expect… that does not mean the person is "bearing fruit" in his or her life.  If a person only appears to have faith, but doesn’t apply that faith in his or her walk, day by day, hour by hour… then that person is just like that fig tree - great to look at, but worthless in the kingdom of God .

 

The same goes for our churches.  Although the Temple was beautiful to look at, what was going on inside was a "den of robbers."  A church today can be housed in a beautiful building, but be dead inside.  And it, too, is worthless in the kingdom of God .

 

Pray that your life - and that of your church - will be more than just beautiful on the surface…. that both will reflect a deep, close, intimate walk with Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and bear the kind of fruit that they should.

 

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.  Matthew 7:16-20 NIV