Tag Archives: no fruit

LUKE’S GOSPEL…FRUIT! – 36

Bible Study, ,

“Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus spoke this parable in the context of the report about Pilate’s heinous cruelty to the worshippers he had killed. What did a fruitless fruit tree have to do with their report about Pilate’s behaviour? Was He addressing the wrong attitude of those who told Him about the incident? What was it in their hearts that He was exposing?

Fruit! God is looking for fruit… but…Why did Jesus specify, in His story, that the fruitless tree was a fig tree? Did it really matter what kind of tree was about to be cut down because it bore no figs?

Yes, it does! The Holy Spirit, the author of God’s Word, sometimes used trees as symbols of Israel, for example, the vine and the fig tree. Jesus’ examples were never random. Is it not significant that the first mention of the fig tree is in Genesis 3? 

The guilty pair tried to hide their nakedness from God by using fig leaves as covering! On one occasion, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree which immediately died, to the surprise of His disciples. Was He illustrating that His people, Israel, the fig tree, were fruitless in their pursuit of acceptance with God by their futile self-efforts, and in danger of judgment?

Israel’s leaders, the learned ones, were equally fruitless because of their hypocrisy. Their outward “holiness” hid their wicked and greedy hearts. The Father searched in vain for fruit that would reveal the nature of the tree but there was nothing on them but leaves, the useless outer covering that hid nothing. 

So, in Jesus’ parable, a fruitless fig tree was of no value in His garden. It was occupying space, using up water and nutrients, and giving nothing back in return. Even in these circumstances, there was a touch of mercy. The gardener requested one more season. “Let’s give the tree another year. I’ll do my best to see that it bears fruit.” 

Isn’t that just like the Lord! In His mercy, He provides every opportunity for fruitless, guilty people to repent, to reign to Him and His way! Note that Jesus was speaking to His own people…the fig tree…Israel. However, even for them, there was a cut-off point when God’s mercy towards these unrepentant people would come to an end. His justice, like His mercy, must be fully met since He is God. 

israel’s guilt was at its greatest because they had failed to recognise that God had come in person to rescue them from their self-imposed doom, and to re- establish His reign on earth. 

They had refused to acknowledge that Jesus was God or to submit to His authority. They stood on the brink of being cut down. His compassion for His people led Him to lament their fate, recorded in this very same chapter…

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The tragedy of Israel was that they refused to heed Jesus’ warning. Despite His words, despite the delay in His judgment, they killed Him for telling them the truth. The old “fig tree” was indeed cut down but…from the stump came another tree, a new tree, a race of Jew and Gentile, supernaturally born of God and blended together to become God’s true “fig tree”. 

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ…He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit…And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬, ‭17‬-‭18‬, ‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The old fig tree, with its fruitless efforts at self-righteousness, had to give way to a new “tree”, a race made up of Jew and Gentile who would bear the fruit that He desired through its union with Jesus. 

In John 15, Jesus changed the metaphor. The vine, another symbol of Israel, depicts a union between vine and branches so intimate that the life of the vine, flowing into the branches, produces the fruit of the vine. 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬, ‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now, we must ask ourselves…”Am I a fruitless fig tree ready to be cut down, or a branch in the vine that bears the fruit of the vine?” Am I an active part of the fig tree, made up of Jew and Gentile, that bears witness to the nature of the tree?

Jesus said…

“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 ‭7‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

To be continued…

MARK’S GOSPEL…THE POWER OF WORDS – 28

Bible Study, ,

Mark 11:12-14, 20-23 NIV

“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it…In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” 

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.”

‭‭

What puzzling behaviour! What had the fig tree done to deserve being cursed? In the course of nature, it was not the time for fruit, so why destroy it for that?

Jesus had other ideas. Always alert to opportunities to teach His followers spiritual truth, He did a symbolic act as a visual aid for them to remember. 

The first mention of the fig in Scripture was in Genesis…after Adam and Eve’s defection. They tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves, but they could not hide their sin from God.

So, not only was the effort of Adam and Eve to cover their sin with fig leaves futile, but the story of the whole nation of Israel was also that of a barren fig tree. 

“When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.”

‭‭Hosea‬ ‭9‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As a healthy fig tree, God had expected Israel to bear the luscious fruit of obedience to His covenant but, instead, their “fruit” was disobedience and idolatry. 

Therefore, just as the fig tree Jesus cursed was barren, so, the first pairs’ self-effort to cover their unrighteousness was useless and Israel’s disobedience left them spiritually barren. 

In a vivid demonstration in nature, Jesus showed His disciples the fate of those who bore no fruit for God. Israel’s religion bore no righteousness and must die. 

 We must understand Jesus’ next words in the context of His action. 

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬

The disciples were astonished that Jesus’ words had produced such a radical result. Not only had the tree died at His word, but it had died so quickly. Overnight, it had dried up from the roots!

“Why are you so surprised?” Jesus responded. “Don’t you understand the power of words?” In context, Jesus’ words to the tree had produced death. Their words, spoken in faith, could also produce miraculous results. Look at the scope of believing prayer…if anyone says…whatever you ask for… can prayer be more all-encompassing than that?

Now, before we go off at a tangent by speaking words that fall outside the context of Biblical prayer, we must understand that prayer has definite and specific boundaries, which we can glean from many other parts of Scripture. 

…”In my Name”…”according to His will”…”in the Spirit”…are some protections, as well as the motives and attitudes prescribed in the Word. However, in this context, the prerequisite is “faith in God”.  These three words open up a whole new window on prayer too big to deal with here.

However, to summarise, words spoken from God’s mouth, under God’s authority, have the power to achieve what God says. 

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Believing prayer, then, is not merely about blurting out anything that comes to mind. Believing prayer is about speaking what God has already spoken. These words carry the weight of His authority, if we speak them from hearts that are fully submitted to Him. God acts when we relay to earth what has been spoken in heaven.

Jesus Did Not Curse The Fig Tree Because He Was In A Bad Mood

Apologetics, , , ,

JESUS DID NOT CURSE THE FIG TREE BECAUSE HE WAS IN A BAD MOOD

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to find out if it had any fruit. When He reached it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for fruit. Then He said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And His disciples heard Him say it. (Mark 11:12-14)

Well, Jesus, I didn’t know that you were also given to bad moods! But wait a minute. Had He ever given evidence of being in a bad mood before? No-o-o-o. So what’s this all about, then? Surely He knew that a fig tree in leaf was an indication that it was not time for fruit. What a capricious action! Was it just an outburst of frustration because He did not get what He wanted or was there something deeper in His action?

My husband used to sing a corruption of an old song, “I talk to the trees, that’s why they put me away.” And here’s Jesus talking to a tree! Perhaps He needed to be put away. After all, He often did very strange things like spitting on the ground and making a mud ball to smear on a blind man’s eyes. Wasn’t he blind enough already without getting mud in his eyes?

But Jesus never said or did anything without a purpose. What could His purpose possibly by speaking to a tree?

One of the rules of interpreting the Bible is called “the law of first mention.” The meaning of something that is mentioned for the first time in Scripture governs its interpretation every other time it is mentioned thereafter. Where, in the Bible, are fig leaves first mentioned? Way back in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. We often joke about it, but it was their puny attempt to cover up their disobedience. It did not work and God was not impressed. He had to sacrifice a lamb to provide His own covering for their nakedness.

The fig tree was often used in Scripture as a symbol for Israel. Was God saying that, like the leaves that offered no covering for the first pair, their puny efforts at trying to make right by their rules and rituals offered no solution to their sin. Just as God had provided a lamb for Adam and Eve’s nakedness, so He would provide His Lamb to cover the sin of His people.

Jesus used a perfectly natural situation to drive home the point for His disciples. They, of course, didn’t get the message at first. They were astonished when they saw the dead tree the next day. What on earth happened to it? It had shrivelled up and died for no other reason than that Jesus had spoken to it.

In the morning, as they went along, they found the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” ‘Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered. (Mark 11: 20-22).

The plot thickens, as they say. What had Jesus’ reply to do with a dead tree? What was the connection? The fig-leaf covering the first pair used to try to obliterate their sin did not work. They could not fool God with their self-effort. Union with God by faith was the only answer to their plight.

How did Jesus connect the response of the fig tree to His words about prayer? Adam and Eve had destroyed their union with God by their disobedience. They tried to cover it up and pretend it didn’t happen but they could not fool God. What would have happened had they confessed their sin and come clean with God? Instead they played the blame game and were driven from the presence of God to go it alone in the world. They made their own rules and thoroughly messed up their lives and the lives of their descendants.

Was Jesus implying that, once again God would provide a Lamb, Himself, as a covering for the sin of His people? This time His blood, not the skin of the lamb, would not only cover but remove their sin forever, reconnecting them with God and re-establishing their union with the Father. Out of this oneness with God they would be able to fulfil their mandate to rule over the earth. Whatever got in the way of God’s purposes would dry up and disappear as surely as the tree dried up in response to Jesus’ command.

This is the kind of “authority” Jesus intended His people to have – not the “name it and claim it” kind of faith so that we can get everything we want to make our lives cushy and comfortable, but the faith partnership with God which gets rid of the obstacles that hinder the doing of God’s will on earth.

Jesus’ instruction to “speak to the mountain” implies that our union and intimacy with Him will produce such confidence in Him that we allow nothing to interfere with the His desire to reveal His glory through us to the world, not even, or should I say, especially the notion that somehow our pathetic efforts to gain His approval will contribute to His purpose.

The “fig tree” approach to our lives as believers in Jesus will just not work. Self-effort must die just as the fig tree died and give way to the only way in which the life of Jesus in us will make any impression on a rebellious world – the “vine” image.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15: 5)

Only intimate union with Him will produce the kind of faith that can remove obstacles with a word. No, Jesus was not having a “bad hair day” when He cursed the fig tree. He was using a spur-of-the-moment opportunity to teach His disciples a profound lesson. Did you get it?

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my first book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

ISBN: Softcover – 978-1-4828-0512-3,                                                                              eBook 978-4828-0511-6

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), companion volume to Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart, has been released in paperback and digital format on www.amazon.com.

To order your 0wn copy of either book, contact

Toll free – 0800 990 914 (South Africa)

orders.africa@partridgepublishing.com

www.partridgepublishing.com/africa  or

+44 20 314 3997 (outside South Africa)

ISBN: Hardcover – 978-1-4828-0891-9                                                                                     Softcover 978-1-4828-0890-2                                                                                                              eBook 978-1-4828-0889-6

Check out my Blog site – www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com