Week 5

So this week I thought about this scripture, Matthew 21: 19 "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away." I had read this before and thought I was kind of weird that Christ just cursed this tree because it didn't have fruit for him to eat. So this time I decided to look it up and see what others thought. 

The website The Gospel Coalition said it best, ... "he spots a fig tree “in leaf.” At this point in late spring, most fig trees haven’t developed mature fruit (Mark 11:13). But this particular tree draws Jesus’s attention because it already has a full covering of leaves. It’s an early bloomer. Its foliage signals that it should have early figs. He is immediately disappointed. All leaves, no fruit. All expectation, no satisfaction. In a shocking turn, Jesus curses the tree and makes it wither from the roots, never to yield fruit again. We are taken aback; this seems stunningly out of character for Jesus, the child-welcomer, compassionate healer, and storm-calmer. What should we learn from this peculiar scene? There are two things that we can take away from this: The time had come for God’s people to yield fruit that would bless the world, as his own special planting, they must yield spiritual fruit as his covenant people. They did not do that.  The last point is this Christ came to restore. Israel’s fruit will now be harvested; blessing will now pour forth. While the rest of the nations—the other fig trees—are not yet in season, this one tree is “in leaf.” Except there’s no fruit. The fig tree, once again, has failed. The Passover celebration, the tumult, the crowds, the singing—it’s all a show. Jesus enters God’s house of prayer and finds it a “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). Lots of action, lots of bustle, but no righteousness. Leaves, but no fruit."  

What do we do that is just "leaves?" As I think about this I know I can do better and have "fruit" to give back to the Lord.








https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/jesus-curse-fig-tree/