Seeing a lone fig tree alongside the road, he approached it anticipating a breakfast of figs. When he got to the tree, there was nothing but fig leaves. He said, "No more figs from this tree--ever!" The fig tree withered on the spot, a dry stick. (Matthew 21:19 MSG)
It was one those Christmases when the kids (boys) on my block all chose to get the same gift: football uniforms. We begged our parents for those uniforms, and when we got them boy did we look the part with our helmets, shoulder pads, and cleats. The only problem was that we didn’t play football very well.
Similarly, I am reminded that as Christians we often look the part with our church clothes- church hats, neatly pressed suits, clerical collars, crosses around our necks and leather-bound bibles under our arms. However, just as football uniforms cannot make football players out of untrained young boys, church clothes cannot make Christians out of fruitless church goers. According to the scriptures, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control; and without this fruit we may seem to be Christians or give the appearance of being godly but as the apostle said we are merely “holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim 3:5).
This appearance of fruitfulness is the premise of Jesus' conversation about the fig tree in the Matthian text 21:18 - 20. As the story goes Jesus approached a fig tree because he was hungry. The tree was very leafy (there are scholars who believe that the fruit should have appeared at the same time as the leaves) and the leafiness gave the appearance of fruitfulness. To the contrary Jesus discovered that there was no fruit on what appeared to be a healthy fruit-bearing tree and he, in essence, saw this as a form of deceit. So, Jesus cursed the tree which immediately caused it to wither.
"The story of the fig tree is symbolic of the temple or Israel in Jesus’ day. In the Scriptures, in fact, the fig tree is often employed as the symbol of Israel (Hos. 9: 10; Joel 1:7) and the barren fig tree often symbolizes divine judgment on Israel because of her fruitlessness despite an abundance of spiritual advantages"(Jer. 8:13; Joel 1:12 (JM). The association of fig leaves with deception however, originated with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when ... “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed FIG leaves together and made coverings for themselves"(see Gen 3).
Fig tree symbolism can also be applied to Christians and churches today that are barren or bankrupt concerning the things of God. Unfortunately, humanity - rather than becoming more accountable and doing the hard work on self to be fruitful - has been using figs or something to conceal or hide true character ever since the incident in the Garden. Well, let it stop with us and let us work on being authentic, sincere and fruitful. It should be every Christian’s heart desire to bear fruit or to be fruitful for our Savior. At any given time someone should be able to pick, if you will, or draw from us. We should always be ready to give a reason of our hope and faith (1 Peter 3:15). We should be able to share God's good news with ease. "The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the
blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity]" (Luke 4:18).
Christians should look and perform differently under pressure. We are the salt of the earth. Our lights should brightly shine (see Matthew 5) and there should be some evidence of the fruit of the spirit operable in our lives. We should be lovable in unlovable situations. We should have a measure of self-control and not always become irrational or unpredictable in tense situations. We should practice acts of kindness with both family and strangers. "So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to all people [not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [those who along with you belong to God’s family, the believers] (Gal. 6:10 AMP). Plainly, Christians ought to be Christians. We must abandon this love we seem to have to appear like Christians, and ask for Godly strength to actually
perform and produce like Christians. Let's remove the fig leaves or false presentations. There is a generation of people who need to experience and encounter the fruit of the spirit; so let us be the trees from which they can pluck.
Prayer: Lord I'm moving past appearance and operating and producing in the authentic. Give me the strength to bear and share the fruit of the spirit in and from my life, In Jesus’ Name. Amen
God's Peace and Good Journey!
+t. anthony bronner
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