This morning I felt like reading from Mark's Gospel and I was reading the following verses which made me stop and do some more research, for I didn't fully understand what Jesus was doing, and more importantly the why He was doing it. Here are the verses - Mark 11:12-14 NIV:
[11] "The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. [13] 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. [14] Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it."
To fully understand this story, one must understand something of the nature of these type of Fig trees. Apparently (according to several commentators) these trees only have leaves when they have fruit. Thus, even though it wasn't the season for figs, the tree had leaves and was in essence proclaiming that it also had fruit. David Guzik's thoughts were that the Lord rebuked the tree not so much for being fruitless, for it wasn't the right season, but rather for false-advertising. Here is an excellent excerpt from his Bible Commentaries:
a. Seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it: Essentially, the tree was a picture of "false advertising," having leaves, but no figs. Ordinarily, this is not the case with these fig trees, which normally do not have leaves without also having figs.
i. For it was not the season for figs: It wasn't that the fig tree didn't have figs, because it wasn't supposed to. The problem is that it had leaves but didn't have figs. The leaves said "There are figs here," but the figs weren't there.
ii. There were many trees with only leaves, and these were not cursed. There were many trees with neither leaves nor fruit, and these were not cursed. This tree was cursed because it professed to have fruit, but did not.
b. In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again": The tree is cursed for its pretense of leaves, not for its lack of fruit; like Israel, it has the outward form but no fruit. In this picture, Jesus warned Israel - and us - of God's displeasure when we have the appearance of fruit, but not the fruit itself. God isn't pleased when His people are all leaves and no fruit.
i. In all works in the ministry of Jesus, this is the only "destructive" miracle. The Old Testament is filled with miracles of destruction and judgment, but Jesus most perfectly showed us the nature of God. If this was the only miracle of its kind, we must see there is a great and important lesson in it. God doesn't approve when there is profession without reality, talk without walk.
As I read these comments I am reminded of Jame's discourse on faith without works, which is a very similar theme. James 2:17 NIV: "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Jesus apparent focus here, and message to concern us, is that we do not put on airs, that we do not pretend that we have fruit, when we are really empty. I believe this is also an important message for the church, for we can have a desire to appear fruitful, and can be tempted to cover our lack of fruitfulness with activity and manufactured excitement. The real danger in this, is those who have never seen real spiritual fruit, the real presence of God, can become satisfied with the fake, never knowing there is real power and real life available to them.
Finishing my reflection here are a few verses where bearing fruit is the focus:
John 15:1-2 NIV:
[1] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. [2] He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
John 15:5 NIV:
“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 15:7-8 NIV:
[7] "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. [8] This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
John 15:16 NIV:
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit---fruit that will last---and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you."
Romans 7:4 NIV:
"So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God."
We were chosen and appointed to bear fruit, fruit that will last and this can only be accomplished if we remain connected to Him, for He is the source of all life! We cannot generate fruit on our own, but we must remain in Him. Let us examine our lives and view our fruitfulness, and let us pray for the church to bear real fruit!
Amen!
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