Bearing Fruit for God

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree in leaf. 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.

In late spring, most trees haven’t developed mature fruit; however, this tree already had a full covering of leaves, so its foliage indicated that it should have had figs. After Jesus saw that the tree bore no fruit, he cursed it never to yield fruit again.

Why did Jesus curse the tree simply because it had no figs and it wasn’t even the season for figs? It seems a bit extreme at first glance, but if we examine this further, we see that there are a few things which we can learn from this parable and apply to our own lives. For instance, I recall a time when I was going through the motions of my daily devotionals, but my heart wasn't in it - I was like the fig tree, appearing to be one way on the outside, but withered on the inside. This experience taught me the importance of authenticity in my faith, and I've since made a conscious effort to cultivate a deeper, more genuine relationship with God. I've also found that regularly serving at a local soup kitchen has helped me stay grounded and focused on what truly matters, rather than getting caught up in superficial appearances of spirituality.

Today in Israel, there are about two crops of figs a year, and every crop cycle goes through the same process. The tree produces its fruit, then leaves form, so when we see a fig tree filled with leaves, we can assume that the figs are grown.

When Jesus sees the fig tree full of leaves, at a distance, it had the appearance of having fruit. However, when he reaches the tree, all he sees is leaves. This was deceiving, a false appearance, in a way, it was hypocrisy.

The tree appeared to be mature and have fruit compared to the other fig trees around it. It made itself look like something it wasn’t. We must be cautious not to give the appearance of having or living a “better” life than the rest of the world, and when people look closer, we are no different than everyone else.

Our personal lives can seem like “in leaf”, like we are walking a truly Christian life, but the root may be withered. There may be no fruit; we may have no love for God. It is one thing to lack fruit when it’s not in season, but it’s another thing to lack fruit while pretending to have it. I've seen this play out in my own community, where some individuals put on a facade of spirituality, but their actions and words don't align with their supposed values. For example, a friend of mine would often post inspirational quotes on social media, but when I spent time with them in person, their conversations were dominated by gossip and negativity, revealing a disconnect between their online persona and real-life character.

What will God find when he looks at us? Will he find fruit or will he find leaves?

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.