April 21

Fruits and Leaves

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  —Matthew 7:18-20

 

Perhaps the third-most famous tree mentioned in the Bible––after the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil––is the fig tree Jesus encounters in the village of Bethany, soon after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Here’s the situation:

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.  —Mark 11:12-14

Like so many things Jesus did, His cursing of the fig tree had prophetic purpose. I remember reading this passage when I was a new believer, and scratching my head. I thought, Man, Jesus went off on that tree! Kind of harsh.

But here’s the thing: For Jesus, nothing set off His holy anger more than phony religion. Over and over He castigated the religious leaders for their showy outward appearance, but their emptiness inside—and for it, called them white-washed tombs. Similarly, the beautiful, green leafy fig tree put on a nice show, but it bore no fruit. Jesus wasn’t cursing the tree to punish it, but as a sign to the Pharisees who were about to deliver Him into Roman hands for crucifixion.

We all have showy green leaves at times, but with little fruit to show for it. But what happens to a fruit tree that doesn’t bear fruit? It gets cut down and thrown onto the bonfire on a controlled burn day. 

Our words mean little if our lives are not bearing fruit. Works don’t bring salvation: works are our joyful response to salvation. But make no mistake, God isn’t looking for a grove of leafy trees that bear no fruit. He’s looking for an enormous forest of fruit-bearers. Men who, in their natural response to being saved from the fire, take the actions of His love—become His little Christs in and among the world. 

God doesn’t need leafy, fruitless fig trees. What He desires are men who respond to His gift of grace and redemption by actively sharing that wonderful gift with others. That is what He sees as true, fruity goodness! 

Lord, prune my life so I don’t just sprout leaves or sucker branches, but so I might bear Your fruit for a hungry world.