I’m sure some of you children like to eat fig bars—a cookie with a fig filling. And maybe some of you even like to eat fresh figs or dried figs. But maybe figs are no treat to you; however, they were a special treat in today’s story. Well, they would have been ... but there weren’t any. Here is the story.
The disciples of Jesus were those men who listened to Him and followed Him. They had spent the night in the town of Bethany, in a place where Jesus knew they would be welcome. In the morning they set out for Jerusalem, and He was hungry.
If you are hungry sometimes—like maybe right now—Jesus knows and understands, because He was hungry too. Now where could He and his disciples find some breakfast? In Bible times, there were no restaurants or places like McDonald’s where they could get some breakfast, and they didn’t have a packed lunch that they could have for breakfast. They would have to eat what they could find growing along the roadway.
As they walked along, they saw a fig tree with leaves. This was a good sign, because the fruit grows before the leaves come out, so this tree must have an early crop of figs. Jesus came closer to find and pick the figs.
Do you know what He found? Plenty of leaves, but not a single fig! So Jesus and His disciples were still hungry. It makes me sad to think of that, because you and I might have a good showing of religion but with no fruit for Jesus at all. Compare it to something like this: What good is a house all fixed up with a stove and washing machine but with no power?
The first response to the love of Jesus in your heart is to love Him back. That’s where the growth begins, but there is no growth without a beginning. That fig tree was like many of Jesus’ dear people in Jerusalem. They talked a lot about God and religion, but their love for Jesus, the Son of God, was not there at all. They were all leaves and no fruit.
Jesus did not add fertilizer to that tree so that it would grow figs the next year. He cursed the fig tree, and the curse of God makes bad things happen. He said to the tree, Let no fruit grow on you ever again. And the fig tree dried up from the roots. This was a surprise to the disciples, but Jesus knew a secret that they did not know.
That tree might have been big and beautiful or scrawny and poor, but the fruit it produced for Jesus was the same—nothing! I wonder which tree is the most like you? Big, pretty leaves, giving nice shade for travelers, or crooked branches and diseased leaves. The result for fruit was just the same—nothing! The curse of God was because the tree bore no fruit.
God tells you this story because He wants you to know that He loves you. He is hungry for your loving response. He came right down to this world where we live and found lots of religious people. But from those same people He didn’t receive love—He received a cruel cross. He knew this before He came, but He loved us, even while He bore the punishment of God for the sins of those who would believe who He was and repent of their sins. “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)).
If Jesus cursed the fig tree without any fruit, is there any hope for us? No, no hope without Him! But we have a risen Saviour who has forgiveness and cleansing for all who will accept Him. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)).
You are a sinner. Will you let Him save you now? He has not promised you another opportunity after today.
You may read this story of the fig tree in Matthew 21, beginning at verse 17.
ML-06/08/2008