Early in the morning, as Jesus was on His way back to the city, He was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, 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. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:18-22
“You also ought to guard against becoming a fruitless tree, in order to offer Jesus, who has become poor, the fruit which He needs.”
Venerable Bede (672-735), a monk at the Northumbrian Monastery in Commentary on St. Mark’s Gospel.
As we ponder the fig tree this week, we find many lessons in looking at the leaves.
Bede points one out. We must guard against becoming fruitless. Our proclivity or tendency is to fruitlessness. But how do we give Jesus the fruit He wants and needs.
The secret is in the second half of the text.
If you have faith, even the impossible can happen. You can have fruit out of season or when no one would expect it. This encourages me today. It’s deeply biblical thinking.
At this point I want to make a last call. Take advantage of this and share it with others.
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