Francis Fernandez: Multiply and Puny

When evening came, Jesus and His disciples went out of the city. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:19-24

“We need to live by faith and use the means within our reach in every situation. We cannot sit with our arms folded waiting for the ideal moment, which perhaps will never come… We cannot wait for everything to be just right in order to work for God. We have to show by our present actions the love we have in our heart. We will see how God will multiply and bless our efforts, puny though they may be.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 462.

I love how Fernandez puts things in perspective for us with the words “multiply” and “puny” in today’s reading linked to another one of the fig tree scenes in the Gospels.

God multiplies what we contribute, though we may feel like our efforts or gifts are puny in proportion to the size of the need. What God wants to see is faith and trust in Him.

I love that when Jesus or Paul encourage giving in the New Testament it always links to the capacity of the giver and not the size of the need.

This is the case because giving is about something bigger than the need. It’s about growth in our faith. So, if you are sitting with your arms folded or if you are waiting for an ideal moment, please realize that it may never come.

The time to act generously is now. The time to grow in faith is today.

I was training a group of 200 from the Philippines online last week. They logged in from many island communities. One person asked, “Why give if I have very little? What difference will it make.”

I reminded him that what matters first is the faith in his heart. And though I did not use the words “multiply” and “puny” my comments were similar to my words in this post.

I also told him that if he is ready to give cheerfully, what Jesus looks at is not the size of his gift but what he has not given and what it says about his heart.

I continued saying that giving is not about the money, which may seem puny. It’s an exercise that strengthens our faith muscles. That’s what God wants to see grow growing on our fig trees.

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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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

“Jesus knew that it was not the season for figs. He knew that there were none on the fig tree. He wished, however, to teach His disciples, in a way they would never forget, how God had come to the Jewish people, hungry for fruits of holiness and good works. All He had found were mere lifeless observances: worthless leaves.

On that occasion too, the Apostles learned that every moment presents a good opportunity for giving results. We cannot wait for special circumstances in order to sanctify ourselves. God comes to us looking for good deeds in moments of sickness, in our ordinary everyday occupations, both when we are overworked and when everything is going well and all is ordered and peaceful.

He visits us as much in our tiredness as in our rest, in success and failure, in financial ruin – if God allows it – and in times of prosperity. It is precisely those circumstances which can and should produce fruit – all different, perhaps, but unique and wonderful. We should find God in all circumstances because He gives us the graces we need.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 460-461.

We shift our focus in Scripture from Jesus and the blind man to Jesus and the fig tree. This one, unfortunately, has nothing but leaves.

Related to generosity, I so often hear people procrastinate instead of act. Let me explain. They reason that if a deal goes through, then they will be generous. If they have extra time in their schedule, then they will serve.

And they suggest that life is first about preserving comfort for themselves and their families, all the while, in so doing they teach their own to be selfish and self-centered.

Meanwhile, as I walk with my dog, Grace, pictured above, and as I walk with Jesus, I see a Lord who had no place to lay his head, that means he had no cushy bed. He was walking along in today’s text and hungry.

I see His humanity up close. I hear his stomach growl.

And in that moment of His hunger, he expects the tree to always be ready to provide fruit. That’s His call for us. When Jesus comes to us, whispers to us, beckons us to give, serve, or love, let us be sure He finds more than leaves.

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to Him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18:35-43

“The story of the blind man is our own story, since we are blind in many matters. Jesus passes near us. Perhaps the moment has come for us to leave the ditch by the roadside and accompany Him…

From Saint Luke we. know that he followed Him, glorifying God and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God… We also have received many graces, as great as or greater than that received by the blind man of Jericho. And our Lord is hoping also that our life and our conduct will help many find Jesus in the world of today.

And he followed Him on the way, glorifying God. This is a summary of what our own life may be if we have the living and operative faith of the blind man.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 458-459.

Are you in the ditch? That’s where I find myself sometimes.

Notice those leading the proverbial procession don’t help the blind man out of the ditch; they rebuke him and tell him to stay there.

Too often we listen to the lack of faith of others and we let it immobilize us.

Not this blind man. And not you and me, I pray. The blind man in Luke’s account had a living and operative faith. No naysayer would come between him and the Healer.

The generosity in this scene for us to imitate, is the generosity of our Lord Jesus. He sees and hears the faith of the person and affirms it.

Do we hear the faith of improbable people and beckon them to leave the ditch?

This may be my greatest joy as part of GTP. We invite people out of the ditch and empower them. to exercise their living and operative faith. Need help in this area.

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As Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed Him. Matthew 20:29-34

“Would that, realizing our blindness, we were seated by the roadside of the Scriptures, and hearing that Jesus is passing by, that we could make him stop beside us with the force of our prayer.”

Origen of Alexandria (c. 185-253) in Commentary on St. Matthew’s Gospel 12:20.

God has me sitting in this text and the parallel passage in Mark this week. I hope it ministers to you too.

We see the mercy and compassion of Jesus meet the blindness and brokenness of two blind men. They believe that Jesus can give them what they need: mercy (not the judgment they deserve) and sight (vision that can only come from Him).

In Matthew’s Gospel, it is not one blind man named Bartimaeus but two blind men that receive their sight.

This implies that what God did for Bartimaeus was not a one off. Jesus can do it for two men. He can do it for me and you. He can hold back judgment and give clear vision.

Wherever you are today, make Him stop. Ask Jesus for mercy and vision. As He gives it, follow Him wherever He leads.

This shapes our generosity as His calls for giving our lives, our resources, and anything else, will seem crazy according to the world’s way of thinking, but once we have mercy and vision, they make sense in God’s economy.

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Mark 10:52

“The blind man replies immediately. Lord that I may see. He does not ask the Lord for gold, but for sight. He has little use for anything except to be able to see, because although a blind man can have many other things, without his sight, he cannot see what he has got. Let us imitate, therefore, what we have just heard.”

Gregory the Great in Homilies on the Gospels 2.7.

Gregory makes an interesting point. What does sight give us? The ability to see what we have. This positions us to respond to the “go’ command from Jesus. We see. We discern direction. Then we act, we move, we go.

I have arrived safely at home. And I pray for sight for me and each person that participated in the GTP Global Gathering this past week and I pray this for all readers of Daily Meditations.

Imagine what Bartimaeus got when His prayer was answered. He saw God incarnate standing right in front of him. This is precisely what happens when Jesus gives us sight.

To think we need gold to make things happen is to walk in blindness. To realize what we have – we have God with us – and whatever He has given us, we can go and do whatever He asks of us.

I pray for you and me to have sight today.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Mark 10:51

“Now Bartimaeus is standing before Jesus. The people gather around to see what will happen. Our Lord asks him: What do you want me to do for you? He, who could restore sight – did He really no know what the blind man wanted? Jesus wants us to ask him. He knows our needs before we do, and He wants to remedy them.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 457.

What do you want Jesus to do for you? I notice as I ponder the act of asking, it does something very interesting. It reveals the condition of my heart.

What do you want Jesus to do for you? Imagine the generosity of our God to pose this question. Imagine the power of this invitation. What are you waiting for?

What do you want Jesus to do for you? Ask Him.

I asked God to bring 60 people from 28 countries and territories together to knit their hearts together in unity for global collaboration. He did that and more, beyond what I could have asked or imagined.

Like great spices come together to make a meal, He worked to expand the GTP global team.

Today, my prayer is asking God to complete the work He started in our time together, in the life of each person. As they discern their faithful activities, I am asking Him to help them do them over the next year.

I concluded our time sending them forth – as board members, staff members, regional facilitators, country coordinators, course moderators, and special friends with this blessing.

But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty. Haggai 2:4

And I am asking God for safe travel as Jenni and I board a long direct flight from Istanbul to Denver. And also lifting up prayers for the rest of the participants to make it safely to their destinations.

He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Luke 9:3

“Never forget that Christ cannot be reached without sacrifice. We have to get rid of everything that gets in the way: greatcoat, haversack, water bottle.”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 457.

Today, many of my co-workers and fellow volunteers are returning to the corders of the world. This post serves as good packing instructions for them.

But you can’t understand it if you don’t know what a greatcoat, haversack, and water bottle are. The greatcoat implies covering. The haversack is like a backpack which refers carries supplies or tools. And the water bottle carried the most critical element of sustenance, water.

So Jesus with his instructions and Fernandez in reply remind us that it is not these tools which provide the power for ministry, it is Christ.

Only when we stop trusting in these tools do we understand His power. Only then can we wield them when we are free from dependence upon them. The workers understand this sacrifice expected of them by our Lord so they are ready and fit for service. Are you?

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Mark 10:46-52

“Difficulties soon arise for the man who searched in darkness for Christ, who is passing by… Bartimaeus doesn’t pay the slightest attention. Jesus is his great hope, and he doesn’t know if their paths will ever cross again. And instead of keeping quiet, he cries out all the louder. Son of David, have mercy on me… The blind man’s prayer is heard. He has achieved His desire, in spite of external difficulties, in spite of the pressure of his surroundings, and despite his own blindness, which has prevented him from knowing exactly where Jesus is. For Jesus has remained silent, apparently indifferent to his petition…”

Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 3 (London: Scepter, 1990) 455-456.

After gathering a sampling of passionate Christians from around the world, I plan to warn them today about the difficulties that will arise for them the minute or the hour they get home.

That’s how the evil on works. Their contexts are filled with darkness. They have experienced light and clarity. But the minute they get him, it will be difficult for them.

What should they do? What should we all do, even when it seems like Jesus is indifferent to our petition, even when it seems like we pray to no avail.

Serving our context generously means that we ignore the difficulties and cry out to Jesus. And when we get His attention, we ask for vision so we can see.

Father in heaven, grant every Global Gathering participant (and every person reading this) courage to call to Jesus, despite difficulties, and ask for the ability to see in this dark world. And make it so by your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3

“When we serve someone with a smile and a pleasant manner it is as if our action has acquired an enhanced value, apart from its being all the more appreciated. And when a chance or the duty arises of offering a service which is likely to be disagreeable or even repugnant, do it with a special joy with the humility you would manifest if you were indeed the servant of everyone. You will draw such great treasure of virtue and of grace from acting in such circumstances in this way. Sometimes we can find this kind of thing hard, and then we will pray: Jesus, keep me smiling.”

Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci (1810-1903) in The Practice of Humility, 32.

Our time together at the GTP Global Gathering has exceeded all expectations. God has poured out His Spirit on board members, staff, regional facilitators, country coordinators, course moderators, and special guests.

Their zeal to serve with a smile to add enhanced value has brought them and everyone special joy. I could not be any more thankful at this moment. Special thanks to all our senders for sending us here with their love, support, and prayers.

Keep praying as we have a few more days and then everyone will be deployed to the corners of the earth. If that’s where you finds yourself while reading this, then please know this: if you serve with a smile wherever you are it may not change the world, but it will change your world.

One of my daily readers looked at the photo of the spices from the Spice Market in Istanbul and pondered which spice he would be. So I ask you to think about that and consider the implications for those around you.