What is the title (Mark 11:12-14)
Contents
Today's text is the morning after Palm Sunday, Monday morning, April 3, 30 AD. Jesus slept in the village of Bethany at the foot of the Mount of Olives and was on his way to Jerusalem. At this time, Jesus saw a fig tree with only leaves on the side of the road. The abundance of leaves implicitly suggests that the tree bears fruit.
So, Jesus went to this tree to see if there was anything… but there were no figs on this tree, no matter how much he looked for it. In fact, it is still April, so figs are not ripe. But Jesus retrieved the fruit from the fig tree, and when no fruit was found, he cursed the tree and made it wither to death.
Then, why did Jesus commit the folly of seeking fruit even when it was not the time to bear fruit, and why did he act mercilessly by cursing the fig tree to wither and die?
In Palestine, figs are usually harvested twice a year. It germinates at the end of March, ripens in May and June, first harvests in June and July, and full fruit can be obtained in August to October.
Palestinians call unripe green fruits around April 'Paga', and ripe fruits around June and August called 'Bikura'. However, 'Paga', an unripe green fruit, has no taste, but there were no other fruits at that time, so people also ate it.
Therefore, considering that the fig tree in the text has abundant leaves, even though it is around April, it normally needs to sprout green leaves after the fruit has been opened, Jesus' request for fruit was not an unreasonable request, but a just request.
In the end, the fig tree was cursed because it did not bear fruit even though it should have fruit, just like the tree with many leaves.
However, the curse of the fig tree cannot be seen simply as a result of Jesus' dissatisfaction with the lack of fruit. I know that you have a special lesson for the disciples, and that you have a spiritual lesson for us.
This incident is intended to rebuke the religious leaders of Israel, who are full of hypocrisy, like a fig tree that is leafless and bears no fruit. In addition, in relation to the temple cleansing incident that follows the text, the religious practices are also a rebuke to the formal religious life of the Jews, who have neither true faith nor good deeds.
They thought themselves to be God's people, righteous and godly people, but they were already on the path of total spiritual corruption in the Lord's eyes.
(Matthew 23:23) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay tithes of mint, anise, and cumin, but have neglected the weightier matters of the law, righteousness, mercy, and spirit. You said.
They fasted twice a week, paid tithes of their income, kept the Sabbath, and prayed well at long distances where there were many people, but all of this resulted in leafy leaves and a fruitless life.
The same is true of the priests and the scribes, the Pharisees, and the lawyers. Elders without deeds can be compared to this fig tree. They were respected by the church members and had authority. But it was like a fig tree with only its fruitless leaves.
Jesus' disciples who did not follow Jesus rightly are like a fig tree without fruit. They demand only high places, are envious of others being exalted, they sleep when Jesus prays, they all run away when Jesus is arrested by the Romans in the Garden of Gethsemane, and they will be tried in the court of Caiaphas. All the disciples who deny that they do not know Jesus are fig trees with only leaves.
What do we look like? Or are we not those who have a form of godliness but do not have the power of godliness? Are there those who have the form of worship but have never had a true worship service? Are they not those who lead a religious life but do not have true faith, have a lot of knowledge of the Bible, but do not have the fruit of good works?
Although they take on many offices and perform them, do they not use them as instruments of vanity that exalts themselves and overconfidence, like a fig tree with only leaves?
(1 Peter 3:3-4) "Do not adorn your hair, and wear gold, or beautiful clothes, not outward appearances, but let the hidden ones be incorruptible of a meek and stable spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." Said. We must not only have a religious appearance like a leaf, but bear hidden fruits for the Lord so that we can avoid the Lord's market by providing beautiful fruits and sweets to the Lord when the Lord seeks them. He is thirsty and hungry waiting for delicious fruit from us today.
How, then, are we to bear fruit?
1. By Abiding in the Word of God
Matthew 13:8 "Some fell on good soil, and it bore fruit, some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty."
2. By sacrificing yourself
John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
3. By Abiding in Christ
John 15:5 "I am the vine, and you are the branches; if he is in me and I in him, this man bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
4. By abiding in the Holy Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
5. By prayer
Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may fill your spiritual wisdom and understanding with the knowledge of the will of God, and walk worthy of the Lord, that you may please him in all things, to bear fruit in good works, and to grow in the knowledge of God.”
6. Through Refinement
Hebrews 12:11 "Any discipline at the time does not seem joyful, but sad, but later it brings forth the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained in it."
7. By receiving the wisdom of heaven
James 3:17 "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, forgiving, docile, full of mercy and good fruit, without partiality and without deceit."
8. With Spiritual Maturity
2 Peter 1:5 "Therefore, be all the more diligent, supplying to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love."
Conclusion: This is today's closing message.
This era in which we live is called the last days. These last days are not the time of figs, but the time of leaves. As the leaves grow, the church and society have grown prosperous outwardly with all kinds of injustice, sin, vanity, and honor, but in reality, there is no fruit that God seeks. The Lord does not ask for the leaves, only the fruit.
If we today follow the Lord's will and strive to bear the fruit we want to give to the Lord, God will grant us abundant grace. However, they do not have the desire to bear fruit, and they covet only the ministry of the church just as the disciples of Jesus greedy for each other's high positions.
But in verse 14, it is written, "No man shall eat of you from any fruit from now on forever." After this, Jesus will not ask for fruit.
The time when God the Creator asks for anything from human beings is the happiest, highest glory, and greatest gift for human beings. Do not miss this time, do not lose this opportunity, prepare in advance, wait, and give when the Lord asks for it, then that person's faith is eternal success and victory.
It's useless over time. In the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, the five virgins went to buy oil after the bridegroom came, but could not participate in the feast. Opportunities and time given are so precious. What you can do in an hour now, you may not be able to do in 10 hours or a lifetime later.
Dear saints,
As I said at the outset, this age is an age when only leaves are lush. In this age, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will become a saint who can respond to the Lord's demands by bearing many good fruits that our Lord requires. <Amen>