Today is Palm Sunday. This is the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey while people laid palm branches in his path and shouted “Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” This is the week that He will clear the temple, that his arrest will be plotted, and He will be crucified.
But in the midst of this week we find Jesus interacting with a fig tree in a rather curious and confusing way.
Let’s read Mark 11:12-14 The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.
Farther down we read Mark 11:20-21 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!”
Upon first reading this account it would seem that Jesus was being a bit cruel to a defenseless fig tree. The scripture says it was too early in the season for fruit but not for having leaves. So you must wonder why Jesus expected anything from the fig tree when He, being the Creator, certainly understood the DNA of his creation.
But upon farther investigation I discovered some interesting facts about these particular fig trees found in Palestine, the area where Jesus was. These fig trees produce crops of a small edible bud in March followed by budding leaves in April. This early green bud is common food for local peasants. And even though a fig tree may be in full bloom, an absence of these edible buds is an indication that this tree would be producing no fruit for the year.
So as Jesus and his disciples approached the fig tree they were expecting a meal. The tree was barren but from afar it seemed to be full of life. Jesus decided to teach a lesson to his disciples about the danger of appearance.
Let’s read 1Corinthians 10:1-11 (VS 9)
I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.
Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age."
That day the fig tree put Christ to the test. It cried out “Look at how full of life I am” but when Jesus examined it closer He discovered it to be barren and of no use. So He cursed it.
The Bible has a total of 55 woes in it. The New Living Translation interprets the word for woe as “what sorrow awaits.”
Jesus is about to go into Jerusalem and cleanse the temple of thieves and robbers and expose the Pharisees and the Sadducees for the hypocrites they are.
1) Sorrow awaits those who exclude others from the gospel.
Matt 23:13
The Pharisees and the Sadducees were guilty of placing rules and regulations on God’s people making it impossible for them to enter into the presence of God. We must be careful that we are not guilty of the same. We must show compassion for those whose lifestyle we do not approve. We are called to be witnesses for Christ and not Judges. We can turn people to Christianity or away from it.
2) Sorrow awaits those who neglect the important things
Matt 23:23
Jesus teaches us the importance of tithing. He highly commends those who do. But more importantly than your tithe are justice, mercy, and faith. What is justice? Fairness. It’s not showing favoritism toward someone because they agree with you, or look like you, or are part of your clique. Justice is treating everyone equally. What is mercy? Compassionate treatment. It’s helping others without expecting anything in return. It’s not making cruel jokes about others less fortunate then yourself. It’s about befriending those who are friendless. What is faith? Confident belief in the truth. We live in a world where truth has become relevant to an individual, a situation, or even a preference. We are taught that there is no absolute truth. But I tell you that the Word of God is the absolute truth and my proof is my faith that is based on that Word. The Bible instructs us on how to accomplish these important things that Jesus called justice, mercy, and faith. If we as Christians neglect these important things then the world looks at the church as a place that is unfair in its treatment to others with no compassion and hypocritical in its beliefs. Sadly the church has almost reached that point.
3) Sorrow awaits those who neglect the inward heart
Matt 23:27-28
Jesus says we can pretend to be alive in Christ, looking just right, acting just right. But really we are tombs with dead bones and impure things on the inside. We can be whitewashed and shiny while being dark and smelly. Too many Christians play the fig tree game, all covered with leaves but bearing no fruit.
The list continues on
Matthew 18:7
“What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin? Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.
Luke 6:24-26
“What sorrow awaits you who are rich,
for you have your only happiness now.
What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,
for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.
What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,
for their ancestors also praised false prophets.
Sorrow awaited that fig tree because it did not produce the promise of God. The fig tree had a purpose, a calling. But it was all about show and glamour and not being productive. And when it withered it withered from its root up.
Most Christians who are like this fig tree have a root problem. They have never been planted deep enough in God’s Word or in his service to get rooted properly. Shallow roots lead to less nutrition’s. And a sorrow awaits those who produce no fruit.
Was Jesus unfair in his treatment of the fig tree? I would say “No”, because He is a God of compassion and mercy. We can read about this in
Luke 13:6-9
Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed. Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
“The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”
It was the owner who planted the fig tree. It was the owner who kept check on it. It was the owner who was disappointed. But it was the gardener who cared for it. It was the gardener who interceded for it. It was the gardener who promised special attention and plenty of food. It was the gardener who said one more year. It was the gardener who said if after that there is no fruit the owner could cut it down.
We are the fig tree. The owner is God. He has planted us here, He keeps check on us, and He is the one we disappoint when we bear him no fruit. Jesus is the gardener. He is the one who cares for us. He intercedes on our behalf; He gives us special attention, and feeds us through his Word. But there is a time coming when He will allow the wrath of God to be poured down upon us and we will receive the sorrow that awaits us. And we can’t blame the gardener who did all He could to nourish us, or the owner who was willing to extend that period of grace. We can only blame the fig tree who would not produce for the owner.
This Friday we will commemorate the day that Jesus hung on the cross. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for us at escape the wrath of God. And all He asks is for us to be productive.
whitestone ministry meets in Denver, NC. For information email us at pastor@denverfs.org
