“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.
Verses chosen from today’s Bible reading: Numbers 34-36, and Mark 11.
This is a section of verses that makes commentaries necessary!
What is going on here?
Jesus gets mad at a tree, curses it, and later the tree is seen withered up.
What’s the tree supposed to do?
One commentary (Life Application New Testament Commentary) later I learn that there was a monthly sequence to a fig tree: leaves, leaves/buds, and figs.
The tree in this story (living parable) should have been in the leaves/buds stage. The buds it was supposed to produce were edible but this tree had none of them. Therefore, it was not going to be producing figs later on.
Despite being a fig tree, it gave no indication that it was such. It was a tree alright, but it didn’t deserve the adjective.
Believers are supposed to be productive. We can claim to be believers, and others can think that we are believers, but the proof is in the productivity.
Jesus’s reaction to the unproductive fig tree and His reaction to unproductive so-called believers will be the same. He had/has no use for either. Sobering, don’t you think!
“Lord, forgive my lack of productivity. I am a believer. Fill me with You. I abide in You. Prick my conscience so that I can correct my ways to please You. I love Your Word, Father. Glory to Your Name.”
God calls us out just the way Jesus did to the fig tree: Are you being productive?
His Word For Me 