THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 21:18-22
“May you never bear fruit again!” (Matthew 21:19)
There are two connected yet unrelated lessons in this reading.
Jesus is teaching His disciples about God’s judgment against fruitless Israel.
Having just turned tables in the temple, the fig tree is an object lesson (Jeremiah 8:13)
But the disciples don’t ask about this lesson, they ask about how Jesus did it.
Which leads to the second lesson: with faith, you can do amazing things for God!
With God, we can bear much fruit for God, for good, if we trust in Him for His support.
It is as we invest ourselves in God’s kingdom agenda that we can count on God’s support.
Our focus must be on God’s kingdom purpose, trusting God to provide all we need to succeed.
We can’t just curse fig trees or move mountains because it suits us, because we want it.
Jesus is on a mission to seek and save the lost, and is prepared to die for that cause.
We are sent on this same mission, to bring God’s love, joy and peace to a desperate world.
The power of God – not faith or prayer – is the authority and power that stands behind us.
God wants kingdom fruit (results) from us, and He will back us to make it happen.
The fig tree reminds us what happens if we don’t produce kingdom fruit (John 15:1-8).
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, if I am not producing kingdom fruit, it is not because Your power is lacking. Remind me of my God-potential for good in this world, and help me translate my faith into action!
As a tree is known by its fruit, so are you and I.
The fig tree did not produce, doing what it was created to do. It was a bad fig tree, unresponsive, unfaithful to its given purpose.
And I? Am I responsive to my created purpose to be fruitful? To be fruitful I need to be nourished and that is only possible by the word of God. And only He can remove all difficulties in my life. He is my mountain mover. All things are possible only in Christ Jesus.
Help me daily Lord to serve You in all I do and say.
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.