Fruitless fig trees and saying what you would see

You might be familiar with the story of Jesus and the fig tree found in Mark 11:12-25.

 

To summarize, Jesus is hungry and He sees the leaves of a fig tree in the distance so He makes a b-line to it only to find that it doesn’t have any figs.  So what does He do?... He curses the tree.  Yep… He basically says that no one will ever eat from the tree.

 

The next day when He and the disciples are walking back from the Temple they see that the fig tree is withered and they draw Jesus’ attention to it.

 

His response, “Have faith in God.” V.22

 

I’ve always had a weird feeling about this passage.  I didn’t like Jesus cursing things.  It didn’t seem right.

 

I certainly didn’t want Him cursing me.

 

And I am pretty sure with all of their fibery goodness and future fame as part of the figgy pudding carolers desire to be brought… it wasn’t that He has something against figs.

 

I think it was a lesson.  After all, He was being watched by His disciples… those who were trying to learn and mimic His disciplines.

 

And the answer, as in so many cases, comes after the story… when He explains it.

 

Sorry about stopping at v 22 and leading you to believe it was final… but you will have to forgive me… since we’re Christians… and that is what we do.

 

Jesus was teaching His disciples the power of our words.  What follows “Have faith in God” is a declaration of the power of our words to move mountains, to have prayers answered.  He used the shock value of a dead fig to teach us that our words have the power to kill.

 

How many times we see the leaves, rush to a tree that isn’t ready and think, “Yes!  Right now…

My prayers are answered! …

this is the job! …

we’re not going to be poor anymore! …

this will make me happy!…

I am healed!…

He’s the one!...

She’s the one!...

Etc…”

 

But when we get close to the tree… it was just the leaves… no fruit yet.

 

And so… WE… often, without realizing it, curse the fruit.

 

“God said no.”

“I thought this was the job.”

“We’ll never have money.”

“We could never fix this.”

“God must be mad at me.”

“I thought he would be different.”

“I’ll never find anyone.”
“I’ll never be happy.”

 

Withered branches.  Broken hearts.  Discouragement.

 

What would I say to this?… well I am taking it from Him… “Have faith in God.”

 

There was still life in the tree when Jesus got to it.  What changed it was the words that Jesus spoke.

 

There is still life in your dreams, your hopes, your desires, your plans.

 

What will change it?

 

Your words. 

 

What comes out of you goes into…

the situation… the relationship… the job… the finances…

 

Say what you want to see… because, with the Name of Jesus behind you words…

 

You are going to see what you say.

SDG