It is
now Monday of ‘Holy Week’. From
this point on Jesus is in, near or outside of Jerusalem. His public ministry is drawing to a close and
His ‘passion’ (events surrounding His betrayal, trial and death) is about to
ensue. His evening spent in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus on Friday –
Saturday before, in which extravagant worship of Him was offered, is eerily foretelling
of what is to come. Mary, who worshipped with such love, could not have known
of it - no matter how often he’d hinted, spoken of, or said so. As well, His triumphal entrance into
Jerusalem, occurring on the 1st day of the week (our Palm Sunday) and
coupled with His look about the temple then quick retreat back, seems to warn
of a coming storm. One that will produce over turned tables, moneychangers
expelled, and - most astonishing of all – a veil of partition that will be
torn. Yes - Jesus’ gaze about the temple was an assessment by the Son of God. The One for whom the temple, indeed His temple, was but a foreshadow
of the real. All of this seems ironic now – especially as we consider the texts surrounding His activity of this Monday.
For a review of all texts, click link below then scroll to
Monday - https://bible.org/article/chronology-synopsis-passion-week
In the morning, as he was returning to
the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it
and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever
come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
Matthew
21: 18-19
The
story of the fig tree being ‘cursed’ (not sworn at, but commanded as fruitless and withered) by Christ has long held
curiosity for me. Why would God have this story as part of our Gospels?
What was the purpose in that day, and what is its purpose today for
me?
The fig tree becomes a
visual symbol of a greater truth – that the failure of something at being that
for which it was created for or intended to be is an affront. In the case of Israel, the point is clearly
made. The presence of a fruitful fig tree was considered to be a symbol of
blessing and prosperity for the nation of Israel and, likewise, the absence or
death of a fig tree, a symbol of rejection. Jesus was not being mean. Jesus was being who He was - God. By
cleansing the Temple and cursing the fig tree, causing it to whither and die,
Jesus was pronouncing His coming judgment of Israel and demonstrating His power
to carry it out.
As Christians, we too must
remember that we are accountable to be who God has made us to be. We are His workmanship, His creation,
born – not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible – and we are to bear
fruit. The fruit we bear is
our reproducing other disciples (John 15: 5-8) and it is a life
controlled by God’s Spirit, bearing fruit that comes from God in us - the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).
On this Monday long ago Jesus
spoke with power and absolutely took care of business. It was likely a difficult day, but necessary. My prayer is that we might take care of business, too - even when this requires sacrifice and change. For after all - fruit from fig trees and what happens in
God's temple (in each of us) matters. It did back then when Jesus saw a tree with leaves but no figs - and a temple with commerce instead of worship - and... it still does today.
Yours for fruit, figs and the things of God,
Pastor Sam
No comments:
Post a Comment