A Day-by-day devotional

June 7, 2023

Not fruitful

Chronological One Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Kings 15-17

Scripture of the Day: Matthew 21:18-22

I love figs! I first got to try them when I incidentally saw them at a supermarket. They’re sweet like honey and what was odd, albeit lovely to me, was the squishy crunch it gives when you bite on it, due to the seeds.

One time, when Jesus was walking with His disciples, He got rather hungry. They passed by a fig tree with only leaves but no fruits. When leaves appear on a fig tree, fruits also should begin to form. Therefore, seeing the fig tree with leaves, it was expected to be bearing fruits. But it was not. Jesus cursed it to never bear fruit again. So, it withered and died.

Was the Lord too harsh on the fig tree? We can always argue that He is God and can do whatever He wants. However, Jesus does not do anything for no reason.

If a fig tree naturally bears leaves, and together with it, at the same time, fruits, but it does not, it fails its purpose. Moreover, it deceives. When one sees a bushy fig tree, it should be a sign that it also bears fruits. From afar, when Jesus and the others saw a leaf-bearing fig tree, they expected it to have fruits. That is how biology works. That particular fig tree, however, had leaves but not fruits.

The fact that Jesus cursed it and it withered and died shows us an object lesson. Deception is something that the Lord does not like. In a way, it is not being truthful, which is tantamount to lying, a thing that God hates (Proverbs 6:16-17). At the time of Jesus, the religious leaders were called out by Jesus as being hypocrites. They deceived the people as to living holy lives, but their religiosity is but a front to their hardened hearts. They wouldn’t see and accept Jesus for who He truly is. They were like that fig tree – full of leaves, standing tall and proud; but bearing no fruit.

In life, the real state of our relationship with God is not measured by how many times you have read through the bible. It also has little to do with how many theology degrees you have on your CV. Your church title and position also do not matter. You may have all the green, healthy looking leaves. What matters most though, are the fruits of the Spirit which you bear.

Reflection: If you are a fig tree, do you only have leaves, or do you also bear much fruit?

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to become fruitful. May not only my leaves grow, but also, may I bear a lot of fruits. Amen.