Vol III: #36 Figs And Fruit
There’s a four verse story in Matthew 21 about Jesus and a fig tree. Our Savior is hungry and curses a fruitless fig tree for it’s lack of fruit and the poor tree obliges Him. My modern senses have usually, until today, recoiled at this story. How could Jesus just curse a tree like that? Seems like a rough judgement Jesus, geez whiz. The disciples seemed less concerned about the poor tree; instead, they wondered how Jesus could pull off such a neat trick. But, seriously, was that really necessary? Poor little tree.
It’s easy to judge Jesus for his condemnation of the plant as harsh or inappropriate. It’s easy because I have always had access to plenty of food and my body is proof that I never miss a meal. But, two thousand years ago…an unproductive fruit tree was a waste of time, resource, and energy. Ancient people had to make every plant fruitful and every harvest had to count. They were one famine or drought away from death, or at least a severe lack of calories. (And this is a big deal. Food scarcity leads to low birth rates and birth defects. For warring societies, this means they couldn’t keep their armies well fed and the reduces replacement troops in following generations. These are problems we will never know.) When Jesus cursed the tree to death, literally, he did so because it didn’t produce fruit and it was time for a new tree or bush to replace it.
I believe most humans hold onto our old trees long past their usefulness. I know I do and in many forms. Human nature is somehow prone to double down on bad practices and beliefs. What else explains the return of Marxist socialism or mom jeans? Shouldn’t the standard be- as Jesus taught- if it bears good fruit, keep it fed and happy? But, if it bears bad fruit or no fruit, it’s time to cut it loose? I think so.
The real hurdle in this is to know when to prune the dead branches or lay the ax to the trunk. Should I give up on strained relationships, or stay patient? Keep the business alive, or sink the ship? Partnering with the Holy Spirit becomes crucial at such crossroads. Difficulty of a task or goal should not be what defines our involvement. Jesus didn’t curse all fig trees or say to the farmer your tree is hot garbage, you should give up on growing trees. He was specific to the one tree. Accordingly, rather than scuttle a entire business, it may make more sense to shift focus to a new customer base, cut staff, or bad product lines. Another example is our first know interaction between Peter and Jesus. Remember, Jesus didn’t tell Peter to stop fishing, but to put his nets down on the other side of the boat.
My biggest take away of this discussion is every end is a new beginning, and it has to be. If all we ever do is cry over our losses and failures, then we’ve stopped being who were called to be. Seasoned farmers replace trees, cycle crops, and even leave some plots to rest. What we need is Wisdom, usually beyond our experience. And I can say with certainty, the Lord is good to give life-giving answers when we need them. This, I know.
