Devotion: Cursed Fig Tree

Mark 11: 12-14, 20-25

“On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.””

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This week’s lesson had me in a panic before I heard the message. I couldn’t understand what was happening. And why was Jesus so angry with a tree? I wondered if the disciples felt the same way. Pastor Greg mentioned that this story departs from our normal perceived personality of our Lord and Savior. The image of Jesus to us is the one we grew up with. The gentle, kind, loving man our children meet this week in Vacation Bible school. This Jesus is very different and, in many ways causes us to “sit up and take notice.”

We are given a “back picture” of what’s going on for Jesus during this time. As Pastor Greg relayed to us, this portion of scripture takes us back to what happened on Palm Sunday just after His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. I confess I hadn’t looked at or studied before. Imagine Jesus being received by his followers in a manner that is heart-warming as a ‘Savior acknowledged’ only to come to the synagogue where the meaning of worship is being corrupted by money-changers, charlatans bartering with an underhanded nature, and generally thieves waiting to pray on those coming to worship. And what’s worse, no one was doing anything about it. Those people were being allowed to conduct their ‘‘business” with no restrictions. Where were the priests and scribes? And how could people truly worship with these distractions?

To be able to focus on our worship. What distractions seep into our worship time? What kind of “fruit” can be developed from our time for worship when we let distractions in? Coming to church worship is holy time. Are our hearts “prepared” for worship? Or are our minds over-flowing with; “What’s for dinner…did I close the garage door…I must get back to so and so about…did I remember to set-up the DVR to record?” and so many other things too numerous to mention. The mind reels with these questions so how can we truly shut out the outside world to commune with our Heavenly Father. Preparing ourselves for worship time requires us to mindfully shut out the distractions of everyday life. To enter our worship time whether at home or at church with a hungry heart. Anxious for what God feeds us with. Eager to hear His word and study how we can relay it to our lives and those around us to “produce the fruit” that broadens His kingdom. Making a conscious effort to want to strive for this may even bring us closer to him. Sort of like the hymn, “Nearer my God to thee”, I want this.

Dear Father in heaven, this is what I desire, to be close to you. Please help me to find you in all areas of my life. But also to treasure my personal time with you that my life will produce Holy fruit that I may share with others. Let Christ be seen in me today. Amen.

Written by Fran Baatz