The Fruit-Bearing Tree

Mark 11:12-14 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

Pastor JJ continued this last Sunday with his Sermon Series through the gospel according to Mark. In this passage, Jesus us a picture of the authentic and captivating Christian life centered in fruitful integrity. By living example, if a fruit tree’s purpose is to produce fruit but doesn’t, then that tree is not fulfilling its purpose. That fruit tree represents us and we are to bear “good” fruit as our purpose. This should be no surprise as we already read about this metaphor of trees bearing “good” fruit earlier in Luke 3:9 & Luke 6:43 in this study. What fruit-bearing tree would willfully desire to produce “bad” fruit?

Jesus said in Matthew 12:33  “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.”

To be worldly is “common”, but to be “holy” is to be set apart from the sinful things of this world and set apart to the purposes of God. For the opposite of “holy” is “common”.  Be ordained, consecrated and holy to be the “best” we can be is a costly sacrifice with the “right” motive. We must remember that the cost of forgiving our sins was God sending Jesus as sacrificial payment of His life, so that we could have salvation. There are special, holy and noble purposes for the holy people of God, who seek God with every part of their heart. We expect God - the Refiner (Malachi 3:3) by fire to remove the impurities and perfect us, and the are grateful for God - the Gardener (John15:1-2) to prune our branches to improve, mature and produce “good” fruit efficiently … to be used for the purpose that He designed us for. By cleansing the temple and confronting the hypocrisy in our lives, we are the “real” deal. The word “hypocrite” comes from the Greek and literally translates into the English word “Actor” – looking righteous, holy and close to God on the outside, but not producing spiritual fruit. It’s the difference between acting a part and being the actual authentic person.

2 Peter 1:3-7 “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.”

Be the person on the inside as you are on the outside. Soulfully, get yourself “right” in mind, will and emotion before God. Honestly, this side of heaven, everyone has struggles here as “sanctification” is the process of growing into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do we truly see ourselves as “set apart” by God for God’s purposes and showing it? The proof is in the pudding, so are we doing it? Also, are we investing ourselves in others lives to help them know their Savior Jesus and produce their own “good fruit”, reflecting the investment that God has put in us? Have joy in authenticity towards God and indignation for hypocrisy towards God. Don’t just “look good”, produce “good” fruit. Do it today!

Colossians 1:9-12 “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”

In Christ, Brian