Person with Purpose

PO - People run the world over, seek out spirituality in many places, and often return home to discover peace.

INTRO - Jesus is sufficient for all my needs. When I stopped running from and then ran to Him, I discovered this to be true. Jesus is there for you.

Christians and churches think, work, do, and try all sorts of things to “be the church.” Yet, so many fail, fall, and fade into history.

TRANS - The Bible is our authority for everything we do. When we say “yes” to that, then turn to doing things the same old failed way, we miss the point of the Living Word. Today, Jesus reminds us how a living thing should both thrive and reproduce, else it is useless. Let’s sit in with the people of the 1st century and hear again the words of Jesus.

PRAY

What does it say?

Mark 11:12–14 ESV

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

What does it mean?

Human Jesus

What does Jesus’ hunger teach us about His humanity?

Jesus spent the night with friends. (Sun - Mon)

Why was he hungry this Monday?

Did they stay up all night talking?

Did he get up early to pray?

Do you see Jesus’ humanity in this?

He was ready to eat!

ILL - Our cat Bobo loves to eat.l Dry food or canned. And, while finicky about people food, there are two things that always bring him around: yogurt and shrimp. He knows these two smells and will always show up from hiding, and with loving passion, gently touch you with his paw and give you the BIG eyes that only a mean person could resist. Yes, he knows he really likes to eat.

Well, Jesus knew he was hungry.

He knew the pleasure of feeding a hungry stomach.

Do you recall Jesus’ hunger after fasting?

Matthew 4:2 ESV

And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Can you see the “why” in this? Why Jesus became like us for us.

2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

Galatians 3:13 ESV

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

Philippians 2:8 ESV

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

See, the Bible is clear that Jesus became a human, a person, with all the needs that accompany a mortal body.

Because of this, Jesus truly understands, completely gets being human.

Jesus is able to feel, understand, and sympathize with each of us.

Prophet Jesus

How did Jesus’ symbolic treatment of the fig tree resemble that of the OT prophets?

We know the prophets made use of teaching opportunities such as:

Isaiah’s sign against Egypt and Cush

Jeremiah’s ruined loin cloth; or the story of the broken flash

And, Ezekiel’s symbolic discussion of Jerusalem’s seige

Frequently they’d use the fig tree in one of their lessons:

Jeremiah 8:13 ESV

When I would gather them, declares the Lord, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.”

Hosea 9:10 ESV

Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved.

Joel 1:7 ESV

It has laid waste my vine and splintered my fig tree; it has stripped off their bark and thrown it down; their branches are made white.

Frequently the fig tree was used referencing judgement:

Hosea 2:12 ESV

And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, ‘These are my wages, which my lovers have given me.’ I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall devour them.

Isaiah 34:4 ESV

All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.

In this context, it symbolizes the then current Isreal and their approaching fate.

Jesus’ words anticipate his approaching time at the temple.

Just as the leaves hid the fact that the tree bears no fruit, so the magnificence of the Temple and its ceremony hid the fact that Isreal is not righteous before God.

They have the appearance of Godliness, but he is far from them.

ILL - We are familiar with similar practices today, famous TV ministries busted for thievery, some big churches with little heart, and many a false teacher as the Bible makes clear.

For us, we must beware not to get caught in the trap of “doing” instead of “being” God’s people, the church.

It’s like the chicken or the egg question: which came first.

Well, Christians, if they read their Bible, should know the answer to that one: the chicken because God made the animals, the trees, and us to reproduce and fill the earth.

Now, the similarity is that we must remember we are created to worship.

That’s first; a group formed FBC Minneola long before buildings, programs, and stuff.

Worship, being a church, and then all else.

It’s why we re-booted Sunday School, so we remember to do the important.

It’s why we spent so much energy on developing our missions statement; to rediscover our values and reason for existing.

We must bear fruit, or like the once great Temple and all the services, FBC Minneola will wither and die.

Teacher Jesus

When did fig trees produce fruit?

Jesus made this statement at a time of year when fig trees were about six weeks from producing edible figs.

These would be the early figs rip in late May whereas the main crop came ready in August-October.

When trees have no early figs, leaves and no fruit, the tree bears no figs in either season, early or late.

Everyone knew it was not the season, as such, Jesus made the point that the tree was a poser, pretender, acting like it may have fruit.

This tree had no intention to produce fruit.

It looked like a fig tree, but it really never intends to produce any fruit, so Jesus “makes an example” of the tree.

Side Note - Rather like all the churches closing their doors today? Don’t you think? Why should God do anything for them? Most all of their members expect the church to “do” for them. Jesus does not reward selfish, lazy, ungrateful, or disobedient churches. He only uses them as examples for other churches like a warning or reminder to be “doers of the Word.”

Jesus used this to enact his authority and to provide a teaching to his disciples; he cursed, as an exceptionally holy man was known to do, he cursed the tree to destroy it.

Why did Jesus curse the tree for not having fruit if it was not its season to do so?

Let’s get this in perspective.

BAK - The fig tree was a common sight and people knew how it bore fruit.

Leaves appeared in March and the early green knops, or paggim, remaining on the tree from the late season came to develop after the leaves grew.

This tree had leaves, but no knops; it looked like is should have something.

Even the not fully developed knops were edible, yet not so tasty.

Jesus saw the figs, expected to find something, yet this one had nothing.

Also, keep in perspective that Jesus is not using bad language, nor is there any indication of him acting irate.

What we have is a story of Jesus, not about a barren fig tree, but an acted out parable that explains the cleansing of the temple that comes between the two parts of this lesson.

How does the cursing of the fig tree—and the observation of the withered tree in Mark 11:20–21—relate to Jesus’ cleansing of the temple?

What Jesus does to the tree should not be identified as an act of anger or rage.

Matter of fact, when we get to the temple cleansing we observe Jesus “looking around” indicating that his actions were carefully planned as a prophetic act just like this fig tree showing us that Jesus is providing a well thought out teaching principle not an act of rage.

The tree represents Isreal and is judged by its Messiah.

Although it appears religious with activity just as the fig tree appears to be alive with leaves, both Isreal and the tree are fruitless.

Micah 7:1 ESV

Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.

ILL - Back when I taught at the college, I had a student in one of my computer classes who knew she was not going to “get it.” Only 50% of my initial students survived the classes. It was not easy work. The learning curve was steep and this lady was ready go give up.

During a class break, I asked her to remain behind. She broke down and told me she was quitting the class. I asked her to give to give me a chance to help, she really didn’t expect to stay in the class, yet reluctantly agreed.

I took another approach with the lady. Instead of opening book, we opened the inside of a whole bunch of computers. We began taking them apart slowly and then I showed her how to put them together again. Along the way, we talked about each part and how it was tied to the hardware level software; that’s where she was having the most trouble.

You see, the lady needed something she could see to hang what were simply a bunch of facts in her mind, she needed something to help her make sense of what I was teaching.

In this way, the lady got it. She didn’t quit the class and eventually passed. I was extremely proud of her; even more proud of her than the others who got “A’s.” Why, because she truly learned something.

I believe that is what Jesus wants from us.

Not perfect people, not “super church, “ but that we come to Him teachable and do what we can with what He provides.

Perhaps the challenge to us is willingness to try new things and stop doing unproductive things.

Perhaps we need to ask Jesus to teach us to once again be consumed with bearing fruit instead of just looking like church.

Perhaps we need to stop thinking church is here for the building and bills and start to ask, “if we are here to share the gospel and His joy” what are we doing to make that happen?

What do I do with this?

Jesus was fully human in his body, born a babe, lived as man and had needs just like us.

The book of Hebrews notes:

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Sometimes we stress Jesus’ God-side and overlook the fact that he was, also, fully human.

When we encounter hunger, fatigue, and pain in ourselves or others, let us give thanks to Jesus for entering fully into our world to sympathize with us.

Remember, Jesus identifies with our needs because, He too, experienced needs.