LOOKING FOR FRUIT

LOOKING FOR FRUIT Matthew 21:18-22, John 15:1-8 February 25, 2007 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction Twenty-two years ago I planted two semi-dwarf apple trees, one golden delicious and one red delicious. They were just saplings and, as predicted, they began to produce apples the third year. There were four red and three yellow apples that autumn. The fourth year there was what can only be described as an amazing crop—literally hundreds of apples off those two trees! I was hooked on production and that fall I bought a book on pruning and went to work. I was pretty certain I had done a good job, but I called the 5th year my autumn of disappointment. Net production after the squirrels, the bugs and the birds had their way, was only about a dozen apples. Thus I take empathetic interest in the way Jesus responded one day when he was frustrated by the absence of fruit on a fig tree. Matthew 21:18-22 brings us this interesting and somewhat intriguing narrative. Stand with me and let’s read “Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on in except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Coming to this text you’re tempted to ask if Jesus is still angry about the moneychangers he encountered in the temple yesterday. There He vented what we last week concluded was His righteous indignation over the misuse of the temple courts for crooked commercialism. Now, the next morning, it almost looks like He’s not over it yet. The walk from Bethany to Jerusalem was a rugged and rather steep climb. In only two miles they climbed 500 feet, not counting the march over or around the Mount of Olives. The text says it was early in the morning which, knowing Jesus’ penchant for prayer very early in the morning, indicates it was quite early—early enough that He and the disciples had not yet taken any nourishment. With no breakfast, it’s no surprise to read in verse one that Jesus was hungry. It was common to find fig trees in the region, although normally the figs weren’t ripe during this season. That’s probably why this particular tree stood out, because it was covered in green leaves, always a sign that the figs were ripe with early fruit. Unlike other fruit-bearing trees, figs produced fruit first, then leaves. Jesus had every reason to believe this tree would have fruit on it. But there wasn’t. And, though it seems uncharacteristic of Him, Jesus cursed the tree, disallowing any more fruit forever, and the tree withered. Given that this was an unusual gesture for Jesus, who was not given to destruction of living things normally, and given the special significance of fig trees in Israel, we need to look past the immediate for a deeper meaning. When prophets do strange things it is not to draw attention to the immediate spectacle, but to cause people to recognize and remember an important spiritual message. The Lord had Isaiah walk around naked for three years while he preached. It was a sign against Egypt and Ethiopia. Then there was Hosea who married and faithfully remained married to a prostitute repeatedly unfaithful to him as a message to Israel, that they were likewise faithless to Jehovah, yet He remained faithful to them. Not a real popular career choice, being a prophet! They pulled out their hair and their beards, killed false prophets, berated kings to their faces, talked to donkeys and rode in fiery chariots. And all to make the point that God wanted them to make. I’m not too surprised that Jesus Christ, prophet, priest and king, took out a fig tree. He was delivering a message, plain and simple. The fig tree, like the grape vine, was a classic symbol of the nation of Israel. Before the Jews entered the promised land, the Lord described it as a land of “wheat and barley, vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey.” (Deuteronomy 8:8) At the culmination of the Messianic age, God said He would forgive the sins of His people, and “In that day each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree…” (Zechariah 3:10) If you wanted to be a characteristic Israelite, you would sit under your fig tree. Under his fig tree is where Jesus saw Nathaniel and received a prophetic word for him. If they’d had photographers in the first century, the kids would have probably had their senior pictures taken leaning against a fig tree. The presence of a fig tree was a symbol of blessing and prosperity for the nation. But the removal of a fig tree would be a symbol of judgment and deprivation. Here’s what I think happened. I think as Jesus was walking along He was in prayer about all that faced Him that day. He was in perfect communion with the Holy Spirit, submitting Himself to the divine leading in everything. Suddenly He is led along the path to an unexpectedly green fig tree. He is correspondingly hungry. He knows instantly there is a reason for this. And when he finds no figs, He gets the message loud and clear. No fruit, no life! He is to provide a poignant illustration to all who will see and all who, like us, will hear of it. He was under the directive of the Father to curse this tree He provided for that purpose as a sign of His judging the nation of Israel. What had God’s people Israel done? They had shown off religious leaves, but borne no fruit. There is an important spiritual principle here in the fig tree sign. With the fig tree, the presence of leaves did not guarantee the presence of fruit. Juan Carlos Ortiz told of the time when he was a boy growing up in the South American country of Columbia. The people there in his city were very poor and could afford very few luxuries. When televisions first came available in his country only a few of the wealthier people could buy them. But, he said, you knew who had a TV in their home because for the television to work you had to have an antenna on your roof. So anyone who had an antenna was obviously rich enough to have a television set in their home. But very soon the poorer people realized that though television sets were expensive, the antenna was quite cheap. He said many of our neighbors started buying antennas, proudly displaying them on their rooftops. If you couldn’t afford a TV, at least you could look affluent. It is similar, isn’t it, when those whose pride prevents them from truly becoming sacrificial servants of the Lord, parade religious charades designed to at least make others think they are Christians. It is still somewhat reputable in America to be a church-going person—especially if you are in politics. You may not attend, give, serve or even like church activities, but you can settle for at least making people think you do. Even among church attendees there are many whose faith is about as meaningful to them as leftovers, but having their name on a church roll is the right thing to do. Pad the membership numbers for a pastor, give periodic offerings, and show up twice a year. In exchange you can list church membership on resumes and obituaries, have a place for your kids to get married. Religious recognition without all the commitment—what a deal! What grabs our attention about what Jesus did that Wednesday morning outside Jerusalem is that being satisfied with impressing other people with foliage is quite dangerous. It is God who judges you, not leaf-loving pushovers. And His business is fruit. The danger of our love affair with shallow leafy lives is we might actually deceive ourselves into thinking we’re okay with God if we successfully fool others into thinking we’re good. Had you asked the people in Jerusalem that day if they were right with God, most would have confidently replied, Yes, I’m Jewish! Leaves! Some today honestly feel that to be a patriotic American ensures they are children of God. Just look good, hang around the right people and you’re in. Religious appearance doesn’t ensure that God is pleased with us. What is important to God is the leafy material of what you look like outwardly; it is your heart, and whether or not you have a right relationship with Him. Biblically speaking that comes only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—the way, the truth and the life. And that faith is not simple mental assent. It is a life commitment to Him, an agreement with His purposes in your life. It is an ongoing and meaningful relationship with Him. And that relationship, when it is real, will bear fruit. I’d like you to look at John 15:1-8 “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he trims clean so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I remain in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” There is a lot in that passage, but it’s easy to see the main emphases: bearing fruit is big. The other repetitive term is REMAIN—you might remember memorizing it as ABIDE. If you miss the importance of remaining and fruit-bearing you miss the point here. It is the Father’s will, Jesus emphasizes, that His people bear fruit. When we bear fruit, two things happen: the Father is glorified and we prove we are Christ’s disciples. (15:8) Before we go further, just a moment to identify what kind of fruit the disciple of Christ is to bear. Is Jesus referring to producing other disciples through our witness and teaching? Like fruit which bears its seed and from the seed another tree and more fruit will come—is that what Jesus meant by fruit-bearing—bringing others to Christ? Or does it refer to the fruit of a changed and growing life, including the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT (Galatians 5:16-18)? Is that what the fruit is—the good and holy life of a growing Christian? The answer is YES and YES—in that order. Please understand this spiritual principle. These two kinds of fruit-bearing are intimately related. You don’t have one without the other. When you grow as a child of God, and bear the kind of fruit the Bible talks about—love, joy, peace, goodness, meekness, patience, faith, hope, faithfulness, endurance—you will positively affect others around you. And you will be a key ingredient in the grand recipe of God to reach them through Christ. The other thing is, the growing believer will naturally share the gospel that saved him with others who need to hear it. It follows perfectly: once you find life, you go out and share it with others. How important is it to God that those He has redeemed through His Son become fruit-bearers? Just take a look at Him as the Gardener, standing there watching His orchard. He has his pruning shears and His chain saw in hand. If any of the branches on His trees don’t bear fruit, they’re coming down—just like when Jesus zapped the fig tree and it died from the roots up. But every branch that has promise for bearing fruit He prunes with delicate care and precision, so that it will become even more prolific in fruit-bearing. Does that give you a pretty good idea how important it is to the Gardener/Father that we bear fruit for Him? His entire plan is wrapped up in having more fruit borne. It’s like that’s all he thinks about. The Gardener is not anxious to cut anyone down, but He gives every branch the time that is needed to bear fruit. Israel had had her chance throughout the ages of the first covenant. She failed and her time of being a light to the Gentiles has run out. The final point we need to make is concerns the vital connection between fruit-bearing and remaining in Christ. We’ve learned the lessons about ourselves that we are much more like the fruitless fig tree of Matthew 21 than the strong, prolific branches that bear much fruit in John 15. God knows that. He understands our sinful condition and our innate weakness. That’s why He saved us in the first place—out of love and mercy toward us in our need. And in keeping with His nature He is not expecting us to suddenly become different all on our own. The glorious truth is that when Christ saves a person, He comes and lives within them. When a someone becomes a Christian it is appropriate for them to think in terms of inviting Christ to come and live in their hearts. That’s exactly what He does through His Spirit. Perhaps the most important thing the Spirit of Christ does, among many other ministries He carries out for us, is this: He helps us maintain our relationship, our connection, with Christ. You see, the power to live the fruitful life of a disciple is not in us; it is in Christ! We draw on His resources—and He actually bears fruit through us and our willing faithful relationship with Him. Jesus said, I am the vine and you are the branches. That is, He is our source of life and spiritual power. Like the life-giving sap that flows through the “trunk” to the branches, so the power and work of God flows to us through Him. Be encouraged by this reminder, believers, that you don’t have to produce out of your own strength. God is at work in you, both to will and to act according to His good purpose—fruit-bearing! (Philippians 2:13) So, if it’s not our job to produce, what is it that we do? We REMAIN IN HIM. That’s what we are called to do as our faithful cooperation with His divine plan. That’s why the in the strongest terms possible Jesus commands us to remain in him—remain connected to our source of life and power: Jesus. Here is the message for all of us would-be withered fig trees: it is not about you putting on a good front; it is not about your being good enough, or fooling enough people into thinking you are; and it is not about your supposed self-generated righteousness or spirituality. It’s about God and letting Him have His way in your life. Are you ready to submit to Him and stop doing life your way? Susan Smart wrote in Campus Life Magazine about being a student pilot on a solo flight in a Cessna 150. Somehow she lost control and the plane started spinning wildly toward the earth. At first she panicked, but then remembered her training. “The Cessna 150 is designed to fly by itself. Just let go of the controls and it fly itself.” In the middle of a spin it’s hard to let go of the steering wheel. She kept telling herself, “Let go, let go!” It was hard, but she finally did. Sheer panic followed for a second and then the plane started to right itself and leveled off and everything was OK. When we are in scary situations we want to grip the wheel more tightly, take care of it ourselves. Sometimes we realize we are not going to be able to do it, but we deceive ourselves and just begin trying to convince others of our goodness with a veneer of religion. But we know deep in our souls that God knows the truth. Psalm 51 says what He requires is simply “truth in the inner parts.” God says, “Don’t pretend it’s okay when it isn’t, don’t panic, and don’t resist my way. Let go, I’m faithful. I’m on the throne. I can fly this thing.”     [Back to Top]