David Bahn – Reflections

Matthew 21:18-22

In the morning, as he was returning to the city, Jesus became hungry. ¹⁹ And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

²⁰When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” ²¹And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. ²²And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

No showy-showy here! Churchy-churchy doesn’t work for Jesus. Fig trees with leaves aplenty but no fruit are not just disappointing to a hungry Jesus; they are an object lesson about true Christian faith and fruitfulness. Mountains of doubt, excuses, and failure never stand in the way of faith.

Several years ago my son and I played golf and were put with two other players whom we had not met before. The second of the two arrived a little late to the first tee dressed like a tour pro. He had custom clubs, and made the impression that he could really play. After the first hole, it was obvious that he looked better than he played. The other, older and wiser new acquaintance simply said, “Dresses like 70. Shoots like 90.” It was no compliment. In Texas the saying is “All hat, no cattle.” It does little good to look the part without bringing the game.

It is even worse to put on the airs of Christian discipleship and faith in an attempt to hide a fruitless and faithless life. Jesus makes that clear. What is not clear by these verses alone is that Jesus delights in faith, receiving all who come to him in humility, seeking his kingdom. He has just cleared the temple of the money changers. He is nearing the time of his betrayal, suffering, and death. This is no time to play goody-two-shoes. This is the time for faithful vigilance. This is the time to acknowledge that we have no game, no cattle, no fruit apart from Jesus. This is the time to hold to God’s promises and believe Jesus’ words.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He is near to the brokenhearted, the poor and needy, the humble, the sick, and sinners. Nothing will stand in his way as he brings us to the Father. We need to repent of our little faith – no doubt. But we can be confident of God’s mercy and grace in Jesus. And there will flow from our hearts a true fruitfulness of love for God and service to our neighbor. It may be as simple as offering a cup of water to someone who is thirsty. It may be as significant as taking in a stranger during a time of urgent need. But it is not at all concerned about looking good for the sake of others. True faithfulness seeks simply to honor God and love our neighbor. That’s the kind of fruit that God looks for from his people.