Oct 31 - Matthew 24:32

Jesus said,

"From the fig tree learn its lesson:

as soon as its branch becomes tender

and puts forth its leaves,

you know that summer is near."

Matthew 24:32

"Do you know why Jesus cursed the fig tree?" a friend asked me recently -- pointing back to Matthew 21.

I had to admit that I didn't -- and not being a botanist, I'm going with his explanation because it makes a powerful point ...

He said, "Fig trees are different than most other trees. Most trees bear their leaves in the spring and then their fruit as the summer goes on. The fig tree bears its fruit first, and the leaves emerge almost immediately to protect, shield, and almost cacoon the new fruit.

"Therefore," he said, "when you see the leaves. You automatically know there's fruit."

My theological brain must not have been turned on, because he said, "Now do you understand why Jesus cursed the tree?"

"No."

"It's because when Jesus saw the leaves, the tree was advertising that it had fruit. It might as well have been a neon sign: 'I have fruit. I have fruit! I have good fruit!!!' Instead of bearing fruit, the tree was bearing false witness."

Jesus wasn't really speaking to an ineffective tree, he was speaking to a "faithless and perverse generation" (see Mt 17:17). He was pointing back to the prophecies of John the Baptist, "the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Mt 3:10). He was talking to the Pharissees a "people [who] honor[ God] with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Mt 15:8).

Sometimes we have big flashy leaves and big flashy cars and somewhat prominant positions in our little social circles. Often we honor God with our lips. But is our heart as close to God as we pretend?

Today's lesson is another verse which reveals that our end might be nearer than we think. How close is your heart to God and how ripe is your fruit?

In Christ's Love,

a guy whose billboard would say,

"This Week Only: More Fruit than Leaves."

(Next Week: Will try again to Match Last Week's Great Deal.)