Easter Reflections: Did I miss the lesson?
After Jesus enters Jerusalem, he pretty much runs out of time on that day (😜) and so he leaves town with the Twelve and returns to the temple the next day. Many of us have studied the scene where Jesus gets mad and kicks out all the vendors in the Temple.
Check and Check
Anything new?
But this week, I am drawn to that fig tree
The first reactions I got as we studied this passage was to wonder why Jesus would curse a poor little tree. The tree had done nothing wrong! It was not season yet! And the tree was healthy (was it?). As Jesus explains things, and he reminds Peter to forgive, we wondered "does that mean that if we don't forgive, that God won't forgive us?
All valid questions, but I can see Jesus shaking His head and saying to us....are you paying attention???
Here are are a few things I noticed today (I do noticed there are a few differences in the accounts, but again, I am no theologian, I am simply responding to what I feel the Lord was teaching me):
1. Jesus gets hungry and sees the tree from afar. The tree must have been healthy-looking enough
2. Jesus goes to the tree and sees there is no fruit, despite it having healthy looking leaves.
3. Jesus talks to the tree, but the disciples hear him (all of them). Jesus did not talk to the disciples directly
4. Only Peter seemed to have noticed the connection and asks further. They all SAW the withered tree (you can debate when), but only Peter "remembers" and connects and askss.
5. Jesus teaches and explains.
This is fascinating. Why would Jesus talk to the fig tree? Knowing Jesus's style, the only answer I come to see is that this is what I, as an educator, would identify as a "teachable moment" Jesus WAS hungry and he DID look for figs to fill his tummy. But as he approached the tree and saw how the reality of the tree vs his purpose was, he decided to teach a lesson.
The curious thing? He did not raised his voice and proclaimed to the Twelve: "Hey guys, let me teach you one more thing"
He spoke and cursed the fig tree, and he knew the disciples heard him.
If I were there, I would have probably been too scared to ask but might have thought Jesus was 'being weird again - He does that sometimes'
But I wondered if Peter wondered about that a bit more and kept it in his mind, while the others just brushed it aside, and the events at the temple take over so much so that by the end of the day, they had already forgotten about this one.
When Peter finally asks, Jesus teaches overtly what he was trying to teach with his object lesson.
But, what was the point of the lesson???
The way I see it? He was teaching about...
FRUIT
FAITH
FORGIVENESS
How is using a fruitless tree connected to faith and forgiveness?
It daunts on me - Jesus was warning us that our purpose in life is to bear fruit - not for our own satisfaction; but for the benefit of others. And He is warning me. Many people might see my beautiful leaves, but without fruit, what is the whole point?
Second. Jesus was warning me about my faith. What does faith look like to a Christian? What is the recipe to faith? He reminds me that faith is often seen through prayer, but the prayer of the faithful one is one that is bold (say to the mountain), is based on the one coming to our aid (God), and believes without a doubt. Faith, as it is practiced and used, develops fruit.
So why insert a final 'warning' with forgiveness?
I don't think Jesus was saying that God's forgiveness was conditional upon our forgiving those who have wronged us. After all, forgiveness of sins was not the point of his Fig Object Lesson. I think what he was saying that one OBSTACLE to this kind of empowering faith, and fruit producing and bold faith is our unwillingness to forgive. That it is impossible to develop faith that can move mountains if we do not forgive.
Wow. All from a Figless Tree.
The point, though, that hits me the most is how Jesus taught. It all started with him being hungry. It was in the day-to-day. And He doesn't shove the lesson down my throat. It occurs to me that, like the Twelve, Jesus might be offering a ton of object lessons daily, but even if we hear Him, we might be looking for the 'overthrow the money changers' kind of actions from Him, rather than the 'illogical' times when we see him do things like speak and curse a fig tree.
And when the time for the explanation comes, am I able to remember the experience, connect the two, ask Jesus, and listen, or do I continue sitting and complaining "Jesus doesn't speak to me"
What is the object lesson(s) Jesus is teaching you today?
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