The Withered Fig Tree

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

January 17, 2020

The Withered Fig Tree

Page 235

Matthew 21:19b-22;

Mark 11:20-26

Remember that Jesus did not curse the fig tree in a fit of anger because it offered him nothing to eat. The barren fig tree represented Israel, which had become barren in fulfilling her mission to be a light to the world.  Cursing the fig tree was representative of the judgment of God, which was central in the last week of Jesus’ life on earth.

Jesus does not leave us with the brown taste of judgment in our mouth; Jesus leaves us with hope. His closing words today remind us that even in the face of a barren world, his followers can plant seeds of hope where the world only sees despair. Jesus says we can look directly into the face of death and a mountain of grief, and proclaim that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. We can cast despair and grief into the sea.

Jesus concludes with an instruction on prayer. He begins the instruction with “Have faith in God” and ends with “forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (Mark 11:22-25). The inference for me is that my prayers will be answered with the power of God when my prayers reflect the heart of God for His church and His Kingdom.

How do we get to the place where our hearts reflect the heart of God? A little verse in today’s passage is enlightening for our journey to make the life in Christ our way of life:

“The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up.”

Mark 11:20

God’s judgment against sin is complete. There is absolutely nothing in our flesh, our life apart from God, that can be rehabilitated. When we come to God, we start anew: “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Apostle Paul teaches us that when we come to God through faith in Christ we leave our old life behind: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

My Takeaway: The truth I glean from today’s reading has caused me to make this passage from Philippians my life verse,

“Let your bearing towards one another arise out of your life in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 2:5 (NEB 1961)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2020 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

• Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

• The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.