After Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday did you ever wonder how he spent His week? What did He do until His crucifixion? On Monday He taught His disciples a parable about faith when He cursed a fig tree that did not produce fruit. Do you remember that one? They were hungry and saw a fig tree with many leaves. When they looked for the fruit, none could be found. It was barren. Many believe the tree being cursed represents God’s judgment on those that are spiritually dead. Jesus also went into the temple and cleared it out of the dishonest money changers. Jesus went through overturning tables and saying: “Scripture says ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer’, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” He drove the money changers and their animals out of the temple.
What stayed with me about this is that Jesus stopped and braided a whip so that He could think about what He was going to do. He didn’t fly off the handle but took time to think about the situation. Maybe He prayed? Could you do this? I can’t tell you how many times I have flown off the handle in anger. Acted quickly without thinking things through. No so with Jesus. His righteous indignation toward what was happening in the temple was just. It needed to be done. How many times have I done things that didn’t need to be? I went off on my own without asking Abba to guide me.
Tuesday the disciples walked back by the fig tree. It was now withered and dead. Jesus used that to teach them about faith, true faith. A person or nation that does not produce fruit for God, do His work, will wither and die all the way down to its roots. The tree had leaves so by first sight it looked like it was producing. A closer look revealed no fruit. Then Jesus cursed it.
Are you producing fruit? Are you leading people to God? Helping them find salvation? Does the light of Jesus shine through you? Do you help others? Are you loving, kind, selfless, good, joyful, and have the fruits of the spirit? Don’t wither away. Grow tall and produce fruit. Increase in your faith. Flourish in your faith. You will be amazed at the things that will happen when you believe and have faith!
“Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then He said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.” Mt. 21:19
“Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, 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.” My. 21:21-22
“So He made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” John 2:15
Abba's Prayer Warrior Princess 