“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there…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.’” (Matthew 21:12)
There’s nothing too flashy about gardening. You prepare the soil. You plant the seeds or seedlings. You make sure the seeds and plants receive enough water and sunlight. You do your best to protect against pests. You wait. You take care of things daily. Then, you wait even more. As time goes along you hope to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
As my family has experienced in our gardening endeavors, sometimes things do not go as planned. Some seeds never sprout. From time to time, animals get ahold of the fruit before we do. Occasionally, a group of plants is afflicted by disease or bugs and their leaves or fruit becomes unhealthy. When these things happen, you try to figure out if there’s a remedy for the situation.
But what happens when nothing grows in a spiritual context?
Jesus enters the Jerusalem Temple enacting one of the most memorable episodes of His entire ministry. Turning over tables and casting out money changers, Jesus declares something is deadly wrong with the Temple: “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:13). The heart of worship has evaporated from the soil that is God’s people, leaving the outward form riddled with disease and empty of fruit. When Jesus sees a fig tree barren of fruit on His way out of town, He makes it a living parable of the religion of His day. He curses it and moves on.
This sort of thing can happen in our lives, too. We sometimes forget we were made for life with God. We can lose our sense of what matters most. We let pollutants creep into our lives, hindering God’s fruit from growing in us. Lent is a ready-made remedy for restoration when we find ourselves in these places. Focusing on Jesus, we can walk the pathways of repentance—turning from ourselves and our sin—so God might have His way in us. When the old ways wither away, we can reach out for a renewing touch from God.
For reflection:
- What part of this text stands out to you most?
- How might you need to let God refresh the soil of your life so you can bear fruit?
by Matt Erickson
Week 2 Family Talk
“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there…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.’”
(Matthew 21:12)
Have you ever planted a garden before? It takes careful planning if you want to see good results! You need to select the seeds, prepare the soil, and make sure that it’s getting the right amount of water and proper sunlight. All of this needs to take place in order for the tiny sprouts to push through the dirt and begin their journey to producing fruit.
But the task is not yet complete! If the gardener wants to reap a bountiful harvest they must keep a watchful eye on their growing garden to make sure that it continues growing healthy and strong. If they forget to water, the hot sun will eventually dry it all up! Sometimes rain pours and winds blow and plants get knocked down. Sometimes hungry critters sneak in and steal the fruit or vegetables before they even ripen. It takes a lot of work to make sure that a garden is able to actually do what it was intended to… produce FRUIT.
Did you know that each of us are like mini gardens? We were created to grow good spiritual fruit in our lives. Remember the fruits of the spirit? Things like love, joy, peace, and kindness are just a few! However, if we aren’t watering our hearts with good things like truth from God’s word, we’ll start to become spiritually dry. If we allow the worries of the world to enter our minds and hard circumstances to steal our joy, we’ll begin to feel so stuck that fruit won’t be able to grow. How sad would that be?
Jesus calls us to be like a healthy tree or garden that bears beautiful fruit to bless the world around us! That is how they will know that we are His disciples!
Reflection Questions:
- What are some examples of good fruit that you can produce in your life?
- What are some things in your life that keep you from bearing fruit?
- What habits can you create to help keep your garden growing healthy and strong?
by Ella Neumann
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