This post is a May Day or Worker’s Day special! To meaningfully celebrate this day and to expound on this truth I am using the incident of the Withered Fig Tree from the Bible as an allegory.
“On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.” Mark 11:12-14 (ESV)
The first is a fig tree with leaves and the second is a one with fruits.
A little bit of Botany here! The foliage is specialized or meant for photosynthesis. A process through which the tree or plant receives its necessary nutrition from the sun. Fruits take the energy from the tree and is formed. Foliage is necessary for the survival of the tree – for it to receive energy. On the contrary fruits take the energy from the tree, so that others might be benefitted out of it.
These are fig tree leaves and how beautiful they look!
Foliage too does lot of work – but for the trees’ survival, for its own benefit. For a tree to bear fruit means to lose its energy. But for whose benefit – others benefit, so that others might eat and be filled.
As Jesus came to the fig tree looking for fruit, even today He comes to each and every one of us looking for fruits.
Jesus wants to see fruits in our lives – that is through which others may be blessed and benefitted. This is a call to labour in God’s kingdom.
Many of us who were only foliage, committed our lives to bear fruits. But how much are we producing? To expound on this I would like to take our attention to a few verses previous to this incident in the book of Mark, to the beginning of the 11th chapter.
It talks about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Here we see Jesus telling His disciples to bring a colt. From this passage I would like to show five kinds of people at work in God’s kingdom. This could also be seen as various levels at work.
“and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.” Mark 11:2-4 (ESV)
“And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.” Mark 11:7 (ESV)
“And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.” Mark 11:8 (ESV)
“And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Mark 11:9 (ESV)
The Lord who wants us to bear fruits, also wants us to mature in our service, so that we grow in these levels and glorify His name!
May this May Day make us the Master’s labourers mustered for meaningful work.
Many a times when seen from outside we might look like labouring hard and we might look very decorative. But when we check our lives we know that we are only producing foliage to sustain us, for our benefit and for our praise. Let us bear fruits – that yield themselves even to be crushed so that others might be filled and glory may belong to God alone!
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
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