I gave my life to Christ in February, 1986. Like everything new, one began to grow, trying to understand issues like speaking in tongues; matters about healing; why Jesus did not fight back against his detractors; why the Prophet Hosea was asked to take back his wife who had been involved in prostitution; why Jesus cursed the Fig tree; why Jesus walked on water; why he chose to pay his taxes by sending Peter to catch a particular fish to find a gold coin in its mouth, etc, etc.
In the early days, I was especially focused on the matter of the fig tree. What did the tree do to Jesus that caused it to deserve to be cursed? Can the curse causeless stand? —-Proverbs 26:2.
In order for a curse to be effective, a cause must be established. So, what did the Fig tree do wrong? It’s taken me almost 40 years to figure it out. Let’s go back to the scripture. In Matthew 21, the writer writes:
Now in the morning, when He [Jesus] returned to the city, He became hungry. And seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it, and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. And seeing this, the disciples marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” (Matthew 21:18-20. All quotations are from the NASB.)
How did Jesus respond to their question?
He begins to talk about faith.
I am a father. In fathering, there are teachable moments. Every parent recognizes it and seizes that moment to teach the child something they want to teach.
The fig tree was just a tree. It was not the season for it to bear fruit. Jesus knew this. His disciples knew this. In Nigeria, we know corn season. We know mango season. We wait for the season to come for us to enjoy it.
The incident of the fig tree was just what it was—- a teachable moment. Here’s a man who had endured temptation after fasting for 40 days. How hungry could he be to be angry enough to start to curse an innocent tree?
Well again, there are some mango trees that do not bear fruit at all. That particular tree had to be in that category—- occupying space and not being fruitful. Jesus had to know. After all, he was fully God, and fully man. That there was no fruit on the tree could not have been a surprise to him.
He just needed a moment to teach his disciples then, and us, today, the importance of faith in the life of the believer, and so, he replies: “If you have faith as tiny as a mustard seed, (that is the only contribution I require from you), (I will add my power), and you will say to this mountain—“be uprooted and be thou planted in the sea, and it will obey you.
Thank you for reading. Please share our Sunday Sermon from Egogonewshub.
God keep y’all in the New Year, and may your faith make a way for you.
Michael O. Ovienmhada.
