Yes, we have no bananas! - Matthew 21
Or, if you prefer, "No fruit."
As most of you know, the fig tree story is one of my favorites. Matthew's account is not my favorite, because it doesn't contain my favorite five words: "it was out of season." But, understanding this story has changed my prayer life - and my life in general.
I took a step back and looked at this chapter as a whole and found that Jesus is really giving the "no fruit" explanation to the high priests and religious leaders. Here's how it hit me:
1) Jesus had to borrow a donkey which fulfills scripture, but certainly speaks volumes about how we provide for our King
2) Jesus cleans out the Temple, which indicates a lack of prayer fruit
3) Jesus rebukes the religious leaders for their comment, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Jesus responds with "Haven't you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, 'You have taught children and infants to give you praise.' - which indicates a lack of Bible reading fruit.
4) Of course, there's the story of the fig tree - 'nuff said
5) Then, there's the story of the man with two sons which points to a lack of obedience
6) Finally, the story of the landowner who planted the vinyard, which points to a complete lack of understanding and a lack of stewardship on the part of the religious leaders.
Wow, I love how Jesus handled these swindlers.
How can I apply this to my life? Well, in this short chapter, I'm hearing from the Lord that I need to work on my "fruit production" in the areas of prayer, Bible reading, obedience and stewardship. So cül.
Thank You, Lord for speaking to me today through Your Word.
peace,
e
