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Do Our Lives Bear Fruit for Jesus?

Written by

Fr. Joseph Shepherd

in

Sir 44:1, 9-13 / Mk 11:11-26 

Today's Gospel presents a rare side of Jesus, a Jesus who curses a fig tree and angrily drives money changers from the temple with a whip. Sometimes it is difficult for us to imagine that Our Lord could ever be angry, since He loves so deeply. This passage reminds us of the humanity of Jesus — our God Who became man. But it also reminds us what the Lord requires of us.

The Lord desires for us to bear fruit. There are numerous instances in Scripture where the Lord commands us to produce fruit with our very lives. So what is this fruit?

It is the work of Jesus Christ in us which comes forth through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is that power that enables us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and bury the dead. It is active evidence of a life turned towards holiness filled with acts of righteousness and good works.

In today's Gospel, the tree was a means for us to look inward at our own lives. A fig tree bears leaves and fruit at the same time. Jesus' fig tree had leaves which meant that the fruit should have been there. Are we like the tree? Do we physically bear the signs of being a Christian person, yet produce no fruit? When we say we are Christians, can we show where Christ is seen in our lives?

When Jesus cursed the fig tree, He was saying something about the Christian life. When He went into the temple courts, overturned tables and drove out the profiteers, He was showing how even a place of worship can be unfruitful.

So today, let us reflect on our words, deeds, and actions.  Is there fruit that comes forth from them?

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    This story in Mark has always disturbed me.  It is part of the story where Jesus kicks out the moneychangers in the Temple.  Mark 11 and Matthew 21 (though Matthew is different)

    On the way to the temple Jesus is hungry and walks up to a fig tree.  It isn’t the season for figs and when He gets to the tree it has no figs. (imagine that)  He curses it saying it will never give anyone figs again.  Jesus goes to the Temple and kicks out the moneychangers.  (No breakfast that morning?)

    The next morning the apostle's notice the fig tree has withered to the ground in just a day and is dead.  Peter asks Jesus about it and he says that faith will move mountains. 

    No one ever talks about the fig tree?!  This is a first for me to find a useful explanation for the fig tree. I have looked in many books and if anyone talks about this passage they talk about the moneychangers or faith that moves mountains.  No one talks about a fig tree, cursed for not bearing figs out of season?!

    It occurs to me that Jesus, with the faith that does move mountains, expected figs on a fig tree out of season but the fig tree refused!  He gave a fig tree permission to refuse him!!  Similar to the people in his hometown! Similar to us. How often do we do the same thing?  "It isn't the right time" or "I am not ready' or "please don't bother me now"…… How often do we have excuses for the people (or ourselves) in our lives?  They are not ready?  Not smart enough? Not good enough?  I fear that too often I am a fig tree for those around me and too often I surround myself with other similar fig trees.  Lord please give me the faith to move mountains!  The faith to have figs out of season!  The faith to work miracles in YOUR name! 

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