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Two days had passed since the people had cried out, “Hosanna,” as Jesus arrived in the city. For the third day in a row, Jesus and His disciples were headed back into Jerusalem after overnighting in Bethany. On this morning, they passed a dead fig tree.(1) And there was something unusual about the way this tree had died. The disciples noticed that the tree had withered from the roots up. It has shriveled due to a complete lack of water and nutrients. The apostle Peter spoke up to remind everyone that the Master had cursed this seemingly healthy tree only one day prior. In that one day, a tree which had been full of leaves and had given the outward appearance of health and growth was now completely withered and dead. A process that should have taken weeks, or maybe even months, had occurred overnight. Not only was it seemingly cut-off from its source of water at its roots, but also all of the moisture that had existed within the tree had evaporated.

In an earlier post entitled The Lesson of the Fig Tree, we looked at the fact that the tree which had been created to be fruitful had been found by Jesus to be fruitless. On this morning, immediately following Peter’s pronouncement, Jesus began to teach the disciples about faith. Though it may seem like it is an abrupt change of subject . . . it was not!

Remember, Jesus was using this tree as a practical illustration of the spiritual health of the people of Israel. But He was also using it to teach His disciples – those then and those of us now – what it means to truly follow Him and abide in Him. If we follow and abide in Him, we will be His disciples indeed,(2) and He will bear fruit through our lives. His Living Water will flow through us,(3) and we will reflect His Light.(4) Our fruitfulness is not based upon our effort, it is based upon our abiding. Without His Living Water flowing and His Light reflecting through us, we are a dead branch – withered – just like that fig tree. Fruitfulness is not intended for our glory; it is for His. In a few days hence, Jesus would tell them, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father.”(5)

Jesus then turned the conversation from fruit to faith, because fruit will not occur apart from faith. We must live in an attitude of total dependence upon Him – acting and asking in alignment with His Word. When Jesus speaks His Word, and His Word “remains” in us, it requires a response on our part – and that response is either faith or faithlessness. We can’t remain in a neutral place. That would be like the servant in the parable of the talents who buried his talent. Sadly he took no action – which was faithlessness.(6)

Jesus went on to tell the disciples that if a mountain – otherwise known as some significant, immovable impediment – is standing between us and what God has told us to do, we must step out in faith, trusting and asking God to move the mountain. The prophet Zechariah wrote of Zerubbabel when he was chosen to lead the Jews back to Jerusalem, “Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him!”(7)  Why couldn’t a mighty mountain stand in his way? Because he was walking in obedience to God on His mission. Nothing could stand in His way! No mountain can stand in our way, if we are walking in obedience to God’s Word and His will. So, we must be certain that we are praying in response to a word from God and in alignment with the will of God.(8) If that is so, we will see God take those mountains and “throw them into the sea!” Let’s be clear -- Jesus is not saying that if we pray hard enough and long enough, and really believe, God is obligated to answer our prayer – no matter what we ask. That is not faith in God; that’s faith in our feelings. True faith must be rooted in God’s Word – it is our response to His truth.

Then Jesus went on to talk about forgiveness. We are to walk – not only in the word of God, according to the will of God, but also – abiding in the love of God.(9) If the branch is to abide in the Vine, there can’t be anything standing between ourselves and God, or ourselves and another person. If we hold a grudge, or fail to forgive, we are sinning and inhibiting our abiding relationship with the Vine. So, Jesus says, before you pray, make sure you are not holding unforgiveness in your heart. Forgive that individual, and where possible make amends. But let me hasten to add that our forgiveness does not obligate God to act, it simply unblocks the pathway.

Earlier, i mentioned the parable of the talents. If you recall, the master in the parable takes the talent he had left with that faithless servant and gives it to one of the faithful servants.(10) Once judgement is declared by the master, the faithless servant is left with nothing. It wasn’t gradual; it was immediate.

Through a simple fig tree, Jesus taught His disciples about fruitfulness, faithfulness and forgiveness. If we would take up the cross and follow Jesus, we too must heed His lesson of the withered fig tree.

How long does it take for a fruitless fig tree to wither after the Master has judged it and found it to be barren? It’s immediate. Because apart from Him, we can do nothing. But a fruitful fig tree who remains in the Master will produce over time more than the fig tree could ever imagine. Fruit that remains, and fruit that multiples.

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You can read the account of the withered fig tree in the Bible in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 11, verses 20-26.

This post is taken from my book, Taking Up The Cross. For more information about the book, click here.

(1)  Mark 11:20-26 (NLT)

The next morning as they passed by the fig tree He had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!” Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea’, and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

(2)  John 15:5

(3)  John 7:38-39

(4)  John 8:12

(5)  John 15:7-8 (NLT)

(6)  Matthew 25:24-30

(7)  Zechariah 4:7a (NLT)

(8)  1 John 5:14-15

(9)  John 15:7-14

(10) Matthew 25:28

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