No Fruit On The Tree

There was a television show that was on the air when I was too young to watch it.
However, because of syndication, I was able to watch the reruns.
It was show that ran on one station from 1957 to 1958.
It then ran on another station from 1958 to 1963.

The show was Leave It To Beaver.
It focused on a boy named, Theodore (Beaver) Cleaver.
He lived with his parents, Ward and June Cleaver and his older brother, Wally.
The show was about his adventures at home, and at school, and in his neighborhood.

The Cleavers were the idealized version of a family at that time.
I often wondered how June Cleaver could cook and clean in a dress and pearls.
The father, Ward Cleaver, was the epitome of wisdom and dignity.
He was just in his discipline and always tempered it with understanding.

One recurring character, a friend of Wally Cleaver, was named Eddie Haskell.
All of us have had to deal with an Eddie Haskell in our life at one time or another.
In fact, there is actually something called, the Eddie Haskell syndrome.
Eddie ingratiated himself to parents and those in authority, while he bullied peers.

A description of two-faced comes to mind when you think of Eddie Haskell.
Acting one way in front of authority but acting totally different when they are not looking.
As a mother, I have run into a few Eddie Haskells through the years.
It takes maturity and experiential wisdom to see through the facade.

There is a quote from C.S. Lewis that I think of from time to time.
No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.
That is true for all of us.
It is impossible to be good, though we like to give the appearance of being good.

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it…In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.  “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
(Mark 11:12-14, 20-24)

I often think that the withered fig tree had the Eddie Haskell syndrome.
The fig tree looked one way from a distance but was not what it appeared.
Jesus was hungry; He saw a fig tree in the distance.
However, when He got closer to the fig tree, Jesus saw that it only had leaves on it.

There were no figs on the fig tree.
The fig tree looked good on the outside.
However, upon closer inspection, the fig tree had no fruit.
The appearance of the fig tree was deceiving.

In the Old Testament, the fig tree was often symbolic of Israel.
Jesus came to bring the Good News of the Kingdom, first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.
After three years of Jesus’ public ministry, there was still no fruit.
The people were as barren as the fig tree.

Jesus knew the hearts of the people.
Imagine what it must have been like for Him to know that many hearts were cold as stone.
The people gave the appearance of goodness and righteousness but it was just religiosity.
They had an outward expression of religion with no heart.

Is is any wonder why Jesus wept as He came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey?
Jesus knew the hearts of the people.
Jesus knew that in less than forty years, Jerusalem would be destroyed.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem and spoke His heart.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. (Matthew 23:37)

The fig tree had no fruit.
The fig tree had the appearance of being fruitful but in reality, it was barren.
Barrenness cannot be hidden from Jesus.
The lack of fruit made Jesus weep.

May Jesus never find that we are like that fig tree.
May Jesus find fruit in our lives.
May we not be concerned with the outward appearance but rather the state of our heart.
Jesus knows the difference.

Lord Jesus, may you find fruit in our lives. May we not seek to give the appearance of being good when in fact, we are barren and fruitless. Gather us under the shadow of Your wings. Protect us as the world tries to steal our fruit. May we be fruitful and share the Good News of the Kingdom with others. Amen.

2 responses to “No Fruit On The Tree”

1. Isn’t it interesting how many times fruit is mentioned in the Bible, from the fruit trees in the Garden of Eden and those mentioned in the Song of Solomon to Jesus as the vine, using wine (grapes) as His first miracle, to the fruits of the Spirit we need to emulate, and the fig tree you tell about here. ( I’m sure there are many others, too). We do need to think and pray about what kind of fruit we are growing.

   Reply

   • Amen, Sue! Oh, to be fruitful for Him!
     May the testimony of our lives draw others to Him.
     Gina

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