The destructive miracle of Jesus

“‘Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.’ And His disciples heard it.” Mark 11:14

Jesus curses a fig tree in the gospel of Mark, causing it to wither and die. It is the only miracle throughout His ministry that is destructive. The fig tree gave all appearances that it had fruit beneath its big green leaves on its broad, sturdy branches. Yet this passage of scripture also tells us that “it was not the season for figs.” Why was Jesus so quick to destroy what He created? Throughout scripture the fig tree is a reference to the nation Israel.

In Mark 11, Jesus had just entered Jerusalem to the cheers of “Hosanna!” by the multitudes that saw Him as their new ruling authority. However, instead of coming in on a fiery stallion like a real king, He shows up on a baby donkey. The religious leaders, in all of their churchy splendor, did not like this image of their king.  Luke 19:41 says that Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He made this paradoxical “triumphal” entry. By all appearances the multitudes were ready for Jesus entry but within a week He knew, just like the fig tree, they would prove “it was not the season.”

Jesus’ first stop in the city was the temple for inspection. The religious leaders had one job: to make God accessible to believers. Not liking what He saw, Jesus tossed the tables and drove them out. In the interim, Jesus encountered the fig tree with leaves a-splendor and not one piece of fruit to be found. The tree had one job: to produce figs.

The church leaders of that time were painting a picture of God that was not only inaccurate, but destructive to anyone desiring to seek Him. I believe Jesus wept as He looked upon Jerusalem for at least two reasons. First, He realized most Jews would reject Him prior to His death and resurrection. Secondly, He realized that the entire nation of Israel, because of their rejection of Him, would for the next many hundreds of years be the target of many nations intent on their destruction.

The fig tree Jesus cursed was dead the next day, never to bear fruit again. On that fateful day as Jesus wept over the city of David, the nation Israel, in a manner of speaking, was cursed as well. Displaced as a nation for over two thousand years, to this day they continue to struggle to maintain their heritage while an angry, anti-Jewish world surrounds them and calls for their destruction.

This real-life analogy was for the benefit of Jesus’ disciples (which includes you and me). Faithful believer in Christ, you have one job: love God. How? Fear Him. Diligently seek Him. Know His word. What happens to those who don’t produce fruit? I cannot bear the thought.

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Pursuing the heart of God

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1Sam 16:7b

We know from David’s story that he was not without sin, however his heart was always open toward God. David meditated on God and all His ways. The depth of his devotion to God is on display in so many of the Psalms. Besides the Psalms he authored, much of the Old Testament has David’s story in it. The apostle Paul tells us that it is through David’s example we get see what a man after God’s heart looks like. How does a Christian today dare to pursue the heart of God? Let us look at aspects of David’s life as a human example:

-Be humble
David’s humble beginnings as the youngest of his family and lowly shepherd boy is intentionally well documented. God consistently uses the least of this world to confound those who are looking at outward appearances. When it came to acknowledging God as his Lord, David shined. In Psalm 8, he says “what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” When he was anointed as the future king he remained a humble servant of the current king, Saul. He never assumed the throne until it was time, even when so many people in his life were telling him to hurry the process along. David humbly deferred to God’s leading.

-Be fearful
David recognized God’s sovereignty. “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it, for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.” (Psalm 24:1) Although David sometimes made sinful choices, he always expressed sincere repentance when God exposed them. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and it was through David’s bad choices, his wisdom grew, thus his fear of God grew. We will make sinful choices; God expects us to make them. He loves it when we don’t repeat them.

-Be fearless
This is the kind of king, warrior and leader God wanted; the kind that would go after Goliath with just a sling and five smooth stones. Hebrews 11:6 tells us “without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” How can a believer today express such fearlessness? It begins with seeking God diligently—desiring to know Him as much is humanly possible. Being fearless requires complete faith that God is who Scripture says He is. Without that faith you cannot please Him.

-Be obedient
From childhood, David was obedient; even when it went against conventional wisdom. David obediently carried out his runt-of-the-family job of shepherd. In a Cinderella-esque scene, David was not even invited to the family meeting when Samuel came to anoint the new king! Samuel anointed David as king. But young David remained obedient to his tasks: his shepherding, his harp playing. Even as Saul, the current king, descended into mental depravity, David remained an obedient, faithful servant, not just to man, but to the one true God.

Regardless of your task and regardless of its outcome, can you remain obedient to God? It is not obedience to man that should drive our desire to excel. If your efforts to get along in this world result in frustration and discouragement, you might consider the possibility that your obedience is misdirected. God is not impressed with what’s on the outside; He is searching the intent of men’s hearts.

By the end of David’s life, his heart was so aligned with God’s that he had no enemies. As a result, during his son Solomon’s entire 40-year reign as king there was continuous peace. The last recorded prayer of David is recorded in 1 Chronicles 29:10-15. It is perfect example of a man’s heart that is pursuing God’s, not put on for the show, but with honest sincerity. Let us humbly and fearfully pursue God with our whole hearts--fearless and unashamed.

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