GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 11:14
Where’s the Fruit
Occasionally, one overhears a startling conversation.. Alice received a phone call recently, and I could tell from the tone of the conversation that she was excited. I wasn’t sure what it was, however, until she ended the call. It was the news that our third great-granddaughter had arrived. We were aware that the birth was due, of course, but the report of a successful delivery was good news. I didn’t fully understand the conversation until she explained why she was excited.
Mark records that on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus saw a fig tree with leaves that normally appear after the fruit. Though it wasn’t the time for figs, there was a tree full of leaves, indicating that it might have been an early-budding, fruitful tree. When Jesus came to the tree, however, he found only leaves—no fruit. “And answering, he said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you into the age.’ And his disciples heard it.” (Mark 11:14)
The disciples, Mark wrote, heard Jesus address the deceptive tree—a tree that appeared to offer fruit but did not produce any. It was a tree that took up soil and used nutrients—a tree that deceived everyone: the gardener who cared for it, the passersby, and the harvesters. In other words, the tree, in spite of its foliage and healthful appearance, was useless. They heard Jesus’ message: regardless of its beautiful appearance, the tree was useless and should no longer occupy space. Appearance without substance is useless—a sobering lesson.
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