GREAT THINGS ENTERPRISE
CLAUDE BLACK
Mark 11:13
Show Without Substance
Alice purchased a package of prepared cantaloupe from a superstore. The cantaloupe slices had good color and looked fresh. However, when she tasted one of the square pieces, it was sharp and bitter—spoiled. She phoned the store to report the spoilage and discarded the whole package. The appearance had been deceptive.
In 2008, federal agents arrested a financier who had built a large financial management company, promising his customers large, consistent returns on their investments. The manager had an outstanding reputation, having served as the chairman of the NASDAQ Stock Market. The company had an estimated value of $65 billion. Investigators, however, found that the management company was a massive Ponzi scheme. Investors lost over $18 billion. The business appeared attractive and profitable, but it was an empty shell.
On Monday morning, following his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem the previous day, Jesus left Bethany for the two-mile walk to Jerusalem. Perhaps spending the night in prayer, he grew hungry as they walked. “And seeing a fig tree from afar with leaves, he came, if perhaps he might find something on it. And coming to it, he found nothing except leaves, for it was not the time of figs.” (Mark 11:13) In Palestine, figs, especially early figs, appear before the leaves. In fact, this tree, apparently beside the pathway, was quite unusual: although it was not the season for figs, it was covered with leaves—it had the right appearance, but no fruit.
Aside from certain details of the story that trouble scholars, one lesson seems clear: show without substance invites judgment.
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