Don't Let Me Be That Fig Tree!

In reading Mark this morning, I was somewhat challenged. I have always known, as nearly every verse in Proverbs declares it, that the wicked never prosper. Only righteous men, in the end, will inherit God's kingdom, will know true success, will find real joy, will lead men to victory. Because only righteous men know the power of God's might.

I was reading in Mark 11, pondering the poor fig tree that got zapped by Christ because He was hungry, and figs weren't in season. It's been a long time since I've read the gospels, and even when I read them as a child, they made for good narratives on all the stories I already knew. But reading them as an adult, with all the prejudices and ideas I've developed since being a child, I see things in a strange new light. When Christ curses the fig tree for not having fruit, even though it's out of season, I'm like "did Jesus just have a temper tantrum??" Is this like when, in one of those "extra" gospels, He gets mad and turns some kid into a pig? I kept reading through the end of chapter 11, and it dawned on me. It might not have been fig season, so the fig tree had every excuse to not be bearing fruit. But when the King of kings walks your way, you darned well better be producing something. The fig tree could have produced hamburgers, and I think Jesus would have happily munched away with only His disciples in their usual state of befuddlement. But when you are in the presence of a Holy God, you are required to shine forth! Don't offer excuses--He doesn't require you to be perfect, or even to do the norm that is expected of you. But when you are offered His grace, when He has blessed you with opportunities, when you are in His path and you see Him heading towards you and He, and He has given you all power in His name to do something ANYTHING--well I pity you deeply if you, as He walks by, offer the excuse of the seasons as you sit idly by. Because I can almost guarantee what will happen: "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!"

But wait, the best part of the story is yet to come. I'm sorry, Peter, I have to point out that you, yet again, were Master of the Obvious. They walk by the same fig tree the next morning. Peter sees it and goes "Rabbi, look! The fig tree You cursed is withered!" Can I get a big DUH? Don't get me wrong. Jesus is compassion, benevolence, kindness, love, forgiveness. But He--as part of a triune God, and in His own nature, both together--is a jealous, mighty, holy, awe & fear-inspiring God. And He created fig trees. That fig tree knew what was required of it. Do you think that just because trees, rocks, ants, grass, etc. can't talk that they wouldn't know the Holy of holies if He walked by them, standing on the ground that their roots grow in? That fig tree KNEW it was created to bear figs. That fig tree KNEW the Son of God was standing by it's branches, searching for fruit. And that's what gets me. The Scripture says that Jesus when to find out if there was anything on the fig tree. Now, without getting too deep into the mystery of the Trinity, Jesus was choosing not to access His power as an omniscient God in looking for figs. But Jesus saw the tree in the distance, and went to look for the fruit. He could have known without walking over there whether fruit was growing. But He chose to relate to the tree as a human man. For that matter, Jesus could have magically created ribs to feed the 6,000, just because He can. Do you see now the opportunity that this stubborn fig tree had on it's hands? Er...branches?

Ok, ok. I KNOW you're not a fig tree. I know fig trees have seasons, and if you want to be literal, it's not the fig tree's fault that it wasn't in season. God created the seasons, right? But when have you EVER known Jesus to destroy a beautiful creation because He's mad and hungry? Jesus wasn't talking about the stupid fig tree. He was talking about me! He was talking about every single Christian that has ever accepted Christ's free and full salvation!

Verses 22-26:

Have faith in God. I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for--believe that you have received them, and you will have them. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing. But if you don't forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your wrongdoing.

WOW. I have always believed that there is power in prayer. But do you understand the kind of power it is? When the disciples were trying to heal a cripple, and Jesus came upon them, the disciples were like "why couldn't we do it?" Did Jesus, in the 100% man/100% God conundrum, have more power to heal than the power the disciples had been granted? NO! That is something I have been learning lately. Jesus not only chose to relate to us on a human level, He chose to LIMIT himself in every way that we are limited. Could He have thought figs into existence onto that tree? No. I am NOT denying the deity of Christ. I am sharing the nature of Christ as I have come to understand it. Jesus could not have thought those figs into existence because He chose not to. If He had done it in His own God-power, He would have not been a real sacrifice for our sins. You don't recall them sacrificing thought-to-fig lambs on the altar in the Old Testament, do you? Jesus had to be limited in His power because He had to remain 100% human to be our sacrifice. All the miracles He performed? God the Father's power! Jesus had every resource available. He could have done every single miracle in His own power, but He chose to allow God the Father's power to work in Him and through Him to bring about the miraculous signs done. So what does that mean, coupled with the above verses? I'll tell you.

We. have. the. same. power. available. Why aren't we walking around, performing miracles, healing the sick, creating figs? That is one thing especially that Jesus had us one-upped on. As the Son of God, how could He ever doubt the power of God? How could He ever think that if He asked His father for something, that He would not grant it? Are we potential demi-gods walking around with lightning bolts shooting from our fingertips? Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. But do you know what you could be? You could be a fig tree that produces hamburgers. You could heal the sick. You could keep Zelaya from coming back to power. You could get Obama kicked out of office and put your Granddaddy in the Oval Office. Well, not your Granddaddy. My Granddaddy. But seriously. You could do anything. Why? Because GOD can do anything. Jesus does not put stipulations in those verses. If you have an open, loving relationship with everyone you know, if you are holding no darkness in your heart, if you have already believed that God has accomplished what it is you're asking for, you asking God is a formality. Think of a parent and child. I LOVE my daughter. She has everything in my power at her disposal. All she needs to do is ask for it. Literally. I would do anything for her that was in my power. But unfortunately there are no bouncy castles in my power. There is not currently 10 years of college, med school, etc., payments in my power. I don't have her perfect mate to one day marry in my power. But imagine if that parent was God of the universe. Imagine that the parent could command a fig tree to wither, and it would. Imagine that the parent could break the rules of nature and create a human out of a spirit being. Imagine that the parent had limitless power. Imagine that the parent doesn't have to break the rules or exceed the limits because they are irrelevant to Him, they don't apply to Him.

You may feel, as I do, that you've been created to be a fig tree. You may even feel that you are really really extra special Garden Club worthy fig tree--go on a missions trip, raise a child to be happy & healthy, pursue a career that changes peoples' lives, volunteer in a homeless shelter. All wonderful, worthy callings. In my opinion, they are are all callings that go above and beyond being a simple fig tree. They're extraordinary life goals. Imagine that God has created you to be a fig tree. But. But you went and accepted His gift of salvation. Guess what? You're not just a fig tree anymore. And when God is hungry for the product of His extraordinary fig tree, after He sees you in the distance and chose to limit Himself to a human life that still defied everything you know a human to be capable of, you can tell Him that it's not the right time. How can you be expected to bear fruit? It's not even possible for you to bear fruit right now. It's winter! And it's been a really dry year. Look at all the other fig trees, they don't have any fruit either! Why do You have to expect ME to produce figs? Besides, it's not even possible! You CREATED me to produce figs in the spring and summer, with lots of water, and a farmer to take care of me, and warm sunshine to make me comfy and happy. You can't just show up and expect me to make figs out of season! Well guess what. He does expect it. And for good reason. Consider yourself cautioned. Jesus PROMISED us--and when have you ever know Him to break His promise?--that ANYTHING we asked for and BELIEVED that God had already accomplished, would be DONE.

So don't look now, but I am a fig tree. And when Jesus comes walking by, I don't care what is expected of me. I don't care what I'm supposed to be capable of. I'm giving Him a freaking STEAK DINNER!!!