Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went over to see if he could find anything on it.
When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs.
Jesus was the one who above all others hungered and thirsted for righteousness. He came to Israel looking for this fruit but was met with disappointment. They were meant to "give him the fruits in their seasons" (see Matthew 21:41) but instead hoarded the fruit and heaped up wealth for themselves. It might be objected that it was not the time for figs. But insofar as this referred to Israel no such objection can be countenanced because they were never meant to be the source of their own fruit, for the Lord had said "from me comes your fruit" (see Hosea 14:8).
They came to Jerusalem,
and on entering the temple area
he began to drive out those selling and buying there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves.
What Jesus found in the temple was a concrete representation of what he cursed in the fig tree. He desired to find "a house of prayer for all peoples" as the choice fruit that would sate his hunger but found instead "a den of thieves".
What does Jesus find when he comes to each of us for fruit? It is he himself who desires to give us this fruit through his Holy Spirit, including "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (see Galatians 5:22-23). Because our fruit comes from the Lord we ought not to fear the change of seasons or even our own insufficiency. When we draw our life from the stream of the Spirit we become the very opposite of the cursed fig.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit (see Jeremiah 17:8).
The key to ensuring we don't squander or hoard God's gifts to us is to ensure that what is happening within the temple of our hearts is in better condition than was the temple in Jerusalem as Jesus found it. Instead of concern with profit we ought to be concerned with praise. Instead of colluding in the exclusion of others for the sake of our greed we ought to make room in our hearts for all others to join us in worship. When we get these most basic relationships right our external actions will tend to fall into line and our fruit will be ready and waiting when Jesus comes to call. Then, even if we ourselves are ultimately forgotten by this world, we will leave a legacy that is more lasting than ourselves.
Yet these also were godly men
whose virtues have not been forgotten;
Their wealth remains in their families,
their heritage with their descendants;
Through God’s covenant with them their family endures,
their posterity, for their sake.
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