Leaves But No Fruit?

April 10, 2011, 5th Sunday in Lent

The scripture reading is from Mark 11:1-20

Mark 11:1  When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it.  3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’”  4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it,  5 some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”  6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it.  7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it.  8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields.  9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,  “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!  10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 

Mark 11:11   Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. 

Mark 11:12   On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.  13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. 

Mark 11:15    Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves;  16 and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.  17 He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written,  ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?  But you have made it a den of robbers.”  18 And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching.  19 And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. 

Mark 11:20   In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 

Questions for Personal Reflection from Jerry Tankersley

Have you ever had a fruit tree in your yard that produced leaves but no fruit?  How did it make you feel?

How did you address the problem of the tree’s fruitlessness?  Did it work?  Did the tree ever bear fruit?

Why do you think Jesus cursed the fig tree in Mark 11?

Were you surprised that the tree withered?

If the tree represented the Jerusalem temple,

what did Jesus’ parable mean for the temple’s future?

If each Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, what fruits should we be producing? 

(See John 15:1-17;  Galatians 5:16-26)

If the Christian church has become the temple of the Living God, indwelt by the Spirit of God, what fruits should the church bear? 

(See Ephesians 2:11-22; 3:14-21)

How would you assess the fruitfulness of Laguna Presbyterian Church, or your home church?

Prayer

Lead us, O God, in the way of Christ.

Give us courage to take up our cross and, 

in full reliance upon your grace, to follow him.

Help us to love you above all else

and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves,

demonstrating that love in deed and word

in the power of your Spirit.

Give us strength to serve you faithfully

until the promised day of resurrection,

when, with the redeemed of all the ages, 

we will feast with you at your table in glory.

Through Christ, all glory and honor are yours,

almighty Father,

with the Holy Spirit in the holy church,

now and forever.

Amen.