Of Figs and Faith

I have Greg Cole to thank for the title of this blog post, and the contents therein for that matter as well.  Unknowingly, he prepared a sermon this week that God would use to challenge and encourage me.  Greg had no idea I would be visiting my parents and grandparents this weekend or that I would be sitting in the pew as he spoke at Swiss Church (where I grew up).  He had no clue his words would speak directly to the situation Lawrence and I are in right now as we wait and pray for our house to sell AGAIN, as we seek God's direction for this ministry opportunity He has given us in the Kellybrook area, as we trust that His plans and timing are better than ours.  In fact, Greg admitted at the very beginning of his message that God has taken the passage a completely different direction than he had anticipated.  Hmmmm, maybe God was doing what He's so very good at: working behind the scenes to make everything come together just perfectly in a way that only He can do.  I know I wasn't the only one in the "audience" on Sunday morning.  I realize that the world does not revolve around me or my current circumstances.  I am sure other people benefited from what Greg had to say too, maybe even in a completely different way than me.  BUT, I can't deny the obvious presence of God's fingerprints.  I have to admit once again how God well knows my heart and speaks to me in just the way I need, no matter where I am or who He is using to teach me the particular lesson I need to learn (or relearn).

Greg began by explaining that he originally planned to talk about faith and moving mountains.  Sound familiar?  Ummm, yeah.  I just wrote a blog post about that very thing.  He had my attention right away.

Then, Greg went on to say how God took what he was going to say, turned it on its head, and went a totally different way with the sermon.  Instead of focusing on moving mountains, his attention was on Jesus cursing the fig tree and the impact the story should have on our faith.  Hence, his title "Of Figs and Faith."  With the spotlight still on faith, I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that God would have something special for me to hear and learn.

You see, God has been teaching me quite a bit about faith lately.  I wrote another blog post about that not too long ago -- after God had used Pastor Michael to speak to my heart, again right where I was at in life at that very moment.

I sensed God was at it again, and I knew Greg's words were intended for me.  And so I quickly asked my mom for a pen and searched for some paper in my purse to take notes.  Notes I would use to write this very  blog post :)

In Mark 11:12-14, Jesus and His disciples are out walking and pass a fig tree.  Apparently, Jesus was hungry and searched the fig tree in hopes of finding something to eat.  When He comes up empty handed, Jesus curses the fig tree, "May no one ever eat your fruit again!"  The disciples heard Jesus, and were probably a bit confused (the Bible doesn't say that, but from what Greg taught us about fig trees, I am guessing they were a little perplexed).  Evidently, it wasn't even the season for figs yet, as the passage clearly tells us (vs. 13, if you want to read it for yourself).  So, why in the world would Jesus expect to find figs in the first place?  And why would he curse a tree for not having figs when it's not even the season for figs?!  Was Jesus just mad?  Did He lose His temper and let his anger get the best of him?

Well, if you read on in the story, He did let loose on the people using the temple as a market place!  Jesus up-ended their tables, throwing their bird cages and money bags everywhere.  He called them robbers and thieves, as they were using His House of Prayer to make a profit and stuff their pockets.

After leaving the temple, we don't know exactly what Jesus and the disciples did.  Maybe they finally found something to eat?  Too bad they didn't have Snickers candy bars back then.  Perhaps eating one could have helped Jesus calm down a bit.  (You know what I mean if you have seen the Betty White commercial or the newest one out.)

What we do know is that the next morning Jesus and His disciples passed the same fig tree once more, but this time the tree is not only figless, but lifeless too!  Peter, always quick to say what's on his mind, reminds Jesus (just in case He forgot), "Hey, that fig tree You cursed yesterday has withered and died!"  Without batting an eye, Jesus replies, "Have faith in God."

He doesn't respond as I would have, quite sarcastically, "Well, duh, I cursed it, didn't I?!  What did you expect to happen?  To find pretty little blooms all over?  No, since you're so good at remembering things, you should recall that I said no one would ever eat from this stupid tree again.  Learn a lesson: I mean what I say.  Any one else have something they would like to add?  Good, let's get a move on then."

Nope, Jesus didn't say anything like that.  Just, "Have faith in God."  There it is: FAITH.

I guess Jesus did have a little more to add, "I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen."  This is where we Christians get the whole "faith to move mountains" concept.  This would be the text where Jason Castro got his lyrics for his new hit single.  This is why Greg was going to talk about faith and moving mountains.  However, God had a different idea.  God wanted him to focus on the figs.

And so, Greg took us back into the Old Testament to help us better understand fig trees, why Jesus cursed this particular tree, and the implications this has for our faith today.

In Hosea 9:10, God compares the nation of Israel to the "early or first fruit of the fig tree."  Evidently, before fig trees produce the actual figs, they have little buds that can be eaten.  Eventually, these early/first fruits fall off, and then the mature figs grow.  Micah 7:1 speaks of the same thing, when the author cries out in misery for lack of the early/first fruits that he so desperately wanted to satisfy his hunger.

Back to the fig tree Jesus saw.  No, it wasn't the season for figs, BUT the fig tree should have had these little buds, the early/first fruits, for Jesus to eat.  When Jesus saw the tree was void of these first fruits, he knew there would be no actual figs come time for them.  Thus, the tree was worthless, and Jesus cursed it.

This goes much deeper than Jesus' empty stomach.  He wasn't upset because He couldn't appease His grumbling, growling tummy.  Oh no, he was teaching His disciples (and us) a far more important lesson.  The fig tree represented Israel (and now, anyone who believes in Jesus).  As God's chosen people, they should have been bearing spiritual fruit, but they weren't.  They were spiritually barren, having rejected Jesus as God's Son and thus refusing God's free gift of salvation through Christ alone.  Jesus was greatly distressed by this, weeping as He left the city of Jerusalem just days earlier, at the end the Triumphal Entry, knowing that these people would soon be destroyed, without hope of salvation (Luke 19:41-44).  Jesus' prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction was fulfilled in AD 70 when the Roman General Titus set the city aflame, burning the Temple and not leaving a single stone un-turned.

I am not Jewish, but the story of the fig tree still applies to me today.  What Jesus had to say way back then about faith and spiritual fruit definitely holds true for me, and for every single person alive, as far as that goes.

If Jesus were to search my life, would He find fruit?

Galatians 5:22-23, "But what happens when we live God's way?  He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way fruit appears in an orchard...The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control."

Would He see my faith in action?

James 2:14-17, "What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions?  Can that kind of faith save anyone?  Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing and you say, 'Good-bye and have a good day.  Stay warm and eat well' - but then you don't give that person and food or clothing.  What good does that do?  So you see, faith by itself isn't good enough.  Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless."

What would He say about my prayer life?

Mark 11:24, "Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."  The Message puts it this way, which I like better, "That's why I urge you to pray for everything, ranging from small to large.  Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything."  It's not the health-and-wealth gospel, but rather the seek-God-with-your-whole-heart-soul-mind-and-strength lifestyle.  As you do that, you will desire God Himself above all else, and when you pray, you will be praying in line with His will.  Wait a second, I just wrote a blog post about that too! I told you God had been working behind the scenes, getting everything lined up just so, like only He can do!!!

So what about the way I pray?  Do I really, truly believe God can do what I am asking Him?  Do I expect to see Him work in my life, accomplishing the humanly impossible so that all glory, honor, and praise belongs to Him alone?  Do I anticipate God-sized results?

Recently, yes.  Resoundingly so.  

In fact, I feel like my prayers have included quite a few, "Move this mountain," type requests as of late.  In the past 8 months alone, I have prayed, asking God to:
*heal Baby Samuel
*remove the tumor in Baby Levi
*touch little Chase, taking care of the brain tumor/cancer that he has as well
*save little Joah, born at just 24 weeks, and strengthen this precious baby boy so he can live to tell the remarkable story of God's power
*sell our house and provide us with a new one

God has not answered every prayer the way I wanted.  Does that mean I didn't have faith?  No, not at all.

Then, how come the mountain didn't move like I asked it to?  Did God not keep His Word?  NO!  God never lies.  He never breaks a promise.  So what happened?  I don't have the answer, unfortunately.  I just have to accept that God's ways are not my ways.  I have to keep on trusting that God knows best, that He will never leave or forsake me, that He will finish what He has started, that He will cause all things to work together for good (be that here and now on earth or not until Jesus returns).  That right there is where faith comes in.  Well, technically, it would be where faith STAYS in.  To pray those prayers, I had to have faith in the first place.  When I don't see the mountains move or when they crumble on top of me instead of jumping into the sea, I have to stand fast and hold firm to my faith.  I can't give up.  I won't let Satan win.

This morning I read in Ephesians 6, "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil...Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil.  Then, after the battle you will be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the breastplate of God's righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on your salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion..."

Interesting, even after we are fully dressed in our battle gear, we are not ready to fight.  At least not to fight and win.  To gain the victory, we must also PRAY.

So that's what I am going to keep on doing.

Greg reminded us on Sunday that when we are living out our faith, we will face obstacles.  He shared a story about how his family plays a game on their way to Colorado -- whoever sees the mountains first, wins.  Sometimes they get excited and point out what they think is the first sign of the Rockies, only to realize it was just a cloud.  But eventually, as they keep going, they catch a glimpse of the actual mountains.  He went on to say how silly they would look if they stopped at a gas station in Goodland, Kansas, and played the game in the parking lot.  They would never see the mountains then!  Just clouds.  Life with God is the same way.  If we don't move, we won't see any mountains.  If we aren't living out our faith, running the race God has set before us and striving to know God more and more, then we won't face any obstacles.  It will be easy going.   Why would Satan want to stand in our way then?  We would be right where he wanted us; he wouldn't want to hinder our lethargy or risk stirring up our stagnant hearts.

But, when we are fixing our eyes on Jesus and pushing everything else aside to get to Him, that's when Satan is going to do everything in his power to stop us.  That's when the mountains will come, springing up in front of us right and left.  As soon as we get over one mountain, another one will appear -- bigger, higher, steeper, rockier than the one before it.  If we keep going, though, we will receive "the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Philippians 3:14)

I guess all these mountains mean I am doing something right, that I am living out my faith.

And since faith shows itself in my prayers, I am praying for our house to sell AGAIN.  As Greg challenged us even further, I am praying very specifically.  I am praying that we will be able to celebrate Lawrence's 35th birthday in our new house.  So that would be January 10, 2013.  Instead of having just a regular ol' birthday party, we will also have a house dedication party as we give our home to the Lord, asking Him to bless our efforts to reach out into the community and make His name known.

You are all invited, so won't you pray with me! :)

Maybe all of our prayers combined will make this mountain move in a way that my prayers alone can't.