MCB CAMP LEJEUNE -- What season is it in this story? It was spring time. It’s spring time when plants, flowers, and trees are starting to bloom.
My son Aiden likes to pick flowers. Sure enough he noticed the flowers pushing just as it turned spring time.
Plants, flowers, and trees know when it’s spring time. The plants, flowers, and trees know when to grow leaves, and when to grow flowers, and when to grow fruit.
Jesus is hungry in the morning in this story. Are you hungry in the morning? What do you like to eat for breakfast? What fruit do you like to eat? Well, Jesus likes fruit and he goes to a fig tree. What grows on a fig tree? Since Jesus knows it’s time for figs, and he is hungry, he sees the fig tree, he goes over to the fig tree to get a fig. Makes sense so far.
Do you think he saw apples on the fig tree? Do you think he saw lemons on the fig tree? Do you think he saw pears on the fig? Do you think he saw cherries on the fig tree? Do you think he saw tangerines on the fig tree?
Well, what do you think he saw?
Actually, on the fig tree there were no figs! Not one single fig on a fig tree. This fig tree must not know it’s a fig tree. This fig tree had only one job when it comes to fruit, make figs!
Jesus said to the fig tree, “may you never bear fruit again!”
You see, the fig tree looks like a fig tree, had leaves like a fig tree, was the shape and size of a fig tree, but it had no figs!
Don’t be like the fig tree service members and families! Be productive. Do what you are supposed to do. Don’t do your work half way. Don’t give your attention in class half way. Don’t be a good student half way. Don’t be a good son or daughter half way. Don’t be a leader half way. Don’t be a church member half way. Don’t be a Sailor or Marine half way. Don’t do your test or class projects half way. Give your all. Do your very best. Half way is not good enough.
The fig tree was only being a fig tree half way and Jesus said he doesn’t need any half way fig trees. He needed fig trees that are going to produce figs.
So this half way fig tree withered up immediately. Meaning it will no longer have a chance to bloom figs or leaves.
Those of you who are only doing half way work and giving half way behavior; like the fig tree, you won’t last long in that condition. Jesus wants you to be good all the way.
Jesus wasn’t a half way person in his behavior or actions. Be more like Jesus and less like the fig tree.
Prayer Point for today: Pray for anything, and if you have faith it will happen.