The Bible says: ‘as Jesus was coming back to the city, He was hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree at the roadside, He went to it and found nothing but leaves on it; and He said to it, “Never again will fruit come from you.” And at once the fig tree withered’ (vv. 18-19 AMP). It sounds like pretty harsh treatment. But a fig tree’s fruit appears at the same time as the leaves, so when Jesus saw leaves on the tree, He had a right to expect fruit. And when there was none, He cursed it for being a fake while giving off the impression that it was the real thing. There are lots of different things we can take from this story, but one really important lesson for us is that we need to be careful that we don’t display an impressive array of leaves without actually bearing fruit. It’s like if you came across someone who goes to church every week, can quote hundreds of Bible verses off by heart and wears cross-shaped jewellery, but they turn out to be selfish, unkind, and refuse to help others when they’re struggling. They look the part outwardly, but inwardly, their heart isn’t truly aligned with God. The Bible says, ‘When the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (Galatians 5:22-23 TLB). That’s the kind of fruit people can see, touch, taste, and enjoy. And it’s the kind God wants to see in our own lives today.

What Now?
Make a fruit salad. Use as many different types of fruit as you can. Then while you’re eating it, pray that your life would be more fruitful.