Fruitless Fig Trees.

This morning my dad was reading scripture with us.

We were in Mathew, chapter 21.

In verse 18, Jesus (Hebrew name Yeshua) sees a fig tree. He's hungry, so he goes over to get a fig.

When he gets there, he sees the tree is alive, it has leaves, it is old, and strong, but it has no fruit.

So he tells the tree to wither and die, and it does.

I asked my Dad what this means, I have always wondered about this passage.

He said that the tree *looked* good and healthy, but it bore no fruit.

It was a parable for the Children of Israel. The Pharisees especially.

They *looked* like they were doing things right. They ceremonially wash their hands, they don't eat unclean meat, they follow the law perfectly.

But they have no fruit. They do seemingly good works, but not because they want to, but because they want to show off.

I made me wonder.

Am I a fruitless fig tree? Do I do things only for show? Or do I do things because I love God? Because I love the people I am doing the things for?

I think that sometimes everyone does things for show. It's not always motivated by love.

It's a trap that is easy to fall into and hard to get out of.

So next time I do something that seems kind or generous, before I do it, I am going to ask myself, why am I doing this? Is it for others to see me and think I am great? Or is it for real?

Am I for real?

Do I have fruit?

That's a question that I think as Christians, we need to ask ourselves.

Do you have fruit, or are you an empty fig tree?

I pray that the Lord reveals it to me when I am not real. I want to be real. I want to have fruit. I don't want God to look at me, see I am nothing, and tell me to wither and die.

Don't be fake.

Don't wither and die.

Be strong, bear fruit, live life to it's fullest.

Cheers!