Mark 11:13,14

THE BARREN FIG TREE

‘And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He … said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And His disciples heard it.’

Mark 11:13

This incident is also a parable, and that same Jesus Who walked that morning down the Mount of Olives, is passing at this moment through this church. He has a longing desire to gather fruit in this congregation.

I. The ‘leaf’ and the ‘fruit.’—It is of great importance to be able to distinguish between the ‘leaf’ and the ‘fruit’ of true religion. The ‘leaf’ is a thing which shows well at a distance; the ‘fruit’ is discovered in home life. The ‘leaf’ seeks the praise of men, the ‘fruit’ desires nothing but the favour of God; the ‘leaf’ is satisfied with feelings, the ‘fruit’ labours to go out into the world; the ‘leaf’ is bold, the ‘fruit’ retiring; the ‘leaf’ grows not into Christ, but the ‘fruit’ is really united to Him; the ‘leaf’ is to talk of Christ, the ‘fruit’ is to witness Christ to the world; the ‘leaf’ is to use many services, the ‘fruit’ is to lead a self-denying daily life of usefulness and love.

II. What is ‘fruit’?—As it is the intention of nature that everything shall be subservient to the production of fruit, the leaves are only to minister to the fruit. So in grace. It will be ‘fruit’ if your besetting, darling sin is being gradually conquered; if the undue love of some creature is being driven out; if your harsh temper is being curbed; if those deep-rooted feelings of selfishness in which you indulge are being uprooted. It will be a ‘fruit’ if your mind is in a holier state than it used to be; more humble and more feeling; if you have deeper sympathies; if you are more obedient under reproof; and if you are longing for ‘a closer walk with God,’ and increasingly desirous of being alone, and seeking communion with Him.

III. Have you fruit?—I can imagine I hear the answer of some poor trembling heart, ‘I am afraid I have no fruit.’ Let me not say one word to discourage such a soul. Remember, if Jesus has found any ‘fruit,’ if He has found only the bud, He will never curse thee. No! but put His hand over thee, and protect thee, and speak kindly to thee. That sense of barrenness is a feeling which never grew upon nature’s stalk; it is a sign of grace. Let me advise you then to attend to this more fully. You must seek it; not by changing this particular thing and the other, as most people do, but be busy down at the root.

Illustration

‘When the Interpreter [in Bunyan’s immortal allegory] had done he took Christian and her children out into his garden again, and led them to a tree whose inside was all rotten and gone, and yet it grew and had leaves. Then said Mercy, “What means this?” “This tree,” said he, “whose outside is fair and whose inside is rotten, it is to which many may be compared that are in the garden of God; who with their mouths speak high in behalf of God, but indeed do nothing for Him; whose leaves are fair, but their hearts good for nothing but to be tinder for the devil’s tinder-box.” ’