Here in Alaska we have had snow for almost two weeks and a two weeks prior to that it dropped below freezing so our tomato plant took residence in our dining room to finish producing fruit. Being that it is now closer to me I was able to observe it and I noticed an amazing thing. In the last week all of the leaves have died but the tomatoes are plump and turning red. This is when God showed me an important lesson from the story of the fig tree. It says in Matthew 21:18-19:
Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.
Now like many of you, I have seen this verse many times and have even sat in sermons shaped around this verse but it never became clear until I saw my tomato bush. My tomato bush sacrificed its leaves for the sake of the fruit. So why is that such a big deal? Let's think about the role of leaves. They protect the tree from too much light, too much wind, too much well anything. They conceal imperfections in the tree. They are the lifeblood of the tree that contains everything the tree needs to sustain itself.
Now let's delve a little deeper and apply each of these functions to our lives.
1. They protect the tree. How many of us build walls around ourselves to protect us from getting hurt? We spend most of our lives living in fear of being hurt and continually justify these walls as essential to our survival. God tells us to lay our burdens at his feet and allow Him to be our shield. We do not need the walls for God is our stronghold and our fortress and trust me His walls are perfect while ours are nothing more than cardboard.
2. They conceal imperfections. How many of us put on our "happy face" and conceal our true identity to the world? Does anyone really know the real you? It says in Revelation 3:15&16: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." How do you become lukewarm? You say your hot while your soul is cold aka two faced.
3. They are the tree's lifeblood. The fig tree was sustaining itself and had many leaves, i.e. it was healthy yet Jesus cursed it, why? I believe that it is because the tree was not doing its purpose and giving up its life to produce its purpose. Just like Jesus on the cross, we must also give up our lives to God's purpose. It says in John 14:6: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' Jesus is our life so we do not need to survive on our own.
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13. Sometimes we are not asked to give up our lives physically but God is asking us to lay down our lives so that he may use it to reach our families, to reach our friends, and ultimately reach the world. Like my lowly tomato plant I challenge you as I challenge myself: Sacrifice the leaves for the fruit, sacrifice your will for His purpose.
No comments:
Post a Comment