The Week That Changed The World Devotional February 19

MARK 11:12-14, 20 | ¹² On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

²⁰ In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.

MATTHEW 3:7-10 | ⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, ⁹ and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

In the spring, most fig trees had not yet developed summer fruit, but the one Jesus curses had lots of leaves, signaling its maturity. Yet, it yielded no early figs. All show but no fruit! John the Baptist had warned the leaders of Israel that fruitlessness would bring judgement and the Messiah would announce it.

Jesus previews the public incident that will happen in the cleansing of the Temple in our next scene for His disciples by judging the fig tree. Jesus is both a modest and merciful king and a mighty judge. He operates and acts by an unwavering commitment to love and justice.

Do you think of Jesus as the ultimate judge?

Gracious God,

Help me understand what provokes Your righteous anger. Let me live as one who has a genuine and holy fear of the Lord.

Amen.