Fruitlessness
No Fruit
In Matthew 21:18-22, Jesus comes across a fig tree that is full of leaves but completely devoid of fruit, symbolizing not only unfruitfulness but also spiritual barrenness and emptiness. He then curses the tree, causing it to wither away, which serves multiple purposes: it demonstrates His divine authority over nature, and at the same time, it acts as a vivid and powerful lesson about the serious consequences that come from a lack of spiritual fruitfulness and genuine faith. Through this striking action, Jesus imparted an essential teaching to His disciples regarding the indispensable power of faith and prayer. He emphasized that with sincere belief, genuine trust, and wholehearted reliance on God, nothing becomes impossible to achieve. This passage highlights the critical importance of maintaining strong faith, enduring spiritual growth, and the necessity of living in full alignment with God’s will so that we may bear lasting and meaningful fruit in every aspect of our lives.
(ai summarized)
“Early in the morning, as Jesus 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.
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.””