MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2022 - TWO TREES

 MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2022 - TWO TREES

In the Christian world, this is Holy Week or the week that leads up to Easter.  Today, I want to look at two references to trees.  Mark 11

The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit.  Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.

And, later in that same chapter:

The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up.  Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!”

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God.  I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.  I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.  But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

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And, the second tree:

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

(There is more to this story, but I wanted to look at the tree -in this case, a sycamore tree. )

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Okay, Karen - so what, there are a lot of trees in the world - what about these two.

The first one was growing in the right spot for the first-century Jewish Rabbi to walk by as he and his crew went from Bethany to Jerusalem.  It might seem a little weird for this person to notice “only leaves because it was too early in the season for the fruit”.  I know that I can’t pick apples from an apple tree in early spring.  So, you can’t pick figs from this fig tree yet. 

And - he CURSED the tree.  May no man ever eat figs off this tree again. [Brief time-out - this Jewish Rabbi talked a lot of love - love one another, love your enemies, love your neighbor as yourself - and here he could have worked a miracle.  It could have been like this “Fig tree, immediately set fruit”.  After all of the healings - making the blind see, the cripple walk, He does have the power to instantly have figs growing - or at least to declare at the end of the day as they walked back there would be fruit.

Instead, he is talking about faith.  Believe it will happen!!!  You can tell the mountain to jump into the sea - just ask and believe!!!

He does put a caveat on it - if you are holding a grudge - get rid of it!!!

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I don’t know about you, but I haven’t moved any mountains lately.  Or … maybe I have.  Maybe a smile and a greeting I gave to somebody who was carrying a mountain of depression and guilt helped them adjust.  Maybe my kind action helped somebody keep from suicide.  

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The second tree is even less important.  Jesus, the first-century rabbi, didn’t curse it - and didn’t really mention it other than to tell the person to come down.

But, some years before this example, somebody or some supernatural action planted the sycamore seed at that location.  If there had not been a tree there, poor Zaccheus wouldn’t have been able to see Jesus, and Jesus wouldn’t have redeemed him.  

Sometimes we talk about “coincidences” - it just happened that way.  But maybe this wasn’t a coincidence?  That tree was there for the very purpose of opening a dialog between Jesus and Zaccheus.  If you will, in God’s plan, that they should meet that day, God needed a tree there - and not just any tree - but a tree that was very climbable and would give the climber a view of what was around.  

Are there some coincidences in your life?  Could a supernatural plan put you and your friend together at the same place and time?  Did God bring Rita and me together supernaturally, or Mary and I?  (Rita and Mary are friends who no longer drive and have become my good friends!!!)

Maybe the problem is not with the trees, but with our vision.  Those trees were at those locations at that exact time for a purpose.  

Are there things in your life that bring a purpose?  Take a fresh look at relationships.

LOVE WINS!!!

Karen

April 11, 2022