<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 11;12-14<div><br></div><div><b>12. &nbsp;On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.</b></div><div><b>13. &nbsp;And seeing in the distance, a fig tree and leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.<br>14. &nbsp;And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” &nbsp;And his disciples heard it.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Jesus rightly expected to find ‘early figs’ on the fig tree. &nbsp;Before the season of&nbsp;full ripe fruit appeared, fig trees produce an earlier bud-like growth which is edible. &nbsp;Later, these bud-like growths are replaced with true figs.</div><div><br></div><div>Throughout the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is referred to as God’s fig tree.</div><div><br></div><div>Most commentators consider this strange and disturbing act of Jesus as a living parable which declares the fruitlessness of the Jews, and God’s rejection of them as His own chosen people.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Jesus’ cursing of the fig does not apply only to the Jews who reject the gifts of repentance and faith, it serves as a warning to us all.</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus tells his disciples, <i>“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should&nbsp;go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” &nbsp;</i>(John 15;16)</div><div><br></div><div>‘Going’ and ‘bearing abiding fruit’ refers to making disciples, baptizing, and teaching them to obey all that He has commanded us. &nbsp;(see,&nbsp;Matthew 28;18-20)&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Church, the Bride of Christ is called to be fruitful. &nbsp;As we read John chapter 15, we discover that the key to bearing much fruit is to abide in Christ as we abide in His Word with repentant, contrite hearts and faith.</div><div><br></div><div>A branch looks to its&nbsp;attachment to the Vine, not to its’ fruit. The fruit comes as a result of its’ attachment to its source of life. &nbsp;A branch can not bear fruit by itself. &nbsp;The branch has no life of its own, but life flows into the branch from the Vine. &nbsp;This life of God flows into us through the Means of Grace, Word and Sacrament. &nbsp;By God’s Word, we are given faith,&nbsp;kept in the faith, and we will produce fruit, good works which bring glory to the Father.</div><div><br></div><div>When Jesus curses the fig tree, He is revealing His own sorrow over fruitlessness, not just among the Jews but the Church as well. &nbsp;If the Church is not evangelistically reaching out, proclaiming the Gospel into this world, if the Church is not <i>“Going and bearing,” &nbsp;</i>then she&nbsp;looks good and healthy from a distance, but up close, there is no reproductive life in her.</div><div><br></div><div>Please consider the prophet Micah, <i>“Woe is me! &nbsp;For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the vintage has been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig, </i>(early fig) <i>which my soul desires.”</i>&nbsp; (Micah 7;1) &nbsp; He is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is speaking for Jesus concerning all unfruitfulness.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;O Most Merciful Heavenly Father, You give us the Word, so that we may live and be fruitful, bless us with joyful&nbsp;wisdom, determination, persistence, and hunger for the living Word, that we be found fruitful at the coming of the Lord. &nbsp;Deliver us from resisting the Holy Spirit who is ever seeking to&nbsp;draw&nbsp;us into a life in the Word. &nbsp;Bless us by the Holy&nbsp;Spirit, to put to death the fruitless deeds of the body. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b><br></b><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 11;12-14
12.  On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.13.  And seeing in the distance, a fig tree and leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14.  And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”  And his disciples heard it.

Jesus rightly expected to find ‘early figs’ on the fig tree.  Before the season of full ripe fruit appeared, fig trees produce an earlier bud-like growth which is edible.  Later, these bud-like growths are replaced with true figs.
Throughout the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is referred to as God’s fig tree.
Most commentators consider this strange and disturbing act of Jesus as a living parable which declares the fruitlessness of the Jews, and God’s rejection of them as His own chosen people. 
 Jesus’ cursing of the fig does not apply only to the Jews who reject the gifts of repentance and faith, it serves as a warning to us all.
Jesus tells his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”  (John 15;16)
‘Going’ and ‘bearing abiding fruit’ refers to making disciples, baptizing, and teaching them to obey all that He has commanded us.  (see, Matthew 28;18-20) 
The Church, the Bride of Christ is called to be fruitful.  As we read John chapter 15, we discover that the key to bearing much fruit is to abide in Christ as we abide in His Word with repentant, contrite hearts and faith.
A branch looks to its attachment to the Vine, not to its’ fruit. The fruit comes as a result of its’ attachment to its source of life.  A branch can not bear fruit by itself.  The branch has no life of its own, but life flows into the branch from the Vine.  This life of God flows into us through the Means of Grace, Word and Sacrament.  By God’s Word, we are given faith, kept in the faith, and we will produce fruit, good works which bring glory to the Father.
When Jesus curses the fig tree, He is revealing His own sorrow over fruitlessness, not just among the Jews but the Church as well.  If the Church is not evangelistically reaching out, proclaiming the Gospel into this world, if the Church is not “Going and bearing,”  then she looks good and healthy from a distance, but up close, there is no reproductive life in her.
Please consider the prophet Micah, “Woe is me!  For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the vintage has been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig, (early fig) which my soul desires.”  (Micah 7;1)   He is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is speaking for Jesus concerning all unfruitfulness.
Prayer:  O Most Merciful Heavenly Father, You give us the Word, so that we may live and be fruitful, bless us with joyful wisdom, determination, persistence, and hunger for the living Word, that we be found fruitful at the coming of the Lord.  Deliver us from resisting the Holy Spirit who is ever seeking to draw us into a life in the Word.  Bless us by the Holy Spirit, to put to death the fruitless deeds of the body.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”








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