Hidden Within the Fig

~~~ Revelation 20:1-4, 11-21:2 ~~~ Psalm 84 ~~~ Luke 21:29-33 ~~~

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
The former heaven and the former earth had passed away...

God will give us not only a new earth,
he will give us a new heaven too.
Scripture tells us God makes all things new...ALL things new.
It may be easy to imagine our earth to be made new;
we can visualize an earth without suffering...
a new earth without violence...
a new earth without famine...
a new earth without disease...
a new earth without child abuse...
a new earth with loving families...
a new earth with peace among all peoples...
a new earth with abundant sources of food...
a new earth with pure clean drinking water...

A new heaven poses more of a visualization challenge.
All that we know of heaven is already held
within our minds and hearts.
How could God make heaven any better?
Maybe when the last day of judgment comes
even the heavens
 will experience a greater peace.
The new heaven will be filled with people
 from every age and time.
The new heaven will be pure love joy and peace.
There will no longer be the need for repentance
or sorrow in this new heaven.
All that is not of the goodness of God will no longer plague creation.
The new heaven will be the never ending joyful
glorious celebration of the Trinity.

Jesus uses the example of the fig tree in today's gospel reading.

Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.
When their buds burst open,
you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near...

The fig tree is the third tree mentioned by name in the Bible...

Genesis 3:7.

Growing to nearly 20 feet with large leaves,
the fig tree provides shade.
Minute wasps cultivate these trees,
and the fig is produced
before the leaves emerge.
The flower of the tree is never seen,
as its many tiny flowers are housed within the fruit bud.
Two crops are produced each year. The first crop is eaten fresh,
while the second crop is dried for winter. 

While the blossom of the fig tree is never seen the

the tiny wasps inside are hard at work
pollinating the fruit.
The male never leaves the fig dying there.
The tiny females emerge from the fig through a path
created for her by the male.

Later she flies to another fig enters into a similar hole,
culminating her life pollinating another fig.

The new earth and the new heaven will burst forth
as it should be when the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Blessings as we contemplate all 'new' beginnings.

Jesus makes all things new...
He prepares to make you a new creation.

~~~Peace~~~

Wisdom from the Fig Tree

 

~~~ Revelation 21:9b-14 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ John 1:45-51 ~~~

 

Jesus answered and said to him,
“Before Philip called you,

 I saw you under the fig tree.” 

 

For some time I have been fascinated by the fig tree.

The fig tree is the last to produce leaves...right before summer.

The fig tree produces two crops of fruit every season.

The first is eaten fresh from the tree,

the second yield in late August is dried for the winter season.

The fig tree grows to around twenty feet and has large hairy leaves

about the size of a human hand.

 

As you recall, Adam and Eve grabbed these large

fig leaves to cover their nakedness.

The fig tree is mentioned over fifty times in the bible.

It held both nutritional and economic importance.

 

When things were going well in Israel people are described

as sitting under their own fig tree.

Today we see Jesus noticing that Nathaniel is sitting under the fig tree.

All was going well in his life.

He was a man who thought for himself.

He was a man who was opinionated about the neighboring cities.

 

“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

 

The fig tree has been as a symbol of peace and prosperity.

The fig tree is unique that it produces fruit before it's leaves emerge.

Almost as a statement that it does not need

the leaves to produce it's fruit.

The flowers are not even visible on the fig tree

because from the beginning they are encased within the fruit.

 

Nathaniel is comfortably sitting in the shade of the fig tree.

He may be feeling a little skeptical of this person

from Nazareth called Jesus.

He is reluctant to leave the security of his 'fig tree'

 to come and see Jesus.

 

It often takes the urging of a close friend to convince him

 to leave the shade of the fig tree.

It is often up to us to reach out to a friend

who is sitting in the shade of their long held beliefs.

 

 

Jesus notices Nathaniel sitting under his fig tree, but Jesus

 is not the one who goes to him.

Jesus does not call Nathaniel to get up from his comfortable

 secure position in the shade.

Jesus waits patiently for Nathaniel to come to him.

 

Just as Jesus waits patiently for us today.

We must rely on God and not just on our fig tree.

It is God who produces prosperity in our lives.

Jesus basically tells Nathaniel you have not yet seen true prosperity.

'...you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'

No matter how good we think we have it;

nothing compares to what God has prepared for us.

 

Blessings in leaving the shade of our 'fig tree'

to come and see the Lord.

Grace to Bear Fruit

~~~ Ephesians 4: 7-16 ~~~ Psalm 122 ~~~ Luke 13: 1-91 ~~~

 

"Grace was given to each of us..."

 

Grace is God's life within us.

If we have God alive within our heart

then we are much better prepared

to be active participants in the

"...building up the Body of Christ..."

 

If we have God within it is so much easier to live an authentic life.

"...living the truth in love..."

 

If we have God within we will

"...grow in every way into him, Christ..." 

 

I invite you to pray for the grace necessary

for you to grow....for growth in areas and in ways you are unaware.

 

 

The master walks through his orchard and observes

the three year old fig tree that has not yet produced fruit.

It was typical that by now it should have produced plump juicy figs.

Instead of cutting it down as the master requests the gardener

pleas to allow him more time to care for the fig tree

so that is might bear fruit.

 

Sometimes we too need a friend to intercede for us.

Someone to give us more guidance.

Someone to believe in us even if we are lost and confused.

 

Sometimes we may be the one who can give another person hope.

The gardener could have justifiably cut down the fig tree.

It was taking a place in the orchard and not yielding fruit.

 

I think this gospel causes us to consider patience in our lives.

It is easy to become impatient with ourselves.

We may even become impatient with God.

 

Patience is not always easy,

but waiting may be just what is best at the time.

What in your life is challenging your patience?

How can you make good use of this time of waiting?

Are you cultivating the ground?

Are you fertilizing your heart?

Faith and Figs

~~~ 1 Peter 4:7-13 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ Mark 11: 11-26 ~~~

Today the Gospel of Mark references the 'fig tree'.

The Fig Tree is easy to grow, but susceptible to extreme weather conditions.

Jesus curses the fig tree because it is not bearing fruit.

The tree symbolizes a certain barrenness in this passage.

The fig tree does however have beautiful large green foliage.

If a fruit tree does not put forth blossoms it will not bear fruit.

If a there is no fruit then there is no propagation.

Without propagation the tree eventually dies off.

The large leaves are not sufficient for a fruit bearing tree.

The fruit is why you plant the fig tree in the first place.

Jesus comes into Jerusalem and quickly notices that things are not as he intended.

They in fact are using the temple for money changing and selling of the birds and such to be slain as sacrifice.

All of this commotion on the steps was a huge distraction and deterrent for those who came to worship in the temple. Jesus had higher expetations; his house would be a house of prayer. In spite of what Jesus was preaching Jerusalem was barren; it was not producing fruit just as the fig tree had none.

I think Jesus was looking for results and growth.

You cannot remain indifferent and be fruitful at the same time;

they are incongruent.

The fig tree must blossom in order to bear fruit.

We must do more with our faith than simply sit in a pew on Sunday's for Mass.

To live our faith and be fruitful we must bear fruit in our daily life.

The Lord's house of prayer is where you come to be watered and fertilized so that you are able to go forth to give witness and bear much fruit.

No matter how small the fruit in time it becomes mature...ripe, sweet and juicy.

In order to bud into bloom and bear fruit you must have a deep living faith;

not simply the faith of living green leaves.

The appearance of small figs

 confirms that larger ones will soon come as well.

The question is are you willing to settle for just being a beautiful green fig leaf or do you want to blossom and bear fruit?

We are all capable of bearing fruit...for we have been told....

'all things are possible with God'

Under the Fig Tree

Have you ever been surprised by being singled out in a crowd of people? I have.

Several years ago I was attending a local conference where Thomas Keating was a speaker. I have been very fond of his writings for some time. He reminds me of how God the Father might appear. If I had to create an earthly image of him. His demeanor is that of a loving, caring father. We would all cherish such an endearing father figure. He is a Catholic monk.

While in the lobby during a break I noticed a group of people gathered around him, just I have imagined Jesus had people gathered around him. I walked up to join the group and something quite astonishing happened. It was so unusual that I am sure I will never forget it. He immediately turned toward me and said, "I don't think I have met you yet." He reached out his hand as I introduced my self to him. He was so totally present; not just to the group, but to me personally.

I was reminded of this story while reading today's gospel from John 1: 43-51. The scene is Jesus decides to go to Galilee where he recruits Philip. Philip is so excited that he runs to invite Nathaniel to join them too. Today Philip would post on Facebook or send a Twitter announcement.
Nathaniel was reluctant at first saying, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" But Philip being a diligent friend says look just "Come and see". Philip was saying in effect humor me and if this is not for you fine; you can go your own way.

But what happens next to Nathaniel totally takes him by surprise. Jesus addresses him as if he already knows him well. "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Imagine how Nathaniel must have felt. He did not know Jesus and yet Jesus greets him with conviction about who he is...an honest child of Israel. In Nathaniel there is no deceptiveness. Jesus saw right into the very soul of Nathaniel.

Jesus had seen Nathaniel under the fig tree...maybe in the shadows...maybe half behind the trunk. Perhaps he was curious, but did not want to get too close or mingle with the crowd.

Perhaps Jesus had already chosen Nathaniel at first sight; knowing how clean was his heart. We do not know. Jesus shares in just a few words an amazing revelation..."You will see greater  things than this."
I can only imagine how stunned Nathaniel must have been. A holy day dawned on Nathaniel under the fig tree that day. He was forever a changed man.
Thomas Keating will hold a dear place in my heart for a long time as a reminder of how Jesus sees others.

I chose the original image of a modern jazz dance because Nathaniel's life will never be the same. He became a new man that day Under the Fig Tree.