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.