Category: Devotions

The fig tree is cursed.

Mark 11: 12-14

“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.”

First the fruit then the leaves, that is the order for the fig tree. So the fig tree has leaves so there must be fruit. Yet this isn’t the season for fruit but that doesn’t stop Jesus looking for it because he is hungry. When he looks at the tree he finds no figs so he curses the tree. His voice is loud enough for the disciples to hear him. It would indicate he wanted them to pay attention to this, it wasn’t that he was shouting, but he was purposely drawing them into this scene giving them a thought that they were overhearing or listening in to a private conversation. Which of course they weren’t but Jesus just wanted them to hear the importance of this.

This isn’t only a lesson in lost potential it is more than that. This isn’t only a lesson in the wrongs of arrogance, it is again more than that.

It is the arrogance of displaying you have what you don’t have at a time when no one is expecting you to have it in the first place!

Confused?

The fig tree is the generation of Israel expecting the Messiah.

It is the Temple of worship built to honour the glory of God, which Jesus has just entered and found it as a den of robbers and on that day would turn the Temple into disarray.

The fig tree had no fruit because it was not the season, all that was left on the tree were the leaves.

God has punished and exiled Israel because of its waywardness and rejection of Him throughout its history, in the time when it was not the season for the Messiah. If Jesus curses the fig tree out of season what does that indicate would happen to Israel if it is in season but is not fruitful? When the Messiah is here and it is the season and there is no fruit how much more will the curse be?

This is the season now. Jesus is here. He has been in the Temple which is heralding the One to come and He is here. Now is the time for salvation. So what now if there is no response? If there is no fruit?

Will Jesus bring a bigger curse to Israel?

We know what happens.

Jesus becomes the curse.

A life of adjustment and alignment

Mark 11:11 “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.”

Jesus rode into Jerusalem with crowds of people shouting their praise and their expectations of victory, this was a new day they believed, this was the expected Messiah who would take hold of the government of the city and of Israel. The day came and was over very quickly and Jesus hadn’t done what they had expected.

Jesus headed straight to the temple and walked around looking at everything. It was late in the day and the market was over but probably the benches and tables were still there, maybe traders were tidying up after a long day buying and selling, certainly there was evidence of the state that the Temple had got into and what he would forcefully correct. But the day came and was over quickly and Jesus hadn’t done what perhaps the disciples had expected.

Have you experienced a move of God in your life and thought this is it, this will change everything and all the many items on your list would be completed, healed, provided for and Jesus would do it all?

God can move upon your life and not do what you expect He would do. This is not because He can’t do those things. It is because He has another agenda for your life. It is us who have to align our lives with Him not the other way round. Those who have unfulfilled expectations can often move bitterly into the place of questioning whether it was a move of God at all (which is seen in the crowd’s response only a few days later). It is hard to accept one’s expectations were wrong.

Perhaps there has been a move of God in your life and you are yet to recognise it. You have carried on as normal. He is walking around and looking at your life, observing, taking it all in. He is the one who walks amongst the seven churches of Revelation and sees what we don’t want Him to see. But nothing happens. So we carry on prayer-less, worship-less, disciple-less and continue on the cheap trying to earn, gain and achieve with such ambitious arrogance. But this could be the day of mercy for us for God is slow to anger. Yet the day is late and mercy is drawing to a close.

Jesus wasn’t fitting into anyone’s schedule and He still doesn’t. He works according to the perfect.

So we continue to adjust our expectations resisting disappointment and we continue to align our lives under Him thankful for His mercy.

Just a few questions on mission, provision and submission

Mark 11: 1-6 “As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, ² saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.³ If anyone asks you, “Why are you doing this?” say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.”’ ⁴ They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, ⁵ some people standing there asked, ‘What are you doing, untying that colt?’ ⁶ They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.”

 

What mission have you been sent on which is solely to do with provision for a future event?

• Today is not about results but about provision for the results of tomorrow.
• The success of mission is to bring back what you were sent to get.

What is outside your door that is needed by the Lord more than you need it?

• If Jesus is Lord then He owns everything you have, you have no rights to your possessions.
• If you want God to use you then perhaps you should start by saying ‘God use all I have.’

What do others have that the Lord wants you to be boldly obedient to go and take?

• Jesus never wanted a worn out old donkey, so find the best because that’s what he wants.
• Radical obedience can sometimes at first glance break what would be the norm, (taking without asking).

 

 

Destiny

Mark 11: 1 “As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples.”

On your approach to your destiny you will come through many seasons and experiences.

Through Bethphage whose name means ‘House of unripe figs’ where Jesus caused a fig tree with no fruit to wither. A fig tree has fruit developing before the leaves so if you saw a fig tree with leaves you would be expecting fruit.

Through Bethany where the tomb of Lazarus is and where Jesus wept.

On the Mount of Olives where since 3 B.C. it has served as the main burial grounds of the city.

Jesus was always heading to Jerusalem. It is where we celebrate the centre of our faith, his death and resurrection.

Even today you may experience:

1. Unfulfilled potential, people who are experiencing a death of their marriage, of their work, of who they could have been and who talked the talk but on a closer scrutiny didn’t live up to that talk. But we are not called to this death. Bethphage is not our destiny.
2. Personal grief, when death comes to your own home or that of your close friends, when you lose forever what was so precious, even though you know you will see them again, even though you know there is a resurrection to come, you weep, your heart is broken. But we are not called to remain here. Bethany is not our destiny.
3. The obvious. The fact that everyone and everything has a time-span. Nothing lives forever. Stories come to an end. Happy stories, sad stories, good and kind stories, bad and cruel stories, they all share the same burial ground. But we are not called to such fatalism. The Mount of Olives is not our destiny.

We have to keep going.

To the place of the voluntary surrendering of our lives to God for others.

To the place of submission.

This is a new death. A letting go at the point of momentum. We still have life. We may even be at our prime. We still have vision. We have more to give. But it isn’t taken from us and we do not lose it, we give it away, we lay our life down, all that we are, all that we have accomplished, all that we own, we surrender to Him, out of our love for others. This is our destiny, Jerusalem. Where we willingly close the chapter trusting in Him who opens a new one, who makes a way, who never lets death win, who always causes the sun to rise, who continually makes sure we can begin again. This is our destiny.

Following Jesus

Mark 10: ⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. ⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” ⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

 How would you reply to that question? The mother of James and John two of Jesus’ disciples said “we want prestige and status”

“I want to see”

The answer from Jesus was, “Go” I would have thought it would have been “See” and immediately he received his sight. But its “Go”.

This man was locked up contained and limited by his disability. He wasn’t able to go very far in life. He wasn’t able to work, he wasn’t a man women wanted to marry. He couldn’t sustain a family. He could walk and therefore travel but he wasn’t going anywhere.

Jesus didn’t just give him his sight but he opened a way for him. Jesus is the way the truth and the life.

Within you lies a calling from God that throughout your life gets contained by many circumstances. If God helped you overcome that what challenges your passion for Him and if He proclaimed the word ‘Go’ over your life, would you know the way? It’s in you, you must know it. “Given half the chance I would do this.” If the circumstances arose I would be running down that path at immense speed.

Where was Jesus going?

Mk10:17 “on his way” and v32 32 “on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way.”

The Jewish idea of a disciple, a follower of a rabbi, was that to be a true disciple you had to be so close that the dust of the rabbis feet would cover you.

One of the phrases relating to discipleship was, “How covered with the dust of the rabbi are you?” This was because a disciple would be so close to his rabbi, that wherever he walked, the dust of the rabbi would kick back onto the disciple.

We might think, “Surely this may have been true long ago, but this couldn’t work in today’s world.”  However, living author and disciplemaker Ray Vander Laan studied at Hebrew University and witnessed many such rabbis.. And related to who closely they follow their rabbis, Ray commented that he once saw a rabbi go into the bathroom and all of his disciples followed him in there. There rational was that the rabbi might pray after using the restroom, and they would miss it.

We need to shorten the space between ourselves and Jesus. The dust from Jesus’ feet is not upon us and it needs to be.

Where’s Jesus going? Jerusalem? The cross.

He is leading you to the cross. The cross of submission and surrender. It’s the place for the creation of passion for Him. Where Jesus is absolutely everything. Keep close to Him today.

 

Mark 10: ⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

You are never too lost.

The society that Bartimaeus lived in thought blindness was only one step up from death. So we can understand his shout of “have mercy.”

But the request is also the needy cry of an oppressed man aware of his sin.

A few days ago I watched the film, “I can only imagine” which I highly recommend. It tells the story of Bart Millard and his group MercyMe, the title of their band was created by his grandmother concerned about Bart not having a proper job instead of being a youth intern. When he called her during the day she would cry, “Well Mercy me, why don’t you get a job!”

But I have begun to think about the mercy of God again. This morning I am impacted by the fact that God doesn’t look upon or treat me how I think He should because of who I am. Instead of what I deserve I receive compassion and forgiveness. He is a merciful God. Weare never too lost. No matter where you are today or what circumstance you are in you can call upon His mercy. I know this because of what the Bible says of what He has done with the power of sin.

No matter what sins you have done:-

He nails them to the cross. Colossians 2 :13-14. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

 

He blots them out. Isaiah 44:22. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.

 

He removes them, they’re gone. Psalm 103:12. as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 

He casts them behind his back. Isaiah 38:17. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.

 

He hurls them into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

 

He forgets, He will not remember them. Isaiah 43:25. I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

 

It is mercy!

It means I am never too lost!

You are never too loud

Mark 10: 46-48 ⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

 You are never too loud, v48

If you are going to pursue Jesus, if you really need Him then someone or some situation will try and calm you down.

Many rebuked him. Many still do today. They believe they are right to do so.

But the ‘son of honour or value’ shouts out to the Son of David even more so, there is no one stopping him. It is an awkward pitiful scene. This is certainly not honourable. Attention is on this pathetic man who is nothing in society. Wherever you are today no matter what is going on or has happened, even if your circumstances are not aligning with who you are or what you believe or who you belong to, you can shout and you are never too loud, so call on Jesus as loud as you can, drown out all the other voices. Jesus!

What is limiting you today? What is trying to silence you? Is it insecurity, fear, emotional coldness or spiritual exhaustion?

Decide now you are going to remove whatever it is that stops you calling on Jesus.

Remove the ropes of judgment and condemnation: (Samson) “We will only tie you up and hand you over to them. We will not kill you.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock. Judges 15:13

Remove the dust of rejection: “Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.” Isaiah 52:2

Remove the evils of control: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and to break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6

Remove the grave clothes of being finished: “Lazarus came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” John 11:44

You are called not to be a quiet mouse, but you are a man and woman of God. You are called for greatness. Your dream is the Messiah to come. My friends He’s been and He’s coming again. There is more. God wants you to stretch and reach and shout out to Him.

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes …Do not be afraid, you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace, you will not be humiliated.” Isaiah 54:2, 4.

Yesterday and today may be taken as a day of insignificance, of failure and maybe limitation. But not today. Do not be silenced. Shout even louder. You are never too loud.

 

It is never too late

Mark 10: 46-47 “Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout,

You are never too late, v 46

Jesus was passing through Jericho but it wasn’t too late for Zacchaeus (Luke 19)

Jesus took the disciples to a solitary place by boat “But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.” Mark 6:33

And here in this story we see Jesus was leaving Jericho but Bartimaeus thought “It’s not too late for me”

Blindness was a serious disease at the time of Jesus. Society looked at it like it was one step up from death! There was no example in the Old Testament of a cure.

But every Jew knew that the promised messianic age would bring healing to the blind, for example,

Isaiah 35:5 “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped”.

The only hope and dream for Bartimaeus was that the Messiah would come in his lifetime. There were many days spent in discouragement holding on to a dream.

It’s never too late to become determined again. It’s never too late to shout out to God.

You may have experienced failure, you may have been overwhelmed with discouragement and you may have quit from everything in your life, but TODAY you can receive His touch on your life and rise in a new level of determination. When you think it’s all over God comes in and says we haven’t begun yet, I am about to light the fire of passion in your life.

God came to Jonah and brought understanding to his situation.

He came to Moses and challenged him with the question: ‘Is the LORD’S arm too short?’ meaning ‘Watch this space’

He came to Elijah and called him out of the cave and into the place of the still small voice of God and brought balance to his life.

It’s never too late.

I remember singing in my youth a song that still moves my heart today:

Is there a heart that is waiting,
Longing for pardon today?
Hear the glad message proclaiming,
Jesus is passing this way.

Refrain
Jesus is passing this way,
This way, today;
Jesus is passing this way,
Is passing this way today.

Is there a heart that has wandered?
Come with thy burden today;
Mercy is tenderly pleading,
Jesus is passing this way. [Refrain]

Is there a heart that is broken?
Weary and sighing for rest?
Come to the arms of the Saviour,
Pillow thy head on His breast. [Refrain]

Come to thy only Redeemer,
Come to His infinite love;
Come to the gate that is leading
Homeward to mansions above. [Refrain]

The amazing thing is that it was written by a blind woman, Fanny Crosby.

“I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when he showered so many other gifts upon you,” remarked one well-meaning preacher. Fanny Crosby responded at once, as she had heard such comments before. “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind?” said the poet, who had been able to see only for her first six weeks of life. “Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Saviour.”

One day you will meet Christ face to face and I think we all will say:

“Jesus thank you for enduring so much. Thank you for being so determined to go to the place of passion, the place of suffering, the cross. Because you remained in that place, you purchased my freedom, my sins were forgiven, my life transformed, you changed my world and guaranteed my eternity.”

For now, Jesus is passing this way, today and it is never too late to shout out. Whatever your situation, no matter what has happened or has gone wrong, no matter how old or experienced you are, call on him, it is never too late, call upon Him now whilst you can, He is your continual Saviour!

Find a way find the Way.

Mark 10: 46-52 “Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” ⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

Find a way find the Way.

Jesus was travelling with his disciples and a large crowd in tow. They have passed by a man who has not until that day found a way to deal with the major issues of his life.

We all have something that needs to be overcome and in some cases it may well remain with us all our life. For us it is a stigma, it is a distinguishing mark of social disgrace, even if others don’t think so.

“I’m not married and I want to be. I’m in a job and I can’t get out of it. I don’t have a job and I want one. There is someone who hates me but I wish they were my friend. I have a physical handicap and I can’t believe it’s here to stay. I worry about my sexuality, am I normal? I’m a sick person who worships God the healer. I’m a blind man a beggar who sits on the side of the road.”

God is calling us to overcome whatever challenges lay in front of us so that we can expect His favour. He has called us to live by faith and not by sight.

Does your expectation serve your challenge or does your challenge submit to your expectation? You must never allow your challenge to set your pace and plot your course.

Something would happen to this blind man on this day, he had come to know that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of David, the Messiah, the healer, the Anointed One.

A fresh revelation of who Jesus is leads to you finding a new way in your life.

Is Jesus known as Jesus Christ of Bethlehem? Jesus Christ of Jerusalem? Neither: He is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Nazareth, the place where Nathanael would say, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ But it was to Nazareth, a remote tiny Galilean town that angel Gabriel came to a young virgin girl named Mary. To Nazareth, a town so insignificant it wasn’t even included on the census lists of that time. It was here where Gabriel announces: “Greetings, Mary, you who are highly favoured!” Mary of Nazareth was chosen for a unique role.

Raise your expectation to believe that God has chosen you for a role that only you can fulfil. That under His favour you will become all that you can become.

No matter what you’ve done, or how inadequate you feel or what challenges lay in front of you. You may have been begging on the streets of Jericho or you may have come from Nazareth.

Stop looking at what stands in your way, whatever difficult or disability it there, get over yourself and look with expectancy for the favour of the Lord.

We need to get out of the way

Mark 10: 35-45 “³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” ³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. ³⁷ They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” ³⁸ “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” ³⁹ “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” ⁴¹ When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 

We do need to get out of the way.

1. Their prayer request was undeniably selfish, v35. Prayer is never about us.
2. They are willing to suffer if it gets them what they want, v39. Suffering is never about us.
3. Trouble in the camp all because of a prayer request, v41. Anger is often about us.
4. There are leaders who will do anything to make sure they are at that top, v42. Power is often about us.
5. To be like the Son of Man means you arrive last, v43-45. Competitiveness is often about us.

 

What stops anyone becoming a servant like Jesus?

It is no one but themselves.