You Were Born On Purpose
So i officially caved in and started my own blog. So thanks for joining me on this journey and i pray this encourages you and pushes you towards a life with Jesus, the one who changed my life.
"Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered." - Matthew 21:18-19
For years i struggled and searched for purpose in this life. I grew up like many of you in a dysfunctional home, ripped apart by divorce. My Mother did her best to raise me as best as she could. She was my world, that is until she was taken from me when i was 11 to cancer, and my world went into a downward spiral. I had no clue where i was going in life. I was lost, hurt, and confused. This passage in the Bible probably boggles my mind more than any other in the whole book.
Jesus is hungry and comes to a tree that God himself created! Yet it had NO fruit, but it did have leaves! Basically this tree was not doing what it was created to do, and Jesus cursed it. A fig tree is suppossed to have FIGS. In another words he didnt want anything to do with it. He found it useless. It's crazy how something in life can exist and not know it's purpose. But whats more sad is for something to exist, KNOW it's purpose and not function in it! We can have "leave's" like nice cars, homes, big bank accounts, designer clothes, but are we doing what we're suppossed to be doing!? Are we producing fruit?! In the end, what will matter most?
In John 15, we learn Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches. If we stay connected to Him we'll produce fruit! (Or find PURPOSE!) Another illustration is He is the Potter, we are the Clay, either way you look at it, a life in His hands will produce purpose! God desires to use your life for His plans and purposes, outside of that you'll be left empty and lost. When i surrendered my life to Jesus, not only did i find purpose, i found forgiveness, peace, joy, and love.
I pray today you turn to Jesus, He's waiting, and so is this hurting world. You have to live your life like someone's counting on it, because they are. There's many ways to Jesus, but only ONE way to God...Jesus.
One Love, One God, One Way,
Chris
AWESOME! It's encouraging that you are blogging. You are a great man of God with alot of wisdom and insight to share. I'm so glad that you are sharing this with the world. Praise God
ReplyDeleteLisa (:
Hmm.. Mark 11:12-14 says: "...When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, **because it was not the season for figs**..."
ReplyDeleteSo it wasn't that the tree wasn't functioning properly, it was just not bearing fruit -yet-. Maybe jesus was just really hungry and raged a bit. You know, like when you go to the store to get some food, only to find out they're not open for a couple hours. Poor figgy tree!
@doofsipoop, I can see why you would have that question. When you study the text there is a connection between the fig story and the following story of people selling things at the temple. They interpret each other. This story reflects apocalyptic determinism. . So in other words, it was determined that this would not be the proper time for the Jewish leaders to bear fruit, or recieve Jesus. Mark 11:13 is an enigmatic comment. The barren tree and the temple symbolize to mark's community that the older religious institutions and observances are not binding, and they are now to see their community as a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy of a "house of prayer for all nations. (11:17, Idaiah 56:7) Again, coming to my point of not walking in the desgned purpose. Thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteChris! I have heard that before, however, you persuaded me to go read into it again. :P Seems we can agree that if you choose to integrate the story with the the temple. then I can see the connections. I would say that most of the Christian community would interpret it as such, right? In short, the lack of figs = lack of authenticity within the church according to christ's teachings, which angered him. Also, we can integrate the story with your blog message about living an "unfruitful" life.
ReplyDeleteI'm not trying to take personal meaning away from you! And although you didn't directly say it, I will point out that thinking that it only has one "correct context" (or interpretation) would be a misconception. Christians, Jewish, F. F. Bruce, Bertrand Russell, and likely others have taken different viewpoints on the subject matter: metaphorically, botanically, and literally.
Thank you for taking the time to respond thoughtfully and know I'm not trying to hate or anything! Just call me a perspectivist. ;) Hope all is well and good luck with your blog.
@doofsipoop, no prob! Blessings man!
ReplyDelete