Friday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time (Year II)
1 Peter 4:7-13 | Psalm 95:10-13 | Mark 11:11-26
Next day as they were leaving Bethany, he felt hungry. Seeing a fig tree in leaf some distance away, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it, but when he came up to it he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season for figs. And he addressed the fig tree. ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again’ he said. […] Next morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered to the roots. (Mark 11:12-14, 20)
The above passage is traditionally interpreted as Jesus’ warning to the Jews about their empty worship. With many rules and ceremonies (leaves) but little love for God and others (fruit), they would eventually reap punishment when the Romans sacked Jerusalem in AD 70.
I think this also applies in the here and now. As Christians, we are called to share the Good News with others, and it’s not hard to paint a gleaming picture of Christian life that basks in the glory of God. Dig a little deeper, though, and the empty façade, the lip service to God, becomes all too apparent. The backstabbing at work, the infidelity at home, the casual judgements, the craving for status and material goods; all these point to the missing fruits of our faith. As Jesus reminded us:
It is not those who say to me, “Lord, Lord”, who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
For such NATO (No Action, Talk Only) Christians, it’s almost inevitable that they’ll eventually fall away from Mother Church, pursuing their own selfish desires and burning their “passport” to eternal life with God in His Glory. Worse, the neophytes they brought to new life will likely be similarly disillusioned, bringing new meaning to “killing two birds with one stone.”
Let us examine ourselves today and every day for similar NATO tendencies, and take the necessary actions to stop our backsliding. For myself, I’ll be getting back in touch with my God-children whom I’ve neglected for far too long now.
Lord, we love You, but we are weak. Give us the strength to put to action all the lessons in unconditional love that You taught us, so that with Your help, our efforts may bear Christian fruit in plenty, and that we may one day join with all to sing Your praises in Your Kingdom. Amen.