Famous last words.
Near the end of his life—right before his final voyage to Jerusalem and Rome—the Apostle Paul was wrapping it up in Ephesus. He’d spent years teaching there, and now, as he prepared to “finish his course with joy,” he was saying goodbye.
Typically, when you’re leaving, your final instructions are: “Don’t forget what I said.” After all the preaching, mentoring, guiding, warning, and pouring out words of wisdom—at the end of the day—you would want your LAST words to stick. If they forgot everything else, they’d at least remember what you said LAST.
In that final speech, most people would quote themselves. Paul did, too, but at the very end, he used the quote of a quote. His parting gift to the Ephesians (and to us ALL) was to share precious words of Jesus, which had only just been told to him. (The original utterance was not even recorded in the Gospels.)
Paul’s last words were about GIVING—about living our lives OUTWARDLY.
He said, “I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:33-35 KJV)
“Paul thought a successful, blessed life was one in which you give more than you take. Why? Because that had been the defining characteristic of Jesus. Jesus’ whole life had been defined by giving, not receiving. On the night before he died, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet … He served.” —“Disciples Give More Than They Take” by J. D. Greear
Let’s look at another illustration from Jesus’ ministry. The story is found in the Gospel of Mark—we know it as the story of the fruitless fig tree.
“On the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, (Jesus) was hungry. Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.” (Mark 11:12-14 KJV)
Let’s be honest—this story is hard to understand. Why would Jesus, the Creator, curse a perfectly healthy fig tree for not bearing fruit—when figs weren’t even yet in season?
We’ve all puzzled about this, but let’s take a closer look at the story.
- First, it was a FIG tree, after all. The tree had one job—to produce figs. Apparently, with some varieties, even a very young fig tree is able to produce a small crop. Since Jesus saw the tree “afar off,” this was more likely a mature tree well into its fruit-bearing age.
- Second, Scripture doesn’t say that Jesus was looking for mature FIGS. It says He was looking for “any thing.” The Greek word there, “τίς” (tis) is indefinite, but never is it translated as “figs” or even “fruit.” Naturally, as it was a FIG tree, and Jesus was hungry, one would presume He was looking for ripe figs. But the text clearly says, “the time of figs was not yet.” Jesus, the Omniscient One, would’ve KNOWN it wasn’t the SEASON.
- Third, Scripture doesn’t say that Jesus cursed THE TREE—read the text—He cursed the tree’s future fruitfulness. “No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.” The tree was condemned to remain barren, never to produce the fruit it was created for, and, therefore, it withered and died of its own accord.
We all look for ourselves in this curious story. We want to be considered “fruitful,” more than “just leaves,” but we’re all in different seasons.
Fruitfulness may not look the same for everyone—fig trees aren’t expected to bear apples, and apple trees don’t bear kumquats. The Creator made us all different, but this we know: fruitfulness is about GIVING away more than we’re TAKING in. It’s about GIVING with no expectation of return. “A tree doesn’t eat its own fruit.”
So, what WAS Jesus looking FOR that day near Bethany? In our next study, we will search for the answer to that.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, what are you looking for in ME? I never want to disappoint You. Help me to be faithful to Your calling for me and to always be ready and willing to GIVE MORE THAN I TAKE. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
(Part 1 of 2)
Photo credit: Borrowed from a post by Laurie MacCaskill — Art By Artist Jim Hodges at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles.
