Many things happened to Jesus on Monday of Holy Week, but something that always catches my eye is His cursing of the fig tree. Why did He do that? What did that poor fig tree have to do with any of this? We look at what happens in this moment, and in His teaching, we see something very important, something that can show us about our faith and the fruits we bear.

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Good morning. It’s great to be with you today on this Monday, the beginning of Holy Week. While technically yesterday, Palm Sunday, marked the start of Holy Week, we’re diving into the significance of this week by reflecting on various events in Jesus’ life leading up to Good Friday and Easter. It’s a profound time for us to delve into God’s Word, to engage in prayer, and to deepen our spiritual journey. I encourage you to set aside extra time this week for prayer, meditation, and Scripture reading as we walk alongside Jesus in His final days.

If you’re in the Madison, Mississippi area, including Jackson, Ridgeland, Canton, and surrounding areas, I invite you to join us at St. Matthew’s. Today, we’re setting up our Stations of the Cross, and throughout Holy Week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, these stations will be open for prayer and reflection. It’s a meaningful experience, and I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to journey through the stations and engage in prayerful contemplation.

Today, on Holy Monday, let’s explore a significant teaching from Jesus found in Matthew 21:18-22. While we’ll primarily focus on passages from Matthew this week, I find Matthew’s Gospel particularly rich due to its deep connection to the Old Testament and Jewish heritage.

In this passage, Jesus encounters a fig tree while hungry, only to find it bearing no fruit but leaves. He curses the tree, and it withers immediately, astonishing the disciples. While the lesson about faith moving mountains is often emphasized here, I want to draw attention to the symbolism of the fig tree.

In the region during this season, it was common to see fig trees with what appeared to be fruit from a distance, but upon closer inspection, these were false figs or false fruit. Similarly, this fig tree looked promising from afar but lacked genuine fruit upon closer examination. Jesus’ curse on the fig tree underscores the importance of bearing true fruit rather than merely appearing fruitful.

As Christians, our focus should be on bearing genuine fruit—the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Our faith should be evident not just in outward appearances but in the transformation of our hearts and lives.

During this Lenten season and Holy Week, it’s essential for us to engage in self-examination. Are we truly bearing the fruit of repentance and the Spirit, or are we merely putting on a show? Let’s allow the Spirit to inspect our hearts and guide us in producing genuine fruit.

Reflecting on my own journey, I recall a humbling moment when I judged someone based on outward appearances, only to realize that they were bearing true fruit through their actions. It served as a reminder that true faith is demonstrated through genuine fruit, not superficial appearances.

As we journey through Holy Week, may we invite the Spirit to examine our lives and enable us to bear true fruit that glorifies God. Tomorrow, we’ll continue our exploration into Holy Tuesday and delve deeper into Jesus’ life during this pivotal week. Thank you for joining me today. Have a blessed day.