Have you ever said, “I just wish I knew what God wanted from me!” We say we want a clear roadmap. And yet I wonder how we would respond if we actually saw our whole path, including the pain and sorrows. Would the Palm Sunday crowd even show up if they knew what the rest of the week would bring?

It isn’t just the path that is important. Immeasurably more important is our character on the path, the fruit of the Spirit found in us. “What does God want from me?” Fruit!

In John 15, we are given the parable of the vine and branches. Jesus is the vine; we are the branches. Branches only bear fruit when they remain in the vine.

So the day after the big procession with the palm branches, Jesus sees a fig tree and went to inspect its fruit. Seeing none, he curses the tree as an illustration for his disciples. You see, true followers of Jesus are expected to bear fruit by staying connected to him, the vine. As Charles Spurgeon put it in his sermon on the subject: “The first Adam came to the fig tree for leaves, but the Second Adam looks for figs. He searches our character through and through, to see whether there is any real faith, any true love, any living hope, any joy which is the fruit of the Spirit, any patience, any self-denial, any fervour in prayer, any walking with God, any indwelling of the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus alone has the right to expect to see fruit in us and fruit is the one thing he most desires in us. He is not impressed with empty church going, mindless prayers, countless devotional readings or good-deed doing. If these are separate from an abiding spirit they may be more leafage than fruit.
And if there is no fruit in our lives, we may well expect drastic measures to follow.

God is not looking for mere words or vows but our sincerity in trusting him, loving him, depending on him and on his Spirit to produce fruit in our lives in all seasons.

In the story that follows, Jesus is enraged at the desolation of the temple. Here we again see the desire of God’s desire for us to worship in pureness and in truth and with sincere heart. Let’s stay with Jesus through the journey. And if you’ve strayed from the path, one step brings you back.

Mark 11:12-14. – The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 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. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.