It has been quite a long time since I have had a yard that included a fruit tree. At our new home in Auburn, we actually have a fig tree. To be honest with you I did not know much about figs before moving in, when I thought about figs the first thing that came to mind was “Fig Newtons”, the second thing that came to my mind was the passage of Scripture in Matthew 21:18-19 where Jesus is hungry, sees a fig tree, wants to get a fig from it, but there is nothing there except leaves. Jesus is upset at this and he curses the tree to never bear fruit again.

The picture above shows some figs ready to be picked, and others that are still growing. When it comes to fig trees one thing we can know for sure is that they will not bear bananas, apples, or peaches. If a fig tree produces anything, it will produce figs. You may be sarcastically saying at this point, “Wow, Dave thanks I never would have realized that.” Yet, it also points to another reality that I think we sometimes forget when it comes to our Christian walk, and that is the private investment, the personal devotion, and “closed-door” moments of the faith will be what is produced in our public lives.

We find the author and priest Henri Nouwen making this exact point when he says, “If we don’t have a hidden life with God our public life for God cannot bear fruit”. If we are not investing in this relationship with Jesus then we can’t be surprised when we don’t resemble Christ publically. It would be like expecting a fig tree to produce a pineapple, it just isn’t going to happen. So, if we want to be like Jesus, then we have to spend time with Jesus; if we want our churches to make a difference in the world then we have to be spending time with God so that we can be a movement instead of just another organization.

So, let us take time today to do that hidden work, as we do may we be open to what the Holy Spirit desires to do not only in us but also through us in the world.