Matthew 21:19-22, Mark 11:20-25 Audio File is at the end of this text.
In 1962 my father started John Curtis Christian School. It was the first school in New Orleans that called itself "Christian" while not being associated with any single church or denomination. The reason we were never part of a church or denomination is that my father believed and taught us that following Jesus is what matters most. Over the years many churches opened schools and to serve that new marketplace, curriculum packages were offered by Bob Jones University, A Beka Academy and others. The textbooks offered were very conservative and sometimes left things out that my father thought our students should learn about to prepare them to live in our very secular world.Parents moving into town from all over the country would ask if we used the Bob Jones or A Beka plan and I would have to explain that we do not use outside packages and here's our thinking around our decision. After getting a bit weary of having to explain how we are different I suggested that we just call ourselves John Curtis School rather than John Curtis Christian School. My father told me, "When I'm dead and gone you can call the school anything you want to call it but as long as I'm alive it will be John Curtis Christian School. You'll just have to keep on explaining who we are and why we are the way we are." I call this standing up for what you believe and making a statement to the world even when it is not the easy way to do things. We were never and have never been the type to, "go along to get along." We stand for following Jesus not for following a preacher or an institution's rules or creeds.
In Matthew and in Mark we read the story of the fig tree. Jesus was nearing the end of his ministry and he was getting weary and worn down by the people who could see his work with their own eyes but still rejected his teaching. On this morning he was hungry and he saw a fig tree and expected to have a breakfast of juicy fruit. When he got close enough to pick a fig he discovered that there were no figs on the tree, not one. He said, "No more figs from this tree--ever!" Instantly the tree withered into a dry stick.
The fig tree was created by God to bear fruit which would supply nourishment and this tree did not live up to its potential. I believe this is a true story and I also believe that Jesus was angry at the tree just like he was angry at the Jews for not putting their faith in his message of hope. The Jews were not bearing the fruit of faith. They were not trusting in Jesus; they were rejecting him. The death of this fig tree foreshadowed the death of Jerusalem. Just 70 years after Jesus condemned the tree to death, the Romans came through Jerusalem and plowed it under.
Jesus does not leave us in despair and withered up! He goes on to say, "If you embrace this kingdom life and don't doubt God, you'll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles...absolutely everything, ranging form small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God."
The way to faith is through prayer and in the Mark passage Jesus is clear that we are to ask God for everything we need, large and small, however, "Prayer is not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive--only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."
Forgiveness is not a two-way street, it is one-way. Jesus forgives you putting you on the receiving end of his amazing grace. Therefore, you must forgive others and even though it might not make sense to us, we follow the teaching in faith. Faith is the fig. Faith is our fruit. It is what others see in us and what others need from us and how we show the world we are Jesus followers.
We know our school was founded on faith and we pray to continue to stand in faith to be a place where young people learn to follow and put their faith in Jesus. And, you know you are bearing the fruit of faith when your life shines with his glory, his joy, his love and others are nourished by you.
