7/29/2019 Are you a Foliage or a Fruit?

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Are you a Foliage or a Fruit?

This post is a May Day or Workers Day special! To meaningfully celebrate this dayand to expound on this truth I am using the incident of the Withered Fig Tree from

the Bible as an allegory.

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeingin the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it.When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.And he said to it, May no one ever eat fruit from you again. And his disciplesheard it. Mark 11:12-14 (ESV)

The first is a fig tree with leaves and the second is a one with fruits.

A little bit of Botany here! The foliage is specialized or meant for photosynthesis.A process through which the tree or plant receives its necessary nutrition from thesun. Fruits take the energy from the tree and is formed. Foliage is necessary forthe survival of the tree for it to receive energy. On the contrary fruits take theenergy from the tree, so that others might be benefitted out of it.

Author: Mariyosh J mariyoshj@gmail.com Word from The WORD

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These are fig tree leaves and how beautiful they look!

Foliage too does lot of work but for the trees survival, for its own benefit. For a

tree to bear fruit means to lose its energy. But for whose benefit othersbenefit, so that others might eat and be filled.

As Jesus came to the fig tree looking for fruit, even today He comes to each andevery one of us looking for fruits.

Jesus wants to see fruits in our lives that is through which others may be blessedand benefitted. This is a call to labour in Gods kingdom.

Many of us who were only foliage, committed our lives to bear fruits. But howmuch are we producing? To expound on this I would like to take our attention to afew verses previous to this incident in the book of Mark, to the beginning of the11th chapter.

It talks about Jesus entry into Jerusalem. Here we see Jesus telling His disciplesto bring a colt. From this passage I would like to show five kinds of people at workin Gods kingdom. This could also be seen as various levels at work.

and said to them, Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as youenter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bringit. If anyone says to you, Why are you doing this? say, The Lord has need of it

Author: Mariyosh J mariyoshj@gmail.com Word from The WORD

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and will send it back here immediately. And they went away and found a colttied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. Mark 11:2-4 (ESV)

The first set of people are those who immediatelyobey the leader and go and do the task. We see

implicit obedience here. But they require completeorientation. If Jesus wouldnt have oriented them onwhat to reply to the questioners, the disciples wouldhave come back and waited for Jesus to further instructthem.

And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw theircloaks on it, and he sat on it. Mark 11:7 (ESV)

The second set of people are those who dothings voluntarily. Here Jesus told them to onlybring the colt. But we see that the disciplesthrew the cloaks also on the colt, without beingasked by Jesus. Whether we do only what is toldof us or do we see the need and try to fulfil it?

And many spread their cloaks on the road, andothers spread leafy branches that they had cutfrom the fields. Mark 11:8 (ESV)

The third set of people not only volunteer but

will go extra mile to complete the task. Forthese others had to go to the fields and cutand bring the leafy branches. This group ofpeople would put more personal effort into thetask so as to perfect it. They do not work basedon working hours and basic pay.

And those who went before and those whofollowed were shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is hewho comes in the name of the Lord! Mark

11:9 (ESV)

The fourth set of people after doing all the work glorify Godalone. They work neither for appreciation nor for perks.We usually come to the third level and right at there we would sayor at least think I have done so much more than what isexpected of me and I deserve appreciation, recognition andcompensation. But we need to realize that the ability issupplied by Him and it is He who is to be glorified.

The Lord who wants us to bear fruits, also wants us to mature inour service, so that we grow in these levels and glorify His name!

Author: Mariyosh J mariyoshj@gmail.com Word from The WORD

7/29/2019 Are you a Foliage or a Fruit?

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May this May Day make us the Masters labourers mustered for meaningfulwork.

Many a times when seen from outside we might look like labouring hard and wemight look very decorative. But when we check our lives we know that we are only

producing foliage to sustain us, for our benefit and for our praise. Let us bearfruits that yield themselves even to be crushed so that others might be filled andglory may belong to God alone!

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which Godprepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

Author: Mariyosh J mariyoshj@gmail.com Word from The WORD