Holy Week: Monday--Of Fruit and Faith

Scriptures:

• The cursing of the fig tree (Mark 11:12-14; Matthew 21:18-22)
• Mark's account of the cleansing of the temple (Mark 11:15-19)
• Jesus' pattern of teaching in the temple (Luke 19:47-48)
• Teachings in the temple: Rejection of unbelieving Israel (Mark 11:27-12:12; Matthew 21:23-22:15; Luke 20:1-19)
• Jesus and the coming hour (John 12:20-36)

I want to focus on the story about Jesus cursing the fig tree. This account is interesting to me because it stands in stark contrast to the healing in Christ's ministry that we often focus on. 

Mark 11: 12-14
12 ¶And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

 I found this information from an LDS seminary student guide that was helpful to me:

Jesus did not explain why He cursed the fig tree, but a little knowledge about fig trees, combined with the circumstances described in the scriptures, helps us to understand the symbolism of what Jesus did. The kind of a fig tree mentioned in Mark 11 produces an early fig, even before it is full with leaves. The main crop of figs comes later. If a tree produces no early figs, it will produce no fruit at all that year. A tree with leaves (as both Mark and Matthew described it) should also have fruit, but that tree was barren. We could say that the tree gave the appearance of having fruit but actually had none. That is like the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day. They appeared righteous, but theirs was a hypocritical and empty righteousness. Consequently, Jesus cursed this tree of hypocrisy that symbolized the condition of the leaders of God’s covenant people. Mark’s account says the tree did not have fruit because it was not time; the Joseph Smith Translation, however, removes that phrase and indicates that because the leaves were out, the tree should have had fruit.

With that information I also thought about other mentions of fruit by Jesus:

Sometimes we are subtly corrupted
and we may appear to be doing good,
but at our core we have let our hearts
harden or let other seeds grow in place
of good seeds. Alma 32:28 

Matthew 7:15-20
15 ¶Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’sclothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

John 15:1-5
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

[I also enjoyed looking for connections about other scriptures on "fruit" in the scriptures'Topical Guide]

Sometimes I am surprised at areas in my life that I thought I was doing well, but really I was just going through the motions. In a sense, sometimes we bear fig leaves that may have the appearance that we are fruitful, but in reality we are barren because our goods are not being consecrated to the Lord. Until we acknowledge the True Vine in everything we do, we are not profitable servants. If we are growing from a vine other than the True Vine, we will not bear fruits that resemble Him. Without the light of the Son, "ye can do nothing."

I want nothing more than to grow to be a useful resource and instrument to the Lord. I want to help satisfy the hunger of those who are starving for truth. I want to stand strong in the midst of temptation and bring forth good fruit for the Lord's harvest.

I have been given much--I have been brought up in good soil, with strong roots, with a glorious Son to give me light and life--therefore, much is required of me. I want to grow and share the fruit "desirable above all other fruit" (the love of God) with all who need nourishment 1 Nephi 8:10-12.

Invitation:

Get ready for a lot of pondering and self-evaluation!
*Pick one of these options to study/ponder...

(If at any time through these self-evaluations you find yourself overwhelmed and discouraged--STOP! and start studying the power of the infinite Atonement. Discouragement is from Satan; motivation is from God.)

1) Ponder on how these scriptures apply in your life as you evaluate where you are at from these questions from a talk called, "By their fruits ye shall know them" by Dean Larsen.

It is, perhaps, well in these times, when so many of the fundamental truths of the Restoration and the validity of the Lord’s work are being challenged, that we ask ourselves to what degree our conduct sets us apart and manifests the fruits of the gospel. In our homes and in our families, are we enjoying and qualifying for the love and support of familymembers? In our business dealings, are we fair and honest and prompt in meeting our obligations; is our word as good as our bond? Are our private and innermost thoughts free from the contaminations of the world? Do they reflect our absolute loyalty and fidelity to those with whom we have made eternal vows? Are we nourishing through prayer and a regular study of the Lord’s revealed truths the spiritual and moral strength which is required in today’s environment? In the entertainment and recreation we seek, are we keeping ourselves unspotted from the world and in harmony with the Lord’s holy Sabbath? Are we generous with our means and inclined to be serviceable to others? Do we acknowledge our faults and shortcomings and seek forgiveness from those whom we have wronged or offended?

2) Other questions to ponder and set goals to improve:

• Am I set apart from the world's ways or caught up in them?
• Am I willing to stand alone if I need to, in order to stick up for my standards?
• Am I a hypocrite in any areas of my life?
• Do I expect actions from others that I do not do myself?
• Where are my desires and motives?
• Do I truly want to please God more than man?
• Do I do good things for the sole purpose of glorifying God?
• Am I offering all my fruit to the Lord, or holding back some?
• Are all my offerings pure?
• Where can I improve?

3) Every few months I take this self-evaluation in the Preach My Gospel manual. It is very helpful to for me to have a concrete representation of where I am at in my progression to perfection.

Attribute Activity

Read each item below carefully. Decide how true that statement is about you, and choose the most appropriate response from the response key. Write your response to each item in your study journal. Spiritual growth is a gradual process, and no one is perfect, so you should expect to rate yourself better on some items than on others.

Response Key

1	= never
2	= sometimes
3	= often
4	= almost always
5	= always

Faith

1. ____1. 
   I believe in Christ and accept Him as my Savior. (2 Nephi 25:29)
2. ____2. 
   I feel confident that God loves me. (1 Nephi 11:17)
3. ____3. 
   I trust the Savior enough to accept His will and do whatever He asks. (1 Nephi 3:7)
4. ____4. 
   I firmly believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ I can be forgiven of all my sins. (Enos 1:5–8)
5. ____5. 
   I have enough faith in Christ to obtain answers to my prayers. (Mosiah 27:14)
6. ____6. 
   I think about the Savior during the day and remember what He has done for me. (D&C 20:77, 79)
7. ____7. 
   I have the faith necessary to help make good things happen in my life or the lives of others. (Ether 12:12)
8. ____8. 
   I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true. (Moroni 10:3–5)
9. ____9. 
   I have enough faith in Christ to accomplish anything He wants me to do—even miracles, if necessary. (Moroni 7:33)

Hope

1. ____10. 
   One of my greatest desires is to inherit eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God. (Moroni 7:41)
2. ____11. 
   I am confident that I will have a happy and successful mission. (D&C 31:3–5)
3. ____12. 
   I feel peaceful and optimistic about the future. (D&C 59:23)
4. ____13. 
   I firmly believe that someday I will dwell with God and become like Him. (Ether 12:4)

Charity and Love

1. ____14. 
   I feel a sincere desire for the eternal welfare and happiness of other people. (Mosiah 28:3)
2. ____15. 
   When I pray, I ask for charity—the pure love of Christ. (Moroni 7:47–48)
3. ____16. 
   I try to understand others’ feelings and see their point of view. (Jude 1:22)
4. ____17. 
   I forgive others who have offended or wronged me. (Ephesians 4:32)
5. ____18. 
   I try to help others when they are struggling or discouraged. (Mosiah 18:9)
6. ____19. 
   When appropriate, I tell others that I love them and care about them. (Luke 7:12–15)
7. ____20. 
   I look for opportunities to serve other people. (Mosiah 2:17)
8. ____21. 
   I say positive things about others. (D&C 42:27)
9. ____22. 
   I am kind and patient with others, even when they are hard to get along with. (Moroni 7:45)
10. ____23. 
    I find joy in others’ achievements. (Alma 17:2–4)

Virtue

1. ____24. 
   I am clean and pure in heart. (Psalm 24:3–4)
2. ____25. 
   I have no desire to do evil but to do good. (Mosiah 5:2)
3. ____26. 
   I am dependable—I do what I say I will do. (Alma 53:20)
4. ____27. 
   I focus on righteous, uplifting thoughts and put unwholesome thoughts out of my mind. (D&C 121:45)
5. ____28. 
   I repent of my sins and strive to overcome my weaknesses. (D&C 49:26–28)
6. ____29. 
   I feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in my life. (D&C 11:12–13)

Knowledge

1. ____30. 
   I feel confident in my understanding of gospel doctrines and principles. (Ether 3:19–20)
2. ____31. 
   I study the scriptures daily. (John 5:39)
3. ____32. 
   I earnestly seek to understand the truth and find answers to my questions. (D&C 6:7)
4. ____33. 
   I receive knowledge and guidance through the Spirit. (1 Nephi 4:6)
5. ____34. 
   I love and cherish the doctrines and principles of the gospel. (2 Nephi 4:15)

Patience

1. ____35. 
   I wait patiently for the blessings and promises of the Lord to be fulfilled. (2 Nephi 10:17)
2. ____36. 
   I am able to wait for things without getting upset or frustrated. (Romans 8:25)
3. ____37. 
   I am patient and long-suffering with the challenges of being a missionary. (Alma 17:11)
4. ____38. 
   I am patient with the faults and weaknesses of others. (Romans 15:1)
5. ____39. 
   I am patient with myself and rely on the Lord as I work to overcome my weaknesses. (Ether 12:27)
6. ____40. 
   I face adversity and afflictions calmly and hopefully. (Alma 34:40–41)

Humility

1. ____41. 
   I am meek and lowly in heart. (Matthew 11:29)
2. ____42. 
   I rely on the Lord for help. (Alma 26:12)
3. ____43. 
   I am sincerely grateful for the blessings I have received from the Lord. (Alma 7:23)
4. ____44. 
   My prayers are earnest and sincere. (Enos 1:4)
5. ____45. 
   I appreciate direction from my leaders or teachers. (2 Nephi 9:28)
6. ____46. 
   I strive to be submissive to the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. (Mosiah 24:15)

Diligence

1. ____47. 
   I work effectively, even when I’m not under pressure or close supervision. (D&C 58:26–27)
2. ____48. 
   I focus my efforts on the most important things. (Matthew 23:23)
3. ____49. 
   I have a personal prayer at least twice a day. (Alma 34:18–27)
4. ____50. 
   I focus my thoughts on my calling as a missionary. (D&C 4:2, 5)
5. ____51. 
   I set goals and plan regularly. (D&C 88:119)
6. ____52. 
   I work hard until the job is completed successfully. (D&C 10:4)
7. ____53. 
   I find joy and satisfaction in my work. (Alma 36:24–25)

Obedience

1. ____54. 
   When I pray, I ask for strength to resist temptation and to do what is right. (3 Nephi 18:15)
2. ____55. 
   I keep the required commandments to be worthy of a temple recommend. (D&C 97:8)
3. ____56. 
   I willingly obey the mission rules and follow the counsel of my leaders. (Hebrews 13:17)
4. ____57. 
   I strive to live in accordance with the laws and principles of the gospel. (D&C 41:5)
5. https://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service/how-do-i-develop-christlike-attributes?lang=eng