If you are as old as me, you may remember the old Burger King commercial where the elderly lady came into a hamburger establishment and remarked, “Where’s the beef?”.  We laughed about that scene, and the phrase, “where’s the beef?” became a part of the vernacular of the day.

In Mark 11, we read a story where we can imagine Jesus saying, “Where’s the fruit?”.

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’m always a little surprised when I read about Jesus’ reaction to the fig tree. His words sound self-serving or capricious.  But that wasn’t Jesus.

Jesus noticed the fig tree – just like He noticed everything.  The tree was full of leaves, which could be seen from a distance.  When Jesus walked close, though, there was no fruit.  He knew fig trees; the fruit should have accompanied the leaves.

What a picture for me.

God isn’t impressed with show.  It doesn’t matter how good I look from afar if, when people draw close, they don’t find love, grace, and kindness.  The fruit of God’s presence in my life must be present and visible.

It is God’s Holy Spirit that bears fruit in me as I yield my will to Him.  The more I allow Him to mold my life, the more fruit will be visible to a world in need. 

Fruitful is a good thing to be.

Galatians 5: ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.