The Fallacy of the American Dream - Part 1

As the children of God in America, we have applied the measure that this society uses to judge success to the Bride of Christ.

What was, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, an ideal and a dream for many families in America has become an almost unbearable yoke and ungodly burden. The hope and dream of owning your own land, building a house and home in which to raise a family, being your own man, is now truly available to only a very few. Most of us own nothing but owe much. We owe on our houses. We owe on the “stuff” in our house – TVs, computers, kitchen and laundry appliances, even our living room and bedroom furniture. We owe on our vehicles. Most crucially, as a nation, we owe over $666 billion dollars to credit card companies at an average of 16% interest with some over 24% interest , which amounts to an average of $8000 per household of four. Even the U.S. government is in debt. At the time of the writing, the national debt is in excess of $5.6 trillion or an average of almost $20,000 per U.S. citizen. We are judging our success or failure in this country on how much we have acquired, not on how well our families are growing. As the Apostle James exclaimed, “These things ought not to be.” God the Father is not interested in results. He is looking for fruit.

A Bad Day To B e A Fig Tree

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it… In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"

Jesus had been busy the day before. It had started early with the triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem, all that shouting and proclaiming going on. Next, a stop in the temple to throw out those folks making a profit in the Father’s house and turning over all those tables – quite the adrenaline rush. Jesus followed that with healing those blind and lame that He knew the Father was healing. This was accompanied by the usual confrontation with the religious leadership. He finished the day with a 3-4 mile jaunt over to a nearby city, Bethany, for the night.

In the morning, the Master awakes and sets out for Jerusalem once again. Along the way, He realizes that He is quite hungry. He spots a fig tree in the distance. This tree was lush with leaves that glistened with the dew in the morning sun. It seemed to hold the promise of fruit. Jesus knew that it would not have the full fig that grew later in the season but He was expecting first fruit, those edible figs that are normally an indication of the size of the crop to come. They weren’t the best in the world but they might at least ease that gnawing feeling you can get in your stomach first thing in the morning.

Jesus approaches the tree and reaches in, expecting to find fruit but there is nothing there. He moves around the tree and tries again. Nothing. Finally, He spreads the braches apart and peers into the tree and sees no fruit whatsoever. His response to no fruit – He curses the tree and it dies. This astonishes and frightens the disciples. They cannot figure out what is going on. The Master has given His students an object lesson in the authority and power of faith. He was hoping they would remember a parable He had taught them earlier that year.

Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, `For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' "`Sir,' the man replied, `leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'"
Jesus continues to hope that we will recognize not only the power and authority of and in faith but that the Father is not satisfied with leaves. He wants fruit.

Let’s take a more didactic look at these events:

• Jesus was hungry!
• He came to the tree looking for sustenance.
• The tree looked good from a distance – lots of leaves.
• In spite of its good looks, it held nothing nourishing. Potential, but no produce.
• The result of not producing fruit is death.

Leaves and Fruit, so what’s the big deal?

There is an important difference between a tree or vine flourishing with leaves and that same tree or vine bearing fruit. Understand that leaves are important to the life of the plant. They photosynthesize sunlight. They take in carbon dioxide and leave off oxygen. Leaves provide shade and shelter for an amazing array of critters. They do not, however, reproduce or nourish others.

In terms of God’s economy and kingdom, leaves are those things that have effect on the here and now but will pass when either death comes or Jesus returns. Events or occurrences such as signs and wonders, the miracles and the gifts, are important to us in this time and place but will not be carried into the eternal. For example, when Elisha caused the axe head to float , it was of benefit to them at the time but holds no real consequence in the final future. The gifts of the Spirit in operation in the Body today, speaking and singing in tongues, prophecy, healings, etc., are of great value for us in our growth and maturation as individual and as a Body, but when He who is perfect is come, or we go to Him, these will be done away with. We will no longer have any need of them.

I, also, include in the classification of leaves the incessant need to compare numbers. How many in your service? How many in Sunday School? How many salvations at the Revival? How many “fell out” under the power? How large was the offering? How many buses do you have? How many were healed in your service? Sorry, but in the light of eternity, these things will not count, will not even be considered.

You may be arguing with me at this point but I ask you to continue and listen to the Father’s heart. For what the Father is interested in is not the square footage of your facility or the number of satellites you have in the atmosphere. What the Father is concerned with is fruit. Fruit that gives life to others. Fruit that reproduces itself in others. Things like integrity, character, selflessness, brokenness. Remember that the seed is found in the fruit.