Imagine Jesus entering your home, your routine, your ministry today, seeking the results or the fruits of your walk with Him.
What would He find: lush, impressive leaves or genuine fruits of transformation?
Mark 11 presents us with a fig tree without fruit. This story serves as a mirror for our faith: do we have only the appearance, or a real, transformed life?
The Biblical Account of the Fig Tree (Mark 11:12-21)
“12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 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. 14 Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
17 And as he taught them, he said, ‘Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!’
22 Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered.
‘23Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’”
(Mark 11:12-17, 20-24, NIV)
On the way from Bethany to Jerusalem, Jesus was hungry and, seeing a fig tree in leaf from a distance, He approached to look for fruit. He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. So Jesus cursed the fig tree, saying no one would ever eat its fruit again, and His disciples heard it. The next morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
(Picture 1– Fig Tree with fruits)
Did you know that the fig tree typically produces fruit before it produces leaves? The presence of leaves is actually a sign that the tree should already have fruit, not the other way round.
According to the natural logic of the fig tree, the leaves signalled that the tree should have fruit, even if it was not its season. But upon approaching, Jesus found only leaves: appearance without substance. Therefore, He cursed the fig tree, and it withered from the roots.
Everything in the Bible is to teach us something, and this scene offers a profound lesson: Jesus was not only bothered by the lack of fruit, but by its false promise—deceptive appearance—of religiousness without transformation.
Jesus is telling us that He looks at people and measures them by their fruits — He is not impressed by anyone’s talent.
Illustration: Imagine a fruit tree in your garden, and every year you go to see it, but it is always full of leaves but there are never any fruit. The disappointment is inevitable. This is the Christian life of someone who boasts outward signs of faith, but produces no real results.
Jesus’s indignation was not simply because the tree had no figs, as it was not the season.
He was indignant at the “false advertisement.”
The tree, by having leaves, gave the impression it bore fruit, yet it was empty. It was all appearance with no substance.
Hypocrisy: The Theatre of Masks
The word “hypocrisy” comes from Greek theatre: it described an actor who wore a mask to play a role. That’s how people who pretend to have substance and fruits work, they live a life of constant performance and spiritual makeup.
Jesus was grieved by the falseness of the religious Pharisees, those who preach much and live little, speak much but lack character—whose lives do not match their words or their appearances.
“Each tree is recognised by its own fruit.”
— Luke 6:44, NIV
Jesus was not talking about trees, but people: ‘Trees’ are known by their ‘fruit’.
He said: You should observe people by their FRUIT, not by their words or appearance or knowledge.
That’s why I am not impressed by anyone’s talent! It is through our fruit—not leaves—that we serve and please God.
Practical Examples of beautiful Leaves and no Fruit
The Tithing Performer: A church member who is faithful in tithes and offerings, who likes to give but treats his family or work colleagues badly; does not live out love in daily life. Many leaves, no fruit.
The Performance Worshipper: Someone who sings fervently in church, but outside, spreads gossip and causes division. Their worship is mere performance; there is no essence. In church, a saint shouting “Hallelujah!”; at home, refuses to have real conversations, sulks, fight the family even quarrels with the dog.
The Corrupt Religious Leader: A pastor or leader who preaches love and humility, but does not practise what he preaches. Holy words, but a heart far from God. Inspiring leadership in public, but seeks selfish gain in private. Leadership that impresses by big leaves, not strong root.
Hypocrisy: The Foliage of Faith
The hypocrisy Jesus mentions is like a “spiritual makeup”: people who know the vocabulary, the posture, the Christian reputation, who know the Bible, but when no one is watching, lack character and harbour hidden addictions.
It is easier to maintain leaves than to produce fruit, because fruit requires sacrifice, self-denial, dependence on the Spirit, and a humble life.
The Pharisees, criticised by Jesus in Matthew 23:23, are examples of this: outwardly zealous for the law, but inwardly lacking justice, mercy, and genuine faith.
Connection with the Cleansing of the Temple
Straight after the fig tree incident, Jesus drives out the sellers from the temple. There, He denounces another kind of leaf without fruit: religion used as business, a temple no longer a House of Prayer.
It was a sacred appearance—they were in the temple, but their lives were not a HOUSE OF PRAYER.
Call to Self-Reflection
What if Jesus looked at your marriage, your conduct at work, your family relationships, your life away from the eyes of the church—what would He see?
If there were a spiritual mirror, would your essence correspond to the leaves you display?
The Fruits Jesus Expects
The secret to bearing fruit is remaining in Christ (John 15:5, NIV). Only by being connected to Him can we bear true fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV). These fruits are born out of daily relationship with Him, a life of prayer, obedience, and repentance.
Fruits are produced at home, in traffic, in relationships, in everyday decisions.
Leaves impress, but fruits feed and transform.
God is not impressed by leaves, He seeks fruits. Your actions and character speak louder than your words.
It is not enough to have the right appearance; we need the true transformation that only the Spirit can produce. May your prayer today be: “Lord, I don’t want to only have the right appearance, I want to be a fruitful tree in Your Kingdom.”
Confrontation Leading to Hope and Restoration
“Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree growing 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 round it and fertilise it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”’
(Luke 13:6-9, NIV)
The message of the barren fig tree, though a direct confrontation of hypocrisy and outward religiosity, doesn’t end with condemnation alone.
Jesus never confronts to destroy, but to restore.
Seeing the fig tree with only an appearance of fruit, Jesus expresses His rejection of performance and falsehood. However, His true desire is to awaken each heart to a new life, true in secret, with fruit that grows not from duty but from a living relationship with Him.
This Word is an invitation.
God is not seeking outward perfection, but sincere hearts, ready to open up, to confess, to start again; just as the apostle John reminds us:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins…”
— 1 John 1:9, NIV
He knows our struggles, our mistakes, the dry places in our hearts. Still, He loves us and delights in restoring us. The way back is always open!
God’s Call: Return to Your First Love
Jesus reinforces this call in Revelation:
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”
— Revelation 2:4-5, NIV
God desires to rekindle in you what He once started: that passion for His presence, that thirst for the Word, that joy in serving.
No matter how far you have drifted—He awaits you every day.
Restoration Begins Now
Acknowledge your need: Admit: “Lord, I have been living with only leaves; I want to return to the centre of Your will.”
Repent: Talk to God about areas of your life that have become an outward display or a show, and allow Him to uproot all hypocrisy.
Return to spiritual disciplines: Rebuild a life of prayer, Bible reading, and sincere worship. First love flourishes in renewed intimacy with the Father.
Seek essence, not appearance: Allow God to cultivate real fruit—love, forgiveness, self-control, gentleness—in secret, where only He sees.
Draw near to God. James writes:
“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
— James 4:8, NIV
Remember the story of the prodigal son: though the son wandered and squandered everything, when he returned home, he found the Father running towards him. That is the heart of God.
Even when we are covered with leaves but no fruit, when we recognise our state and return, He runs towards us, embraces us, restores us, and gives back our dignity and joy.
God bless you!