欣儀在一間非營利機構找到了新工作，她非常興奮，因這是為世界帶來改變的機會！但她很快就發現，同事們並不像她一樣滿腔熱忱。他們輕視機構的使命，為自己的工作表現欠佳找藉口，同時到處尋找更有前途的高薪工作。欣儀後悔申請了這份工作，遠觀相當不錯，近看卻令人失望。

這正是耶穌提到的那棵無花果樹的狀況（馬可福音11章13節）。當時還沒到盛產無花果的季節，這棵樹長滿了葉子，顯示它可能已結了無花果。可是沒有，它只有葉子，卻沒果實。耶穌在失望之餘，咒詛它說：「從今以後，永沒有人吃你的果子」（14節）。第二天早上，這棵樹就完全枯死了（20節）。

耶穌曾禁食40天，深知如何忍飢耐餓，因此咒詛這棵無花果樹與食慾無關，而是一個借鑒。這棵樹代表了以色列人，雖是上帝的選民，卻沒有真實的信心。那時他們正要謀殺彌賽亞，上帝的兒子。他們不正是枯乾而不結果子嗎？

別人從遠處看我們，也許覺得還不錯，但耶穌靠近我們，要在我們身上尋找只有倚靠聖靈才能結出的果子。我們的果實無需令人驚嘆，但必定是從聖靈而來的，例如在困境中仍滿有愛、喜樂與和平（加拉太書5章22節）。我們需要倚靠聖靈，才能為耶穌結果子！

Cindy was excited for her new job in a nonprofit company. What an opportunity to make a difference! She soon discovered her coworkers didn’t share her enthusiasm. They mocked the company’s mission and made excuses for their poor performance as they looked elsewhere for more lucrative positions. Cindy wished she’d never applied for this job. What looked great from afar was disappointing up close.

This was Jesus’ problem with the fig tree mentioned in today’s story (Mark 11:13). It was early in the season, yet the tree’s leaves signaled it might have early figs. Nope. The tree had sprouted leaves, but it hadn’t yet produced fruit. Disappointed, Jesus cursed the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again” (v. 14). By the next morning the tree had entirely withered (v. 20).

Christ once fasted forty days, so He knew how to go without food. Cursing the fig tree was not about His appetite. It was an object lesson. The tree represented Israel, which had the trappings of true religion but had lost the point. They were about to kill their Messiah, the Son of God. How more barren could they be?

We may look good from afar, but Jesus comes near, looking for fruit that only His Spirit can produce. Our fruit need not be spectacular. But it must be supernatural, such as love, joy, and peace in hard times (Galatians 5:22). Relying on the Spirit, we can bear fruit even then for Jesus.