It seems here to be a all or nothing thing, rather than a matter of degree. The tree had budding figs, or it did not. It wasn’t a question of it being scanty.
Still it is very possible for the Lord to curse those things that are “just for show” in a life. The Lord may want you to live small rather than living large, if doing the latter hardly ever presents a gospel attitude to the world.
Um......what? Not sure what that means and can’t imagine how it ties to my post.
Every Bible passage needs some study to see what it literally means, You should look up fig farming.
Look up "breba" figs. They are the figs growing in the spring on last year's growth. Jesus reasonably was lookig for some "breba" figs to eat from this tree by the second week of Nisan. If there are leaves, the tree's growth is healthy, but if last year's growth does not produce "breba" figs, it didn't produce last year's summer figs either, and then neither will this year's growth produce summer figs. It will produce nothing but leaves. This usually has something to do with disease in the roots.
There's a moral to this story. The fruit of the Spirit is the perfection of Christ's character, spiritual maturity, in the human. But the fruit of the disciple is--year by year as one goes--more disciples (not just religious activity).
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Nothing But Leaves
The Master is seeking a harvest
In lives He's redeemed by His blood;
He seeks for the fruit of the Spirit,
And works that will glorify God.
He looks for His likeness reflected
In lives that are yielded and true;
He's looking for zeal in the winning
Of souls He's entrusted to you.
He's yearning for someone to carry
The life-giving word far and near;
He's waiting for hearts that are willing,
For ears that are open to hear.
Chorus:
Nothing but leaves for the Master,
Oh, how His loving heart grieves,
When instead of the fruit He is seeking,
We offer Him nothing but leaves.
--Mrs. H. S. Lehman, 1924