A Tree Without Fruit

Good Morning! 

A fruit tree is still a fruit tree even when it bears no fruit. So why did Jesus curse the fig tree when it had leaves? 

In Scripture, leaves signaled that figs should have been present. The tree advertised fruitfulness but offered nothing. It had the appearance of life without the evidence of it.

Many of us know this tension. We look the part. We are busy, spiritual, committed but inwardly we’re barren, out of season, or disconnected from the true Source. 

Jesus wasn’t simply condemning a tree; He was revealing the danger of spiritual unfruitfulness. 

To bear fruit in every season, we must be deeply rooted in God’s Word. Roots anchor us when life feels dry, when we feel overlooked, or when we’re “out of season.” Connection to Jesus, not circumstances produces fruit. Even in pruning seasons, when God cuts back what no longer serves us, He is preparing us for greater growth.

God has already filled you with a fruitful spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Yet how often do we set these aside? How often do our words contradict what God planted in us? We curse ourselves when we speak defeat, doubt, or limitation over our own actions. Our mouths can uproot what God is trying to grow.

The fig tree looked alive but produced nothing. Jesus called it what it was, the tree wasting space. That same question reaches us today: What are you doing with your fruit? Are you fruitful or fruitless?