How do you react when you’re stressed? I tend to get snippy with people. Some people probably withdraw. Some react with anger. Did you ever think of it? The first step to controlling yourself is learning how you react in situations. Next you learn to watch yourself and see when you are doing it.
Jesus had to be stressed. His ministry had finally brought him to Jerusalem. He knew that ahead of him were confrontations with religious authorities, trials and death. As a youth, he had been trained by these authorities. Somewhere along the way as a young man, he saw God’s true wishes. He came to oppose the religious establishment.
At any rate, he had made his first entry into Jerusalem and checked things out. Then he was going to a small town outside the city for the night. He saw a fig tree in leaf. It shouldn’t have been–it wasn’t fig season. Who knows. Maybe he felt a sudden hunger for figs and maybe thought that God had provided. Whatever, he saw the tree and went over to it. But it had no fruit. He was stressed, now he was disappointed. He reacted probably like we would have. He cursed the tree–“may you never bear fruit.”
The next day on the way back to Jerusalem, his companions noticed that that fig tree was dying. They pointed it out to Jesus. He always used incidents as teaching opportunities. So, he didn’t explain why he did it. He just said that we, too, could do things if we pray. We could cause mountains to move if we should but pray to God.
Then there is an added paragraph. Seems like a non sequitur. First forgive others, then seek forgiveness, then with a clear conscience you can pray.
Seems like a long explanation from being stressed. But recognizing your situation, clearing your conscience so you have nothing between you and God, then going into conversation with God takes you into a new state of being. You overcome the stress–or whatever else in concerning you–and you can re-establish your direct link to God and find peace.
Gary Mintchell
Faith Venture 