By Lois Hewitt

Holy Monday!  This is my first year of even beginning to know this. Holy Monday, obviously, follows Palm Sunday in Holy Week leading up to Easter and the resurrection of Jesus.

A few things happened on that Monday, many years ago.  Jesus was back in Jerusalem and He walked by a fig tree that bore no fruit. He cursed the tree and it withered overnight.

I have read an observation that the tree represents the spiritual life of believers. The tree looked like a healthy fig tree but upon closer examination, one could tell something was wrong. It bore no fruit.

A fruit tree has basically one job and that is to produce fruit. It can do other things like make shade, convert carbon dioxide and other things trees in general do. But a fig tree is ultimately designed to produce figs.

I was a lot like that tree.  I looked okay at first glance. Productive even but if you would have looked for fruit of the Spirit, none would be found. For many years, I was basically withering away on the inside. I bore no fruit.

The fig tree that Jesus cursed, proved itself to be unfruitful.  Much like I had done for years.

Jesus also visited the Temple that day. What He saw greatly disturbed Him.

Moneychangers in His Father’s House, conducting business on sacred ground.  He flipped the tables over and rebuked all those who were participating.

He felt that many of the religious people of the time, were withered spiritually, like the fig tree.

I used to do Bible studies and prayed but many times those acts were simply items on my daily to-do list.  I did learn some things, but my heart was hard with bitterness and anger.  My sense of compassion and mercy was hibernating awaiting a time when I was better.

It’s so easy to look a certain way outwardly but to look another way on the inside.  Jesus wants us all to produce fruit in our lives. He wants us blessed and, in return, to be a blessing to others.

That’s hard to do when your heart is hardened. Life has a way of kicking us all.  Beating us up.  That can lead to many issues that leave us empty inside. We look fine on the outside, maybe we even say we are fine but the reality is much different.

My prayer this Holy Monday is that your heart heals from the pain you have experienced. That your heart breaks through the wall you built around it to protect it.  I pray that you allow Jesus to replace the hurt with His perfect love.

This process took me a very long time and I still struggle at times but I yearn to produce fruit in my life.  I want to live an authentic spiritual life and I pray the same for you.

As we all walk through this Holy Week, let us remember that true spirituality shines from the inside naturally, organically.  It is not a mask we wear, but the essence of our commitment to the One who suffered and died on a wooden cross for our sins.  Then rose from the dead to give us all the opportunity for eternal life with Him. 

What a gift to receive! What fruit to bear!

“Monday’s events are recorded in Matthew 21:12–22, Mark 11:15–19, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-17.”