FIG LEAVES OR FRUIT?
From the beginning, mankind has tried to cover sin instead of confessing it.
After Adam and Eve sinned, Scripture tells us:
“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” — Genesis 3:7 KJV
Notice their first instinct.
They sinned.
They became ashamed.
And then they reached for fig leaves.
They tried to cover what had happened.
They attempted to hide the evidence of their condition instead of immediately bringing their sin before God.
And thousands of years later, mankind is still sewing fig leaves.
We may not use literal leaves, but we have learned many other ways to cover ourselves.
We cover pride with religious language.
We cover anger with excuses.
We cover unforgiveness by saying, “I just don’t associate with that person anymore.”
We cover greed by calling it ambition.
We cover disobedience by pointing to all the other good things we have done.
We cover sin because exposure is uncomfortable.
But Scripture gives us a warning:
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” — Proverbs 28:13 KJV
God does not ask us to become better at hiding.
He asks us to confess and forsake our sin.
And then we come to the ministry of Jesus.
In Matthew 21 and Mark 11, Jesus approaches another picture involving a fig tree.
The tree has leaves.
From a distance, it appears healthy.
There is an outward appearance of life.
But Jesus comes closer.
And there is no fruit.
Mark tells us:
“And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves.” — Mark 11:13 KJV
Nothing but leaves.
That phrase should concern every believer.
Because Genesis shows us people using fig leaves to cover what is wrong.
And Mark shows us a fig tree covered with leaves but producing no fruit.
The leaves were visible.
The fruit was absent.
And that gives us a serious spiritual question:
Are we bearing fruit, or are we simply wearing leaves?
It is possible to look Christian from a distance.
It is possible to attend church.
It is possible to quote Scripture.
It is possible to preach.
It is possible to sing.
It is possible to have a ministry title.
It is possible to know Christian vocabulary.
And yet when Christ comes looking for fruit, He may find nothing but leaves.
Jesus said:
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” — Matthew 7:20 KJV
Not by their leaves.
By their fruit.
The leaves are what people see.
The fruit is what our life actually produces.
And Jesus makes this even clearer in John 15:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” — John 15:4 KJV
There is the answer.
We do not produce genuine spiritual fruit by decorating ourselves with more leaves.
We produce fruit by remaining in Christ.
Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves.
But God still came looking for them.
The fig tree had leaves.
But Jesus still came looking for fruit.
And God still looks beyond our outward appearance today.
He sees beneath the leaves.
He sees beneath the reputation.
He sees beneath the Sunday clothes.
He sees beneath the ministry position.
He sees beneath the excuses.
And when Christ examines our lives, the question is not merely:
Do you look like a Christian?
The question is:
Where is the fruit?
Where is the repentance?
Where is the love?
Where is the mercy?
Where is the forgiveness?
Where is the humility?
Where is the obedience?
Where is the faithfulness?
Where is the evidence that you have remained in Christ?
There is another important difference between Adam’s fig leaves and the Gospel.
Adam tried to cover himself.
But through Jesus Christ, we no longer have to hide from God.
We can confess.
We can repent.
We can come into the light.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” — 1 John 1:9 KJV
The Gospel does not teach us how to sew better fig leaves.
The Gospel teaches us to stop hiding.
Bring the sin into the light.
Confess it.
Forsake it.
Remain in Christ.
And bear fruit.
So when Jesus approaches the tree of our life, may He not find nothing but leaves.
May He find fruit.
Stop covering. Start confessing.
Stop pretending. Start abiding.
Do not settle for leaves. Bear fruit.
“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” — John 15:8 KJV
Remain in Christ. Bear fruit. Serve faithfully.
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