Leaves Without Fruit

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus approaches a fig tree looking for fruit. Finding none, He curses it. Then He enters the Temple and drives out those who have turned a house of prayer into a marketplace. The next day, the disciples notice that the fig tree has withered from the roots. At first glance, these seem like two separate events. But they are actually one lesson.

The fig tree was full of leaves. From a distance, it looked healthy and alive. It appeared fruitful. But when Jesus came close, there was nothing there. The Temple was similar. It was full of activity, noise, people, and religious practices. From the outside, everything looked impressive. But when Jesus entered, He found that the heart of worship had been lost.

The theme of today’s Gospel is simple: God is not looking for leaves. He is looking for fruit. That should make us pause. Because it is possible to have many leaves in our spiritual lives. We can have the appearance of faith. We can attend Mass, know our prayers, serve in ministries, and speak religious language. We can look busy and committed. But Jesus is never satisfied with appearances alone. He comes close. He looks beneath the leaves. He looks for faith that trusts Him, love that forgives, humility that serves, purity of heart, generosity, compassion, and prayer that comes from a real relationship with Him.

The frightening thing is that everyone else may see the leaves, but only Jesus sees whether there is fruit. That is why the cleansing of the Temple is so important. Jesus is not merely angry about people selling things. He is concerned because God’s house had become crowded with everything except God. And that can happen to us. Our hearts are meant to be temples of the Holy Spirit. Yet sometimes they become crowded with worries, resentments, distractions, ambitions, and endless noise. We remain religious, but prayer becomes shallow. We remain active, but love grows cold.

The Gospel invites us to ask a difficult question: If Jesus came looking for fruit in my life today, what would He find? The good news is that Jesus never exposes our emptiness to shame us. He reveals it to heal us. When He cleansed the Temple, He was making room for true worship. When He cursed the fig tree, He was warning His disciples not to settle for appearances. And when He speaks about faith and forgiveness at the end of the Gospel, He shows us where true fruit begins: a heart that trusts God completely and a heart that refuses to hold onto bitterness.

Perhaps that is the invitation today. Less concern about looking faithful. More concern about becoming faithful. Less focus on leaves. More focus on fruit. Because in the end, Jesus is not impressed by what merely looks alive. He desires hearts that truly belong to Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You see beyond appearances and look into the depths of my heart. Show me where I am satisfied with leaves instead of fruit. Cleanse the temple of my heart from anything that keeps me from You. Give me a faith that trusts, a heart that forgives, and a life that bears fruit for Your Kingdom. May everything I do flow from a genuine love for You. Amen.

– Homily by Rev Fr Patrick Agbeko