Sunday, April 3, 2011

Meaning behind Thai Fig tree...

Ok... so get this. It's my last day in Bangkok and got wrecked this morning by the Father's love in church. A bunch of the Thai people here at the New Dawn church facility where we are staying at saw me on my knees after the message and just began pouring into me and breaking stuff off. It was difficult letting go of things, but was experiencing new waves of freedom and intimacy with the Father. Thank you Jesus! I had gotten a word a few days ago from Craig, who lives in Pattaya, that God was going to wreck me even more... I received it right then and said... "Bring it Lord!" But I'll be honest I wasn't expecting what I was hit with this morning.

So after service, ate lunch with everyone, then grabbed some coffee and retrieted to my room to rest, pray and listen to Heidi's message when she was in the Central Coast last year during the conference. As I just sprawled on my bed and talked with the Father, Jess walked in and we began talking... we then walked in the kitchen area real quick to finish talking and I leaned out of the window on the side wall to overlook the slums below. As I turned my head right I saw a huge amazingling fun tree with several sturdy branches right in the middle of the lot. It had this colorful sash around it. I told Jess, "check this out! wouldn't that tree be amazing for a huge tree fort?" She walked over and said it was a Thai fig tree and actually the monks used to sit under them, so they are considered sacred and can't be touched. They tie the sashes around as a sign to to not tear it down or trample on it. She also said they probably couldn't build on it or climb it because of the feet being considered so lowly here, it would be disrespectful religiously.



Immediately the verse in Luke 6 popped in my head about figs and grapes. I went back to the room to look it up:

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

I started to laugh as revelation started to just come... I googled "Thai fig tree meaning" and found this article:

WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND WHEN JESUS CURSES THE FIG TREE?


In between the two encounters with the fig tree, Jesus goes to the temple and overturns the money changers tables.The fig tree is a representation of the temple.

You see from a distance the fig tree appeared to be lush, green and life sustaining, so that if a hungry man saw it, he would naturally go to it in hopes of being nourished. But when Christ got to the fig tree he saw that the fig tree was no different than the rocks and sand around it, it bore no fruit. Essentially there was not difference between the rocks, sand and the fig tree.

Now when Christ went to the temple that day it was a type of the same thing. From a distance the temple appeared to be a place of God where a man could nourish his spirit. But when Christ got there, there was no difference between the way people were inside the temple and the way people were outside the temple.The temple was not helping God to change people for the better. It was not bearing fruit. 


So then I looked up Mark 11:20-24 (hahah...it was a journey of revelation. I was having fun with God researching this!) The actual Lesson of the withered fig tree.

"Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. (key word for what the Lord began speaking to me at the beginning of this trip) And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. "

REVELATION...

So in sharing all that. I believe the fig tree represents as mentioned the temple, which in Thai culture I believe represents Bhuddist religion that has no fruit, and Thai people will testify Bhuddism brings no life here. As I remembered the fig and grapes... the comparison came to mind that they can't intertwine together. Jesus says that He is the vine and we are the branches. We who remain in Him and Him in us will produce MUCH fruit and apart from Him we can do nothing.

This is key. Coming to Thailand, it is not a fight about religion, but about Life and abundance. Many here have nothing... no hope, no love, no homes, no family, no food, no money, but Jesus came to bring life and abundantly. He came to POUR OUT LOVE, and teach that the Father knows our every need and when we ask with even the little faith we have, He will give us much! This is life giving. So I am believing this fig tree represents a root in this culture that Jesus wants to transform and redeem. I speak in faith and with great confidence, Jesus is here, and brining MORE. He says the Harvest is ready, and much good fruit is growing already. This is just the beginning...