Day 26 - The Importance of Fig Trees

At the beginning of his ministry Jesus called to Philip to follow him and he went in search of Nathanael to tell him that he had found the Christ. Nathanael was at first somewhat doubtful, but nevertheless he went along to see. Noticing Nathanael coming towards him, Jesus remarked, "Here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false."

Wondering how this man might happen to know him, Nathanael asked, "How did you know me?" "When you were under the fig tree I saw you." Jesus told him, John 1:48.

Something outside the normal experiences of everyday life must have happened to Nathanael under the fig tree or the Saviour would not have mentioned this one particular place. Any other place would have done equally as well. Our Lord might have seen him just as easily in his own garden or in the street. But there was something in his answer that was highly significant to Nathanael.

In those days there were many devout people looking for the "consolation of Israel"; the coming of the King of the Jews. It is easy to believe that Nathanael was one of them, sitting under the fig tree, praying like many others for the swift coming of the Messiah.

When Jesus said to him, "When you were under the fig tree, I saw you," Nathanael immediately answered, "You are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel."

He was under the tree for this purpose and not once only, but very probably for months and perhaps even for years. He had been praying for this very thing. He had selected one special fig tree to be his place for prayer.

Under that particular tree he would have prayed long and often for Israel's King to come. So when Jesus said, "When you were under the fig tree, I saw you," he would have known straight away that his often repeated prayers were answered, thus triggering the response, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

It is good for devout folk to have a secret place of communion like this with God; perhaps on a mossy knoll in the woods, under a big old oak tree, on a grassy spot on the bank of a stream, or under a shade-tree that grows alongside a river meandering through a meadow. We can retreat there when the shadows of night begin to fall or when the light of the morning streaks across the sky, and there we can pour out our praise and thanksgiving from the fullness of our hearts.

It is a delight to have an altar of prayer in some secluded place. There we meet God and tell him all our sorrows and cares, and we can tell him, too, about his loving kindness. There we can beg his grace to uphold and sustain us through all our difficulties in life, and there we can worship at his feet. Bless his name!

Beloved, have you a "fig-tree"? and are you often found under it?