Sometimes our Christian journey becomes a ‘High Talk but Low Walk’. For example, we say with our words that we believe and trust in God, but we don’t live it out in our daily lives when challenges come. Let me tell you a ‘High Talk but Low Walk’ story from the bible.
Story in Mark 11
It begins with a crowd giving Jesus a celebratory welcome as he comes into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (Mark 11:7). The next morning Jesus is feeling hungry and sees a fig tree in full leaf. But he finds only leaves on it, no fruit, for it’s not yet the season for figs. Jesus speaks to the fig tree, “No one will ever eat fruit from you again!” (Vs. 14, TPT)
The following day he and his disciples pass by that same fig tree. Peter remembers seeing it the day before and says, “Teacher, look! That’s the tree you cursed. It’s now all shriveled up and dead.” Jesus replies, “Let the faith of God be in you!” (Vs. 21-22, TPT)
It seems strange that Jesus would curse a tree. But fig trees have unique seasonal patterns. The normal early season for figs in Israel is June, but the early unripe fruit begins to show itself even before the spring leaves appear on the branches, often before Passover. So, if there are no early figs, then there will be no fruit during the regular crop season even if leaves appear.
The Lesson Jesus is Teaching
Jesus is trying to teach an important spiritual lesson. The Jews, especially the Jewish leaders, are like this barren fig tree. They profess religious faith but they are bearing no fruit. They even refuse to accept Jesus as the Messiah as he rides a donkey into Jerusalem (Vs. 7). We know this because, within days, the cry of Hosanna will turn into these chilling words, “Crucify Him!’
Because Jesus sees no fruitfulness in these Jews, he knows they’ve hardened their hearts and there will be no later fruit from these unbelieving people. Jesus is also reminding the disciples to continually have faith in God (Vs. 22). If they place their faith in God, they can avoid ‘High Talk and Low Walk’ and also the obstacles that seem like mountains to them.
However, this faith in God takes a daily love relationship with him. Henry Blackaby believes that “Everything in our Christian life, everything about knowing him and experiencing him, everything about knowing his will, depends on the quality of our love relationship to God” In other words, our fruitfulness is dependent upon the constant presence of God in our life. God is always revealing what he’s about to do and that is our invitation to JOIN him in what he’s doing. And when we join him, we will be fruitful.
Applying it to Your Life
How would you assess your faith right now? Do you find yourself saying you trust God, but then you get worked up when you have challenges or when things don’t go your way? Your daily intimacy with God will protect your heart from becoming inflexible and self-seeking like the Jewish leaders. And it will help you avoid a ‘High Talk but Low Walk’ Christian life!
For help on ways to spend time with God, click on this link to see some spiritual growth exercises from my website.
Especially helpful: “… fruitfulness is dependent upon the constant presence of God in our life. God is always revealing what he’s about to do and that is our invitation to JOIN him in what he’s doing. And when we join him, we will be fruitful.”
Thanks, Gwen