Summer Is Coming
Summer Is Nigh
Matthew 24:32–35
What can an ordinary fig tree teach us about living through change?
At our church in Fremont, a fig tree grew outside the main doors. Its fallen fruit could be messy, but during fig season, there was always a snack available.
My friend Bob understood that tree. He knew when to prune it—usually sooner than I thought appropriate. Because he paid attention and cared for it at the right time, it thrived.
I never became an expert in fig trees. But I learned to notice a little more.
Jesus invites his disciples to learn from a familiar tree. Tender branches and emerging leaves tell them summer is approaching. Recognizing the season helps them respond, even though they do not know every detail of what comes next.
Jesus was addressing people whose familiar world would change. The temple seemed extraordinarily secure. Yet even that great building would fall.
We know something about that experience. Institutions change. Familiar arrangements disappear. Things we assumed would always be there prove vulnerable.
Beneath our questions about timing is a deeper question:
What can we trust when our familiar world changes?
Jesus answers:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
His call to love our neighbors still matters. His teaching about mercy still matters. We can practice what he has taught us while we are still trying to understand what is happening.
Summer’s approach gives us a picture of anticipation. We look toward warmth, renewal, and possibilities still unfolding. That image opens a window onto the larger hope of God’s righteousness and peace.
The suffering around us is real. Jesus never asks us to pretend otherwise.
But suffering does not exhaust God’s future.
Consider these questions:
What signs are helping you recognize the season you are living through?
What needs tending, releasing, or nurturing in your life?
Which words of Jesus will you practice and trust this week?
Choose one faithful response today. Then talk about it with someone. Listen to what they are noticing, and encourage one another.
Summer is nigh. The words of Jesus endure.
What can an ordinary fig tree teach us about changing seasons, faithful living, and trusting the enduring words of Jesus? A reflection on Matthew 24:32–35.
Read the reflection and find subscriber discussion guides:
https://tomsims.substack.com/p/summer-is-nigh
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