"Let's take a break," someone suggested.
The group, which had been moving quickly without rest, stopped in their tracks. Some bowed their heads, panting, while others lay down by the side of the road. Nathanael, who had joined the journey suddenly and without much preparation, found the path to his hometown of Cana more exhausting than usual.
"Phew."
Nathanael let out a long sigh, raising his hand to wipe away the sweat from his face. It was already the second day of their forced march. Bethany, where John the Baptist performed baptisms, was not far from the Dead Sea, but Cana was in Galilee, so the journey would normally take several more days. However, Jesus urged them to arrive within three days, so everyone had to keep up with the pace.
Two mornings ago, Nathanael had never imagined he would be embarking on such a long journey. He watched Jesus as He rested. No matter how closely he looked, Jesus seemed no different from ordinary people. How did He know what Nathanael had been pondering under the fig tree? Nathanael recalled what had happened under the fig tree two mornings ago.
* * *
Nathanael had been consumed by worry since leaving his hometown. He had departed with the desire to do something meaningful for the world, but the reality he encountered was far from his dreams. Soldiers, who were supposed to protect people, were instead oppressing and taking from them, and tax collectors were busy exploiting the populace. Merchants deceived others for even a small profit, and the poor and sick, who should have been pitied, were shunned by everyone. What about the leaders who were supposed to be the shepherds of Israel? Priests turned the temple into a tool for personal gain, and Pharisees used the law as a chain to bind others. Scribes and scholars boasted of their knowledge, focusing only on right and wrong.
Even the Essenes, who seemed somewhat better, had their own limitations. Nathanael had gone to the area near the Dead Sea, but their closed-off nature hindered him. To change the world, one had to go out into it, but they instead waited for the world to come to them. This was not the world Nathanael had wanted. What could he do in such a world? Had he lived honestly and kept the law since childhood just for this kind of world?
Nathanael let out a deep sigh and sat under a fig tree. Before him lay a single fig that had fallen from the tree, much like the current state of Israel: crushed and rotting. As he looked at the fig, he suddenly remembered the two baskets of figs that God had shown to the prophet Jeremiah.
After Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took King Jehoiachin of Judah, along with officials, craftsmen, and blacksmiths, as captives, God showed Jeremiah two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple. One basket contained very good figs, like the first ripe ones, and the other basket contained very bad figs, so bad they could not be eaten. Then Yahweh asked Jeremiah, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" He replied, "Figs. The good figs are very good, and the bad are very bad, so bad that they can’t be eaten." Yahweh then said:
“Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, for good. For I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land. I will build them, and not pull them down; I will plant them, and not pluck them up. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am Yahweh. They will be my people, and I will be their God; for they will return to me with their whole heart.’
‘As the bad figs, which can’t be eaten, they are so bad,’ surely Yahweh says, ‘So I will give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt. I will even give them up to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth for evil; to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places where I will drive them. I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence among them, until they are consumed from off the land that I gave to them and to their fathers.’”
People generally think that those who remained behind and were not taken captive were the fortunate ones, but God said the opposite. Being taken captive was the way to survive, and not being taken was the path to destruction.
Mattaniah, the fourth son of King Josiah, was made king by Nebuchadnezzar after his nephew Jehoiachin was taken captive, and he was renamed Zedekiah. Initially, he was faithful to the law and followed Jeremiah's advice, but three years later, he allied with Pharaoh of Egypt and opposed Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and captured it after eighteen months, leading to the complete destruction of the kingdom of David. The words of Yahweh spoken to Jeremiah were fulfilled.
Those who were not taken captive were scattered among the nations, becoming objects of scorn, mockery, ridicule, and curses, while those who were taken captive were protected and cared for by God, eventually returning wholeheartedly. Later, Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin, returned and rebuilt the temple and its walls, showing that God's will cannot be judged by human thinking.
As I reflect on the message of the two baskets of figs in this era, I wonder what the good figs and the bad figs represent today. Which path is the one that God will establish and not destroy, and which path will lead to extinction through war and famine?
Nowadays, leaders tell us to believe and follow them, but it seems to me that, in God's eyes, their path is one that leads to destruction. They are like those who were not taken captive: content with their past circumstances and using God for personal gain. Following them would make us like the figs in the bad basket—so bad that they are inedible. Then, what does it mean to follow the path of being taken captive? Which path should I take to recognize God as my Lord, return to Him with a whole heart, and become His people, so that He becomes our God?
I truly wish that God would send us a leader like Zerubbabel in this era. God sent the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel and the people, bringing messages of hope, comfort, and sometimes rebuke. The messages included:
“‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Isn’t it in your eyes as nothing? Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says Yahweh. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ says Yahweh, ‘and work, for I am with you,’ says Yahweh of Armies. ‘This is the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit lived among you. Don’t be afraid.’
For this is what Yahweh of Armies says: ‘Yet once more, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations. The treasure of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says Yahweh of Armies. ‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ says Yahweh of Armies. ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of Armies; ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ says Yahweh of Armies.”
“‘So is this people, and so is this nation before me, and so is every work of their hands. That which they offer there is unclean. Now, please consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid on a stone in Yahweh’s temple. Through all that time, when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty, there were only twenty. I struck you with blight, mildew, and hail in all the work of your hands; yet you didn’t turn to me,’ says Yahweh. ‘Consider, please, from this day and backward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, since the day that the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? Yes, as yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not produced. From today I will bless you.’”
And these were the LORD’s final words.
“‘Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, “I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders will come down, every one by the sword of his brother. In that day, says Yahweh of Armies, I will take you, Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says Yahweh, ‘and will make you as a signet, for I have chosen you,’ says Yahweh of Armies.”
It seems to me that this current era is similar to the time when Zerubbabel led ten thousand people back. People suffer under foreign rule yet look toward the temple. Just as it was back then, the Jerusalem temple is still being built today. However, people continue to live in sin before God, unaware of their own uncleanness. Just as God elevated Zerubbabel to complete the temple in that era, I wonder if God will raise someone else in this era to complete it. I hope that God's promise to shatter the powers of the world and shake heaven and earth will be fulfilled in this era. Just as God raised Zerubbabel, I wish that God would raise up a savior, the Messiah, in this era.
That was when I prayed like this:
"God, I wish You would respond to me. I don't know which path to take. The leaders of this era are also chosen by You, but when I see their lives and actions, I find no truth, only deceit. They seem like those who were not taken captive, just as You said. I fear I cannot live honestly if I follow them. Lord, if there is a good fig basket now, please show me the way. Help me become like the people who built the temple with Zerubbabel, so that I can establish it firmly."
Some time after finishing that prayer, Philip came to me, and I ended up meeting Jesus. Initially, I thought that nothing good, such as a prophet, could come from Nazareth based on my own knowledge, and I did not want to follow. However, after listening to Philip's words, I decided to follow, and it turned out to be the best decision of my life.
When Jesus said He saw me under the fig tree, I remembered my prayer to God and considered it an answer. This person was the one God sent, the good fig basket. He is the one who truly understands God's will, the Son of God. He is the Messiah who will save Israel from the world's oppression and help me realize that I am God's people. He is the one who will build the true temple. I became convinced that He is the one with the path.
Two days have passed since then. I think we will arrive in Cana around lunchtime tomorrow. It's been a while since I've returned to my hometown. Jesus said He is going to attend the wedding of the son of His mother's friend. Apparently, Jesus has known them since childhood. Since Nazareth and Cana are not far apart, it's no surprise they have a close relationship.
Nathanael gazed at Jesus' face as He rested. Jesus sat quietly, showing no signs of fatigue. As Nathanael recalled the conversations they had shared while walking, he was once again overcome with awe. How could He say such things? Why had He remained so quiet until now? How was it that Nathanael had not heard any rumors about Him despite living nearby? Nathanael couldn't understand why he had never even heard His name before.
At that moment, Andrew, who was sitting next to him, spoke up.
"Hey, Nathanael, what's your father's name?"
"Tolmai."
"Ah, then we can call you Bartholomew, the son of Tolmai."
"Yes, that's also my name. You can call me whatever you like."
"I'll still call you Nathanael. Let's get along well from now on," said John, the youngest, with a smile.
Nathanael, the son of Tolmai, smiled broadly.
"Alright, let's get going," Philip said, and everyone stood up. They were all walking the same path together. How could Nathanael not feel joy? He couldn't contain the happiness rising within him.
The passage from Jeremiah 24:3, 5-10, Haggai 2:3-9, 14-19, 21-23 quoted in this narrative is taken directly from the World English Bible (WEB) translation.
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