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(1 Cor. 15, 12–19; Matt. 21, 18–22) The Lord condemned the fig tree to sterility because it looked so covered with leaves that there should have been fruits on it, which in fact were not there. When applied to Christian life, leaves mean external deeds of piety and external deeds, and fruits mean internal dispositions. The law is this: the former must proceed from the latter; but in terms of leniency towards infirmities - an extreme measure: the latter must develop together with the former. When the former are in power, but the latter are not even in embryo, then from here comes the lie of life, which is expressed as follows: to seem, but not to be. At first, perhaps, this unhappy mood is not present in thought, but then it appears unnoticed and establishes the order of life. Whoever places too much emphasis on appearance and becomes addicted to it, attention to the heart is closed, spiritual feelings are stifled, and coldness sets in. At this level, spiritual life freezes; there remains “a form of godliness without its power” (2 Tim. 3:5). Behavior on the outside is correct, but on the inside everything is topsy-turvy. The consequence of this is spiritual sterility: works are done, but they are all dead. You might be interested in: