And on the next day, when they had departed from Bethany, He became hungry. And seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And He answered and said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. Mark 11:12-14
When evening came, they would go out of the city. As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” Mark 11:19-26
When we think of the miracles of Jesus, we usually think of healings, raising the dead and casting out demons. But the next-to-last miracle Jesus performed was none of these, but rather a miracle of judgment and destruction – the cursing of the fig tree. People have struggled with this action for years: why would Jesus curse a living thing, a tree, that simply wasn’t providing fruit. It seems completely out of character for Him. Was he “hangry?”
I love fig trees. We had one at the house where I grew up. I could climb it and be on the roof in two seconds. Every summer it yielded the most succulent figs. My dad and I would pick them and eat some straight from the tree and my mom would make fig preserves with most of them. Delicious! I’ve tried growing a fig tree as an adult and I picked one fig one year. I guess I have that in common with Jesus – I cursed the fig tree – but I cursed it after it was dead – dadgum fig tree (more of a shrub or treelet)!
The fig tree was “in leaf.” This signaled that it should be bearing fruit. It was too early in the season for fig trees to typically bear fruit, but this one held promise as an “early bloomer.” Jesus’ expectation was that there would be figs on it. He was likely hungry and simply wanted to eat a couple of figs from a roadside tree. But when He inspected the tree he found no figs, and then He proclaimed that it would never produce fruit again, effectively a death sentence. To curse meant to pronounce judgement; Jesus did not cuss at the fig tree.
We learn in the second set of verses that the fig tree had withered from the roots up overnight. The disciples commented on it and Jesus made it an object lesson on faith and the power of prayer. It is indeed a powerful lesson and points out how weak our faith and prayer lives typically are. But I think there is more going on here.
The fig tree made a show of having fruit by being in leaf. This is much like the Jews at this point in time: they made a great show of following the Law and Prophets but were not bearing fruit. The fig tree is often associated with the nation of Israel (e.g., Jeremiah 8:13, Hosea 9:10, Nahum 3:12). Figs symbolized the fruit of spiritual fulfillment. When this fruit is not produced judgment may ensue. Jeremiah 8:13 speaks of the judgement to be meted out on Israel: ‘I will surely snatch them away,’ declares the Lord; “There will be no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig tree, and the leaf will wither; and what I have given them will pass away.”
Jesus had just been hailed as a king on Sunday. Passover, a celebration of God’s deliverance, was being celebrated. The time was ripe for Israel to accept the Messiah. Yet they did not and God knew they would not. So Jesus executed one act of judgement in cleansing the temple of its corruptness and then performed His only miracle of judgment in cursing the fig tree. Good Jewish boys like the disciples would have understood the significance of the fig tree and of Jesus’ action in pronouncing judgment.
Jeremiah writes in 17:7-10: Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is in the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit. The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it. I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give each man according to his ways, according to the result of his deeds. If we trust God we are like trees planted by streams with strong roots that can withstand the suffering that comes. But Jeremiah then reminds us that our hearts are deceitful and, when God searches our hearts, He will give to each according to his ways and the result of his deeds.
The act of cursing the fig tree is rich in meaning for believers. First, Jesus promises that we can have the faith and prayer life to accomplish amazing things. Second, we recognize the fulfillment of prophecy and the role of Jesus as Messiah and Savior. Third, we must bear fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) as we serve or run the risk of withering and dying (judgment).
If you have a chance this week, try to find a fig at the grocery store. As you bite into it and enjoy the sweetness, taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8) and remind yourself that it is up to you to show the sweetness of God’s love to the world.
