Mark 11:12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing from 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. 14 And He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. 20 As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up.
Did you ever expect to see the Son of God hangry? Was Jesus getting in the flesh? The Son of God in a testy mood sounds terrifying indeed! Many, commentators say this is an example of Jesus showing the weakness of His humanity … people are looking for excuses to bring Jesus to their level.
Let’s think about this. Jesus fasted for 40 days. How is it that one day he misses breakfast and got so bad-tempered? Here is another thought. Jesus could make bread and fish multiply and turn water to wine. How could this have been about food? To declare Jesus was nothing but hangry does not make sense. On top of this, wouldn’t Jesus have known if it was fig season?
In the middle east during this time of year, as fig trees get leafy, they produce a crop of small knobs. They are a forerunner to the mature figs and drop off the tree before the “real” fruit is formed. In biblical times these knobs could be eaten by hungry peasants. If however, there were no knobs, it was an indication that there would be no figs.
Did you notice there were several verses missing from the passage above, Mark 11:12, 13, 14, 20? Verses 15-19 describe Jesus cleansing the Temple and His judgement of the priests and the scribes. In the Old Testament the fig tree was a symbol of Israel. When things were well in Israel and the people prosperous, the Bible describes “every man sitting under his own fig tree”, 1 Kings 4:25. On the other hand, in Jeremiah 5:17, the prophet when predicting judgment on Israel, spoke of the fig trees being destroyed. Could it be that Jesus cursing the fig tree was in reality, giving a powerful prophetic image? He was not just telling a message but also demonstrating it. Jesus cursing the fig tree was a warning about the requirement of Kingdom fruitfulness!
Here are two things to remember.
- When scripture doesn’t make sense, look a little deeper.
- Those that are not fruitful are in danger of being cursed.
Blessings, Pastor E