Jesus and the Fig Tree

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Many times when reading my Bible I come across a story, a verse or passage that catches my interest, but I can’t quite get the meaning of it. One such story is found in Matthew 21: 18-20 and again in Mark 11:12-14. I call it the story of Jesus and the fig tree. First let’s look at the story as told in Matthew.
18 Now in the morning as he returned to the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
Now, let’s see the same story told in the book of Mark.
11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if perhaps he might find any thing thereon; and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs were not yet. 14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
Looking back at the story in Matthew we see that Jesus, the day before, had entered Jerusalem on an ass with a multitude of people praising and welcoming Him with singing and much excitement. Then He went to the temple and cast out the money changers and overthrew the tables and the seats of those that sold doves. Matt. 21: 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves.
Afterwards, He taught and healed the people who were still singing, ” Hosanna to the son of David.” This made the chief priests and scribes very angry and they asked Jesus, “Do you hear what they are saying?”
Matt. 21:16….And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Jesus left then and went to Bethany and spent the night. In the morning He returned to Jerusalem and that’s when He saw the fig tree.
The events took place a little differently in Mark’s version of the story, but this is not unusual when more than one person relates how and when something happened. Jesus had entered the temple in Jerusalem and looked around at what was going on there and when evening came He and His disciples went to Bethany. It was on the road back to Jerusalem the next morning that He saw the fig tree and basically cursed it. Afterwards, He entered the temple, overthrew the tables and cast out the money changers. He and the twelve left the city again and in the morning upon returning, the disciples saw the withered fig tree and remembered what Jesus had said to it.
In both accounts once the disciples pointed out how quickly the tree had withered, Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God.” Then He went on to say that with enough faith, they too could do that to a fig tree or move a mountain into the sea.
My question was: Why did He do that to the tree? Some might think, He could just as easily have made the tree produce the fruit He wanted even though it wasn’t the time for figs to be ripe. Was it righteous anger, the same as He felt in the temple when He saw what they were doing inside His Father’s house of prayer? Any one of us might act out in anger at the fig tree, but Jesus wasn’t impulsive or known for angry outbursts. Surely there’s a lesson for us here, as in everything He did.
After much prayer and some research, I found what I think He had in mind when He told the tree it would not produce fruit and no man would eat from it ever again. From the time John the Baptist began to preach of Jesus’ arrival, the chief priests, scribes, Pharisees….all the religious leaders and lawmakers had tried to find a reason to put a stop to this movement the people seemed to be accepting so readily. Once Jesus arrived on the scene and began His ministry the crowds followed Him and people were being saved….no longer going along with what they had previously been told.
In my research I learned that, unlike other trees, the fig tree produces it’s fruit first and then the leaves appear. They also produce fruit more than once a year. Therefore, when Jesus saw from afar that the tree had leaves, he thought there must be fruit there too. When He saw there was no fruit perhaps it put Him in mind of the religious leaders of that time who promised the people hope, but then denied that He was that hope, the answer they had been waiting for, the promised Messiah. Maybe He used the fig tree as an example of the Jewish people who had rejected Him at every turn and so He determined that it should no longer happen that way. He had come that the people might be saved if they only believed He was who He said He was. They would no longer be offered fruitless broken promises but everlasting life.
In Matthew 15: 8 Jesus said of the scribes and Pharisees that were questioning him: This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Going back further, we see in Matthew 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hown down and cast into the fire.
Jesus also shared a parable of the fig tree found in Luke 13: 6-9. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and looked for fruit, but found none. He said to the dresser of the vineyard, “For three years I have come looking for fruit from this tree and found none. Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?”
The dresser answered, “Lord, let it alone this year also till I can dig about it and dung it; and if it bear fruit after that, well; and if not then after that you can cut it down.”
Once we accept the offer of salvation from Jesus we are expected to be faithful and bear much fruit…which means sharing His love with others. John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit; and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Like the vineyard dresser in the parable above, Jesus takes the time to work with us (to dig around and fertilize us) in order that we bear fruit for Him. He is always interceding for us to the Father, not willing that one of us should perish. May we all remember the fate of the withered fig tree and do our best to bear fruit for Him who gave His life that we might be saved.

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My name is Betty Fritz. I was born and raised in Texas but have resided in Elkhart, Indiana for the last 25 years. My husband is a Hoosier so that’s how we wound up here. We have two daughters and a son plus 6 grand kids…..3 boys and 3 girls. I retired last year after working for 24 years at Elkhart Child Development Center. I’ve been writing since a teenager and have taken several writing courses. I enjoy writing short stories. I wrote a book of poems, RHYMES OF THE TIMES, which was published a few years ago. I have written countless songs, a few for which demo recordings have been made. Recently I’ve been writing blogs..most of them about my faith and things the Lord has taught me in my Christian life over the last 51 years. My inspiration comes from my personal relationship with Jesus Christ and my desire to see that my grandchildren grow up in a Christian nation. My goal is to bring glory to Him and help others to see that there is POWER in the name of JESUS!

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