Not to earn Godâs gardening affectionâbut to yield that which he has (re)made us to do. 1:13; 6:21; Gal. Matthew 21:19 and Mark 11:14, 20. We are taken aback; this seems stunningly out of character for Jesus, the child-welcomer, compassionate healer, and storm-calmer. So upon inspecting the fruitless tree, Jesus pours out divine judgment via two sign-acts: the future-pointing act of cursing the temple, and the enacted metaphor of cursing the tree. 5:22; Phil. Did Christ, in a burst of temper, actually curse, i.e., use profanity, a fig tree? Jesus cursed the fig tree because it had the appearance of fruitfulness, but it was deceptive. Itâs another thing to lack it while pretending you have it. While the disciples are marveling at the construction and apparent invincibility of the Temple, Jesus tells them that not one stone will be left on another. JESUS: THE DESIRE OF ALL THE AGES Part 64 - Cursing the Fig Tree By Larry Chambers The story for this column is found in Matthew 21:18-21; Mark 11:12-21. It lacked fruit. Resurrected Saints and Matthewâs Weirdest Passage, Greg Lanier on Teaching 1 Corinthians (Part 2). The FAQs: Are Fetal Cells Being Used in COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments? 10:35â37), which helps conceptualize their relationship to God: as his own special planting, they must yield spiritual fruit as his covenant people (Ps. Itâs one thing to lack fruit out of season. A few days later, Jesus confronts the root of corruption itself in a garden on a high place. By using Learn Religions, you accept our, The Meaning of Jesus Cursing the Fig Tree, Jesus Cleanses the Temple (Mark 11:15-19), Book of Daniel From the King James Version of the Bible, Jesus's Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree (Mark 11:20-26), Jesus' Entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11), Holy Week Timeline: From Palm Sunday to the Resurrection, Jesus Heals the Blind Bartimeus (Mark 10:46-52), Jesus on How the Rich Get to Heaven (Mark 10:17-25), Jesus Blesses Little Children (Mark 10:13-16). Here are Brett McCrackenâs picks for the best films and documentaries released in 2020âand where to watch them. The next day, Jesus and the disciples passed the fig tree and saw that it had withered overnight, a surprising contrast. First, Jesus curses the fig tree. Jesus Curses the Barren Fig Tree by Damien F. Mackey “It has puzzled people for generations why Jesus was so upset with a fig tree that by nature should not have had figs or leaves…”. 19:1–11). Then He said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ Immediately the tree withered.” vv18-19. And Peter calling to remembrance said unto him [Christ], ‘Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which you cursed is withered away’” (Mark 11:20-21). Copyright © 2021 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved, Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com.Â. Someone Will Catechize Your Kids in 2021. The next morning (presumably Tuesday of Passion Week) Jesus In a shocking turn, Jesus curses the tree and makes it wither from the roots, never to yield fruit again. 7:1; Jer. It was a false appearance of bearing figs that caused Jesus to become irate with this tree! Jesus returned to the fig tree and the account given by Mark is says “ On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. There may be no fruit of holiness and no intimacy with God. Israelâs fruitfulness (literal or otherwise) is not the basis of their relationship with God, for it is God who gives fruitfulness (Deut. In the morning, as he travels from Bethany, he spots a fig tree âin leaf.â At this point in late spring, most fig trees haven’t developed mature fruit (Mark 11:13). The fig tree you cursed has withered" (Mark 11:20–21)! Immediately: Matthew 21:19, “Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. Specifically: it was not the time for Jewish leaders to “bear fruit,” and therefore they would be cursed by God never to bear any fruit ever again. The fig tree symbolizes Israel. But this tree was entirely barren. Verse 19. The fruitless fig tree draws us back to prior points in Jesusâs ministry, when Godâs people were called to produce spiritual fruit (Matt. Jesus's way of saying that the whole nation had become spiritually barren before the Lord The tree stood all alone in a conspicuous situation by the roadside, as if courting observation. In this inverted miracle we see precisely the stakes not only of failing to produce fruit, but of giving a fruitful impression and failing to back it up. 10:35–37), which helps conceptualize their relationship to God: as his own special planting, they must yield spiritual fruit as his covenant people (Ps. Jesus enters Jerusalem amid exultation from the masses gathered for Passover. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. The fig tree, once again, has failed. Thus, instead of merely cursing and killing a lowly fig tree, Jesus is saying that Judaism itself is cursed and will die off — “dry up at the roots,” as a later passage explains when the disciples see the tree the next day (in Matthew, the tree dies immediately). When Jesus approached Jerusalem, He saw that the fig tree had leaves, a good sign of the presence of fruit. With this web of background images, light bulbs would’ve immediately gone on in the minds of Jesusâs disciples as he re-enacted Israelâs history by cursing the fig tree. But why did Jesus cause the tree to wither? But more is going on behind the scenes. The second thing to note here is that incidents like this in the gospels were part of what helped fuel Christian antisemitism. He is also an associate pastor at River Oaks Church (PCA). He knew He was going to be crucified in less than a week, but He still had much to teach His disciples. Itâs also about the threat of and temptation toward false pretenses of fruit. Israel: God's fig tree. Then he cleanses the Temple, itself a symbolic judgment of the religious leaders. The cursed fig tree is connected to Jesus’ actions in the temple. They will be instruments by which Israel is transformedâwhen the Jewish nucleus of Christ-followers extends branches worldwide and brings forth fruit from all nations (beginning in Acts). 8:13; Hos. 27:6). But all is not lost. As any agrarian Israelite knew, the firstfruits of the harvest belong to God (Ex. A churchâs leaves may look impressive: booming attendance, capital campaigns, clever pastors, impressive music. Except thereâs no fruit. Two Lessons of the Fig Tree At a distance, Jesus sees a fig tree with leaves, and being hungry, He approaches it hoping to find some fruit, since a fig tree often produces figs earlier than it produces foliage. 21:20â22). Thus the fig tree cursing is not just about historical Israel. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. With that expectation, Jesus inspects the tree. The Meaning of Jesus Cursing the Fig Tree. Or will he find figs, too? Should I Remain in a Job That Crushes My Spirit? “Rabbi, see!” he exclaims, “the fig tree that you cursed has withered.” —Mark 11:21. Jesus enters God’s house of prayer and finds it a âden of robbersâ (Mark 11:17). Shortly after that in Mark 12:1-12 and Matthew 21:33-46, Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard. Jesus has pursued the children of God with compassionate seriousness (Luke 13:34). 3:14; 5:1–7; Jer. Rather, the fig tree is an obvious reference to Israel’s spiritual sterility.
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