MARK 11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts 12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Yet at the same time, none of us knows how much time we have leftso we'd better get moving! Cut it down! It will take some heart-searching for us to get to Jesus. In fact, its the only time in the Gospels where Jesus uses miraculous power for wounding rather than healing. You get his life of obedience. But they look real. Thats what Jesus wants for his disciples. Every day we hear news reports of accidents, natural catastrophes and attacks that take innocent lives. According to some researchers, the image is taken from the Old Testament symbol of the fig tree representing Israel, and the cursing of the fig tree in Mark and Matthew and the parallel story in Luke are thus symbolically directed against the Jews, who have not accepted Jesus as king. How does it have any relation to the fig tree and to the temple? God gives good gifts. Add in the fact that Mark said it wasnt the time for figs, and it does seem a bit out of character, doesnt it? The harvest of ripened fruit is the reason the tree is taking up valuable real estate. Why did God send Jesus when He did? How free we are? The account of Jesus cursing the barren fig tree is found in two different gospel accounts. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. He always nourishes and protects. Our human viewpoint looks on this curse as capricious and unfair. How much do we care? Whats going on in Isaiah 56? Trees provide a framework for the biblical story of us. How could Jesus raise it up again in three days? And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. Was it a divine overreaction? So we need to understand what Jesus was doing. Against such there is no law." Gods glory was at stake. Lewis talked about how fairy stories (and in this case songs) have a way of getting past our watchful dragonsthose dragons prevent truths from getting through to our heart. ["Early figs" ripen in June - and a later (second) harvest comes in August and September.] Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why encumbers it the ground? Peter pointed it out, and Jesus responded in a really interesting way. He will come to you not with cursing but with blessing. Why is there a curse associated with hanging on a tree? Jesus uses his miraculous powers to place a curse on the fig tree. But true worship of God in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit is life giving. And he doesnt need a fancy temple. First of all, we see the figs in the garden of Eden covering up the shame of Adam and Eve. Time and chance happen to everyone, Solomon once wrote (Ecclesiastes 9:11 Ecclesiastes 9:11I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.American King James Version). We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In Micah 4 :4, the age of the messiah is pictured as one in which each man would sit under his fig tree without fear. But God is also a God of judgment, and Christ is warning here that a time of final judgment will come on a lifeespecially a life that has had opportunity, warning and the benefit of the doubt. The parable of the barren fig treeparable of the barren fig treeThe Parable of the Budding Fig Tree is a parable told by Jesus in the New Testament, found in Matthew 24:32-35, Mark 13:28-31, and Luke 21:29-33.This parable, about the Kingdom of God, involves a fig tree, as does the equally brief parable of the barren fig . Where sinners met with God. Darris McNeely works at the United Church of God home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. Normally, a leafy fig tree would be pleasing, since a fig tree in leaf indicates that it has ripe fruit. You get his atoning death. Its almost as if the fig was something of a barometer of the health of the nation taken away as punishment, and flourishing in times of restoration. It means to stop doing something thats not productive or taking you in a wrong direction. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is described as God's vineyard, tree, or planting ( Judges 9:8-15; Isa. Isaiah 56 is about the nations coming to God. A The fig tree is often used to represent Israel in the Bible. We need only look to the cross to find that truth. Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. The Fig Tree Parable. While it is not the season for figs, fig trees would produce small, edible buds before beginning to grow actual figs. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". We can see that God is in a dual role here as both keeper and owner of the vineyard. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today. Your sin isnt too big for him. They may even be able to move mountains, though that is arguably a bit of hyperbole on his part. When Jesus told the parable of the fig tree, He was trying to get our attention because He is the master gardener. Here's what He said: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Fig trees produce two crops every year, but only one of them may be edible. It was like the fig treefull of leaf but without fruit. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. 1. What does a fig tree represent? Maybe youve made your heart a den of robbers. Its about how open we are to God, and how open were making things for others. Rather, a curse was a pronouncement of judgment upon a person or object (cf. And the plan is next week to look at the second one, the cursing of the fig tree, which comes right before and after this temple story. From Adam and Eve fashioning clothes from the leaves of the fig tree, to Jesus cursing the fig tree; the biblical symbolism of the fig tree has fairly negative connotations, some might even say the fig tree means judgement. 21:18-19 ). 17And he was teaching them and saying to them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? They decided, together, that they would rip up the carpet and the pews before they would again hinder one of these young beach kids from worshiping God. 15-19), True worship has faith in God (vv. He poured out his Spirit. [9] And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that you shall cut it down. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". These new God-seekers walked into the church building with oil on their feet and it got all over the carpet. It happens one compromise at a time. It wasnt a big thing, right? Lets pick it up in verse 12. Do you know the purpose for your life and what it can become? Every year, we take a trip to Kansas City to visit our best friends. As the story unfolds, we see God is disappointed because it lacked any fruit after caring for the tree for three years. In this case, its true worship. Where does the Bible say that Jesus cursed the fig tree? The temple was defiled, but Jesus cant be defiled. Biblically, and as Christ meant it here, it means to stop breaking the law of God and begin to obey God's law. The fig tree could be understood as symbolic of Israel Joel 2:21-25. Thats why he returns to the fig tree, which is our next point. But it is. The fig tree is also symbollic of Israel itself - It often symbolized the health of the nation both spiritually and physically [1]. Is tramadol with acetaminophen stronger than tramadol? What if they had kept that sign up? Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit. The temple was 46 years in the making. The main root is Abraham, the other two are Isaac and Jacob. The root of the Good Olive Tree is THREEFOLD. Jesus spoke the Parable or the Lesson of the Fig Tree in Matthew 24:32-35 as such: "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out . If it bears fruit next year, fine! "There will be no grapes on the vine. Is it too much to ask of people to wear shoes to church? As followers of Christ, we have to make a decision: live for ourselves or live on in the vine in Christ. Christianity is not about dreary outward appearances but fruit bearing life the makes us rejoice and brings glory to God. This act of cleansing the temple cost Jesus. The fig tree cursing, an enacted parable of sorts, is also a sober warning for us todayin at least two ways. Jesus was there in Jerusalem for that very purpose. Jesus isnt putting himself in a genies bottle. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, For three years now Ive been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and havent found any. Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:13. Was it done in retaliation for an attack on the Romans, or was it just done on the whim of the Roman governor as a display of Roman ruthlessness to keep the locals in fear? That's sobering. But you have made it a den of robbers. 18And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. The only thing keeping some us from him right now is our prideful religiosity, our false conception of ourselves, our self-righteousness. It covered our sins and in return, He wants to see each of us adding to the Kingdom of God with our hearts, our speech, and in all that we do. August 7, 2022. Thats what he wants for you. Jesus' miracle involving the fig tree ( Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-24) is the only one in which He brings judgment by a miracle. Upon reaching the tree, all He finds are leaves; the tree had produced no fruit. In the Jewish scriptures, the people of Israel are sometimes represented as figs on a fig tree ( Hosea 9 :10, Jeremiah 24 ), or a fig tree that bears no fruit ( Jeremiah 8 :13). After reading about it in her Bible, my daughter-in-law once asked me why Jesus cursed a fig tree. We know what the temple leaders were really like. 33Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it e is near, right at the door. But the tree didnt even have that. It means to stop doing something that's not productive or taking you in a wrong direction. 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