We need intimacy. Its an offer to find total cleansing before God, in him alone. By a show of leaves, it was like many people, pretending to have fruit which was not there. We're not told whether there was any provocation. The fact is, he didnt really harm the tree at all. And in Jesus, it could not be easier. This falseness is the essence of hypocrisy. The "fig tree" of Matthew 24:32 does not symbolize the reestablishment of the State of Israel in 1948. And in the morning, after they left Bethany, He (Jesus) became hungry. But they look real. But when He reached it, He found nothing on it except leaves, since it was not the season for figs. As the story unfolds, we see God is disappointed because it lacked any fruit after caring for the tree for three years. He showed us the kind of forgiving heart God has. We dont have to set up elaborate trading floors with international exchange rates. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/jesus-lesson-of-the-withered-fig-tree-248733. Some scholars had real trouble with it. Mark 11:13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. Satisfaction is so important in this process that when there is no fruit you stand looking at the tree trying to understand why it has borne no fruit. It is possible to consider that the flourishing of figs today in Israel is a Messianic sign in itself the people are back in the land, the fig trees are abundant and plentiful, and the nation is now waiting for restoration to come. But lets take this out of the merely historical realm because this applies to us too. So he cursed it, saying, May no one ever eat fruit from you again., If you think this is a bit odd, youre not alone. "There will be no grapes on the vine. We will have to lay down some of our preferences. The unfruitful fig tree. Jesus was being bluntrealistically bluntwith His audience. The cursing and withering of the fig tree are interpreted in the Byzantine tradition as an expression of "foolishness." Of a "shady understanding of Scripture which does not bear good fruit." The fig tree is a shrub of the Moraceae family, one of the many species of the genus Ficus. First of all, we see the figs in the garden of Eden covering up the shame of Adam and Eve. So when they passed by the fig tree again and it had withered away to its roots. Christianity is not about dreary outward appearances but fruit bearing life the makes us rejoice and brings glory to God. We dont have time to do all that. 14And he said to it, May no one ever eat fruit from you again. And his disciples heard it. 1. The curse is that the tree will not produce fruit until the end of the age. 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. It's better to repent while we have the opportunity! Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:13. What if they had kept that sign up? Trees were the only item mentioned in the Bible as pleasing to the eye in the creation account. How could Jesus raise it up again in three days? It withered. C.S. When linked to the earlier statement "unless you repent," we learn that there's a way to avoid being "cut down" and considered of no value. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. And, of course, later on, it would grow ripe figs. He prunes off the dead parts of our lives that wont serve us. What does a parable about an unproductive fig tree have to do with how you're going about your life? The story of the fig tree begins in the Garden of Eden, where YEHOVAH God had placed in the midst of the Garden two special trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Like the fake pears for my son, this passage is a lesson in how to spot the real thing. Finally we have the parable of the fig tree, which may have been given on the last day of Jesus' life (Matt. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! (2020, August 27). Do we realize what God has done in Jesus Christ? Jesus cared so much about removing barriers to worship that he lost his life over it. Because you and I have a great need to be near to God. Its about Gods heart for all peoplethe Jews and the Gentiles. The Bible is full of verses where Jesus addressed hypocrisy. So, thankfully, the fig is not cursed. Because there was this hypocritical fig tree in Bethany that was going to serve as an object lesson about the hypocritical temple in Jerusalem. Where does the Bible say that Jesus cursed the fig tree? Neither you nor I want to be on the receiving end when God's patience runs out. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! First, Jesus explains the power and importance of faith it is faith in God that gave him the power to curse the fig tree and make it wither overnight and similar faith on the disciples' part will give them the power to work other wonders. He doesnt want us to be whitewashed tombs. So from Genesis to Revelation, the fig features strongly in scriptural symbolism. Our time to choose Him and bear fruit is running out. We need the real thing. All he did was state a truth about it. God is full of mercy and compassion. 'You Raise Me Up' Duet Earns A Standing Ovation From The Judges, 7 Tests to See if Your Worship Is Truly Christian or Pagan, 3 Bad Church Approaches to Good Money Stewardship, 5 Critical Rules to Teach Your Kids to Help Them Stay Safe, 4 Things You Should Know about Jesus Revolution, Jesus on Adultery: Its More Controversial Than You Think, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. If you keep my commands, you will stay in my love just as I have kept my Fathers commands and stay in his love. Next Jesus curses the fig tree during the final week of his mortal life and at the end of his ministry (Matt. Fruitlessness leads to judgment. Not a small number of people have found, Some have claimed the New Testament is wrong about Genesis 3:15? So ask him for it, and he will give it! But the tree didnt even have that. The leaders should have been there to help but their heart wasnt in it. By cursing the tree, Jesus simply stated the obvious. You may find that the Red Israel fig goes by many names including Khurtmani (as it is known in California) and Red Palestine. In this parable, Jesus knows were human, were frail, we have weaknesses and temptations. If not, then cut it down.. This is something Jesus is willing to fight for, and ultimately, die for. 12-14), True worship promotes life with God (vv. What appeared full of life was actually lifeless. We know what the temple leaders were really like. Jesus answer is to have faith in God. Most scholars today believe that Jesus' ministry lasted three and a half years. We don't like to think about it, and to be blunt, most of us don't consider that life is really like this. Jesus Christ spoke one of His most interesting parables about a barren fig tree. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Israel was just like this fruitless fig tree. People suffer loss of property, lands and rights because of actions taken by others with little thought about what's right or wrong or just. How open the kingdom is? Well, in Mark 13, Jesus said not one stone of the temple will be left on another. 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. And he doesnt need a fancy temple. While not bad luck by themselves, its considered bad luck to have one planted near a house. Jesus answered and said to him, Before that Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.American King James Version). It means that through this announcement a new order of life is at hand and we need to obtain a mind-set that fits. He poured out his Spirit. The parable of the barren fig tree is a parable of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Luke 13:69. You are alive. You get his life of obedience. That can sound scary, but its really a wonderful thing. Commentator William Barclay said this story does not seem worthy of Jesus. When Jesus told the parable of the fig tree, He was trying to get our attention because He is the master gardener. Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Jesus wants us to live our lives for God. Maybe you came here this morning and didnt even know you had this mountain of religiosity blocking your worship. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Mark 11:13 must mean that the particular tree on which Christ expected to find figs was barren, because it had no figs on it at all. 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 . It did not fulfill its purpose, and as any diligent orchardist would do, Jesus simply eliminated an unproductive tree, not with an ax or a saw, but by faith. Hes tender to our new vines and branches. Cursing the fig tree was Jesus' way of displaying that the whole nation had become spiritually empty. 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. MARK 11:12-14 AND 20-22 They were human, with weaknesses and strengths like everyone else. In Luke 13:6-9, we hear Jesus tell a parable about a barren fig tree that should make us pause. Well, no, but its also not necessary. Many believe it was figs that were actually the fruit in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, not apples. Figs are typically in season starting in mid-May and last through November. He is available to us all, right now, and every moment from now until we stand before him in heaven. He had actually removed a hill in order to build it. We need another wayanother tree from which to eat. Whereas other religions can be defined by peoples adherence to ritual practices and proper behavior, Christianity would come to be defined as a specific sort of faith in certain religious ideas not so much empirically verifiable propositions as the idea of Gods love and Gods grace. All the other miracles are acts of goodness and mercy. As a result, the temple was dead and worthless. In the Garden of Eden, the fig tree - considered by some to be the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - was one of the important trees that the Lord planted, after the Tree of Life. 8 What does Mark 11 13 mean in the Bible? This shows us that God both owns us and gives us room to grow spiritually, but He also expects us to produce "fruit"the product of a life of good works of righteousness. His leaves never whither and his fruit never fades for those who need it. The unlimited power of prayer comes up in other gospels as well, but every time it is always in the context of faith. 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