“He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ Immediately the fig tree withered away” (Matthew 21:18-19).

This was a strange sight. It was not the season for figs (Mark 11:13). Some take this to mean that it was not yet the time for gathering figs (see: Albert Barnes; Adam Clarke). However, this tree had leaves. Consider these comments, “Two varieties of figs are common in Palestine, the bicura or boccore, an early fig with large green leaves with fruit which ripens in May or June and sometimes earlier near Jerusalem. Thomson found ripe fruit of this variety as early as May in the mountains of Lebanon, one hundred and fifty miles north of Jerusalem, and Professor Post, of Beyrut (sic), states that fig trees there have fruit formed as early as February, which is fully ripe in April. The second variety is the summer fig or kermus. This ripens its main crop in August, but its later fruitage often hangs on all winter when the weather is mild, dropping off when the new spring leaves come. As the fruit usually appears before the leaves, the leaves were a promise that fruit might be found, and the fruit, though not perfectly ripe, is considered edible when the leaves are developed. (J.W. McGarvey, The Fourfold Gospel, p. 581). This tree promised fruit but bore none. It professed that it was a fruit bearing tree but it produced no fruit.

Jesus cursed the tree (cf. Mark 11:14, 21). This does not mean that he lost his temper. This does not mean that he used profanity. It means that he pronounced a judgment upon this tree.

Questions

Some have real trouble with this incident. Did Jesus really get angry with a tree? Did this warrant the use of super-natural power? Is this a case of pettiness or undue concern?

Israel

I believe that Jesus was using the tree to teach his disciples a lesson about Israel (cf. Matthew 21:43). Israel is compared, many times, to a vine or fig tree (Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 2:21; 12:10; Ezekiel 15:5-6; Hosea 9:10, 16; 10:1; Joel 1:7; Psalm 80:8-ff). It is interesting that in Mark the fig tree is mentioned on each side of the cleansing of the temple (Mark 11:12-14, 15-19, 20-21). This is known as a “Markan sandwich” which is thought to link the two incidents together. Markan sandwiches appear numerous times in the book of Mark. Again, this is thought to closely link two incidents together. Furthermore, consider this comment, “In a symbolic sense, the tree was ‘pretending’ to be that which it was not. It was a perfect visual of the Jewish nation!” (Wayne Jackson, A New Testament Commentary, p. 49).

Application

Have you heard the saying, “All hat, no cattle”? A church member recently was kind enough to let me stay on his cattle ranch while my house was scheduled to have some work done on it. He is a real cattleman. His ranch goes back to the early days of this state. After staying on the ranch, another church member asked me, “Are you starting to feel more like a cowboy?” My answer was, “If I were then I would be all hat and no cattle.” Many want to appear to be what they are not.

Let us not simply profess to be Christians. Let us truly be followers of Christ.