The Withered Fig Tree

1. Introduction:
   1. Setting: Passion Week. The Friday before, Jesus had arrived in Bethany, presumably at the house of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The next day, Sabbath, is not recorded in Scripture. On Sunday was the Triumphal Entry. Monday and Tuesday is when our story takes place. Apparently, each evening Jesus returned to Bethany.
2. Monday morning, en route from Bethany to Jerusalem: Mark 11:12-14, 20
   1. What was wrong with the fig tree?
      1. The variety of fig tree found in Palestine had small, green, edible, immature figlets which appeared before the leaves. From a distance, it was impossible to distinguish between leaves and these figlets.
      2. Though it was still too early for figs, fig trees typically produced multiple crops per year, and it was certainly possible for a few trees to produce figs this early. Thus, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect figs on this tree.
      3. A fig tree which had leaves but no figs would be barren for at least the entire year.
3. Why did Jesus curse the fig tree?
   1. The Temple
      1. Figs are occasionally used in Scripture to represent Israel. See Jeremiah 24; Hosea 9:10¹
      2. The story of the fig tree is in two parts. In the middle is the cleansing of the temple.
         1. Mk 11:15: Corruption: Money-changers; not only did people need to use the local currency, but the temple leaders required—without scriptural authorization—the use of the currency from Tyre for some offerings.²
            1. Ill: Imagine if church offerings could only be coins with the “D” mint mark. Or British money.
         2. Animals: People needed animals which met the required standards.
         3. Pigeons: Required offerings for certain purposes, but especially used as offerings by those too poor to afford larger animals. This merchandising disproportionately affected the poor.
         4. V. 16: Apparently, some merchants were using the temple court of the Gentiles as a shortcut between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. (This detail is only recorded in Mark.)
         5. V. 17: By turning the court of the Gentiles into a bazaar, people of other nations were left with no place to worship God.
      3. All this adds up to a message of judgment on the Jewish leaders. By cursing the fig tree, Jesus may have been forecasting God’s eventual judgment on Jerusalem, which culminated in its destruction in AD 70.
      4. This message carries a warning for us, too. Departure from God’s commands will result in our destruction. See, e.g., Rev. 14:8-12.
   2. Showy leaves
      1. The fig tree, by being in leaf, was essentially proclaiming that it had edible fruit. Yet, that claim was false.
      2. This makes me think of some other passages in the Bible which speak of fruits:
         1. Matthew 7:15-20: By their fruits you shall know them.
         2. Matthew 3:7-10: John the Baptist speaking.
         3. Galatians 5:22, 23: The fruit of the Spirit
      3. It is important that the fruit of our lives matches up with what we claim to be.
   3. Main point: Mark 11:20-25: Faith and prayer
      1. This is the only application Jesus made for this story.
      2. What does Jesus mean in v. 24?
         1. Ill: Steve and the Sandia Mountains (asking for them to be moved)
         2. Jesus repeatedly makes this same promise in many places in the Gospels.
         3. Is it really conditioned only on belief? Have you ever asked for something, believing, and not received it?
         4. Since faith and belief are emphasized so many times, they must be of critical importance. (And belief has a broader meaning than we might expect.)
         5. Outside the Gospels, other NT writers clarify the promise further:
            1. James 5:16: Righteousness is important.
            2. 1 John 3:22: God answers prayers because of our right relationship with Him. Corollary: If our relationship with Him is not right, then we can’t expect a guaranteed answer.
            3. 1 John 5:14, 15: It’s important to ask according to God’s will, which is specified in part in the Bible.
         6. Psalm 37:4, 5: Scripture clearly shows that Jesus’ promise is conditioned upon our relationship with God. This is why Jesus emphasized faith/belief. When our relationship is right, our desires will become aligned with God’s will (Jesus in Gethsemane: Mt. 26:39).
      3. Back in Mark: Jesus also emphasizes the need for forgiveness as a key to success in faith and prayer.
         1. Jesus makes this point more explicit in Mt. 6:14, 15.³
         2. Definition of forgiveness

Footnotes