As with stories, the
well-known one about the fig tree has been told throughout the centuries.
Well,… it can be confusing as to "which" fig story is the one we
know. And... is it actually true?
First, the facts about fig
trees.
Did You
Know…?
From the time fig trees
are planted, it will be three years before they bear fruit (usually in
late spring [June] and in the early autumn). [i] Also, these types of trees
produce fruit before they produce leaves. [ii]
If we go with the gospel
story as written by Mark -- know as "Jesus Curses the Fig Tree" --
verse 13 reveals a fig tree which had produced leaves before fruit. In fact,
Jesus spotted this particular tree from a distance and then approached. It had
the promise of fruit -- of which there was none.
What we've studied and
heard about Jesus, does it fit his "being" to utter a curse -- no
less curse a fig tree?
Consider the following:
* Luke 13:6-9
-- a parable about a fruitless fig tree. This may be the story that you
remember instead of the one in MARK.
* LUKE doesn't even
mention this incident -- of Jesus cursing a fig tree.
Was Jesus making a point
by means of prophetic drama? Using "acted out" examples from the Old
Testament,… Jeremiah bought and then broke a clay bottle (Jeremiah 19);
Ezekiel made and then burned up a model of Jerusalem (Ezekiel, Chapters 4 and 5). A New Testament example of this is Acts 21:10-11.
Another "fig
story" from memory might be the one from Matthew 7:16-20.
While a brief mention of figs is made, the bearing of fruit is significant. How
so? Because "you will know them by their fruits." It is an
expectation. It is an active faith. Which also ties into John 15:1-8
in the removal of every branch that bears no fruit. For what does inactivity
bear?
Other examples of
unfruitful trees -- Isaiah 5:1-7,
Jeremiah 8:13
and Micah 7:1 --
symbolize an unfaithful people.
It wasn't the
season for figs. The Jewish religious
authorities of Israel are unwilling to receive Jesus and his Good News.
Yet, "May no one ever
eat fruit from you again," comes across extremely harsh. Is it a curse?
Or… is it a statement of hope? An expressed hope that no one should be
oppressed by the religious authorities and put at a distance from God. Take
away the sting, remove the supposed "curse" (for which, by the way,
there is no exclamation mark), and it has different meaning.
Now for "The Lesson
from the Withered Fig Tree."
The next morning as Jesus
and the disciples passed by the fig tree they noticed something drastically
different. The barren tree had withered away down to its roots. You know there
had to be an exchange of some "oh, no, he didn't" looks among the
disciples. Peter states the obvious, "The fig tree that you cursed
has withered."
Emphasis seems to be on
the curse, and I've underlined these words to make it standout. Nevertheless, if
this is what Jesus truly wanted to emphasize, as in "You're right, and
nobody better mess with me because they'll get some more of that nasty
mojo," why would he reply as written? Why would he start off with,
"Have faith in God"?
Because a teacher never
stops teaching!
The symbolism of the
"roots" of the withered fig tree had a correlation. In verse 23,
"this expression was related to a common metaphor of that day, 'rooter
up of mountains,' which was used in Jewish literature of great rabbis and
spiritual leaders who could solve difficult problems and seemingly do the
impossible." [iii]
Another way to put it, he would be "called a mountain-remover." [iv]
Question for
Thought
Is the mountain, to which
Jesus refers, the Temple? …The religious leaders of Israel?
When reflecting on these last
three verses, your eyes may be drawn to "prayer." Certainly, as
mentioned in previous blog posts, prayer is imperative. One may find prayer
though to be challenging. As you know, I'm particularly fond of the insights of
William Barclay, who was a world-renowned Scottish New Testament interpreter.
This profound scholar felt there were three [abbreviated] rules for prayer:
1) It must be the prayer
of faith. Whatever problems and
difficulties we may have, take them to God. In so doing, we need to be ready to
accept God's guidance when given.
2) It must be the prayer
of expectation. Don't pray by rote
or making it a mere formality. It must be of hope. As Barclay states, "It
should be a thing of burning expectation."
3) It must be the prayer
of charity. The principle of God is
love, for he is love. [v]
You may be drawn back to
what led into the three verses -- Have faith
in God. "More important than religious institution and practice is
faith in God, which can accomplish the seemingly impossible (Mark 10:27).
Such faith is required in order to forgive anyone against whom you have
anything." [vi]
What do we get out of
these two sections of verses when put together? Does it matter if it actually
happened as written?
The fig tree isn't doing
its job -- the job for which it was created -- to produce fruit. The tree
becomes a metaphor for Israel. All come into question. To have true faith in
God, do we bear fruit? How do we live out our faith? And where Jesus is headed
-- to the Temple -- what kind of fruit is being produced there? What kind of
prayer is being given?
I conclude this post with a
tidbit which leads into next week's focus -- Jesus and the Temple. There's a
phrase in Texas to which I'll take some liberty. "It wasn't Jesus' first
time to the rodeo."
Although it is the only
time mentioned in MARK that Jesus has traveled to Jerusalem, there is record of
other visits: John 5:1, 7:10. Three
years earlier, Jesus had also cleansed the Temple: John 2:13-16.
Now why in the world am I
bringing this up? Because I found all of this quite intriguing.
* How long does it take a
fig tree to bear fruit? From planting the seed to fruit producing, three
years.
* When did Jesus last
"cleanse" the temple? Three years prior. He had planted the
seed of the fig tree -- of the "Good News" -- then and there in this
place.
* In verse 11 (just before
all of this: 12-14, 20-25), Jesus has gone to the temple and seen exactly what
that "fig tree" has produced -- three years later. No fruit.
* It will take a
"mountain-remover" (Jesus) to remove the Jewish authorities (the
mountain) from power and control. To the 99%, it seems impossible. Jesus states
and believes otherwise.
It was not the season for figs.
May no one ever eat fruit from you again.
Have faith in God.
If you say to this mountain,… it will be done for you.
.
What will happen once the
"mountain" has been removed?
NEXT
Time for the tables to be
turned
