Fruitless Fig Trees

Matthew 21:18-46

Jesus curses a fig tree, judges a disobedient son, and God sends his son to rebellious tenants. “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.” As God has done numerous times through history, He speaks judgment over His people, redeems a remnant, and starts something new. God has never been about our politics, not Israel, not Judah, not America, nor the name on your church building. He is about choosing and partnering with His people to produce fruit in and out of season. Be ready. Be fruitful, in and out of season.

The Fig Tree

I have a love/hate relationship with fig trees.

Fig trees are big, beautiful, super climbable, great shade. It’s part of the picture of heaven. “Sit under my own vine and fig tree.”

I love the figs. Great cheese on a cracher, a bit of fig, with a good wine. Beautiful. Delicious. Fig Newtons. Amazing.

But… Cleaning the pool at my parents house, for many years, was my job.

Over my parents tree, the fig tree. Dropping millions of figs in the pool. SO fruitful, so annoying, because half of that tree hung over the pool so half of those figs dropped in the pool.

A bit in Spring, but especially in late summer and early fall. Figs for days.

Clogging the filter, sinking to the bottom, so I have to skim the top and the bottom.

I know, first world problems.

Funny enough, when I moved out and it was my Dad’s job to clean the pool, the tree service got called real quick and the whole thing trimmed back to not be over the pool anymore. Convenient.

One of the weirdest stories came together for me this week.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

At first glance it just seems like Jesus is kind of being a jerk.

Matthew 21:18–19 ESV

18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

Mark tells us it withered over the course of a day, which in the life of a tree, is basically instantaneously.

Matthew 21:20–22 ESV

20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Jesus answers the “how” but he does not answer the “why” at first glance in this passage.

Mark points out it isn’t prime season for figs.

There is a Spring harvest season, smaller early figs (called paggim or Taksh), they appear in Spring, often around Passover.

Then the best figs, the main and largest harvest, right about now in Sukkot, in September, even early October.

So it isn’t crazy that Jesus would expect some figs, out of prime fig season, but he finds none. And he judges the tree, ends the tree.

Why?

It isn’t just about Jesus flexing his power, the whole rest of the chapter tells us the why.

We are going to move pretty quick through some stories and parables, but they all have a common thread.

Lots of teaching, but remember these are the words of Jesus in his last week of ministry. These are important, Jesus is teaching us, telling us something deeply important.

Jesus’ Authority

Matthew 21:23–27 ESV

23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

You won’t tell me by what authority John worked? I won’t tell you by what authority I work.

Turns out, by the way, same authority. And it’s deeply concerning that the supposed “religious leaders” don’t recognize their Lord before them, or the prophet John in the spirit of Elijah, or the work of the Spirit through both.

Parable of the Two Sons

Matthew 21:28–32 ESV

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

Who is the “you”?

Chief Priests and elders of the people. Same “elders” we use later for leaders in the church, or pastors. Representative leaders, top of the pyramid here.

Hear Jesus linking their inability to recognize the work of the Spirit, their unbelief, with their entry (or order of entry) into the Kingdom.

Parable of the Tenants

Matthew 21:33–46 ESV

33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

Again, Jesus references fruits and fruitfulness.

Verse 42, Jesus again references Psalm 118 explicitly, the same one they were singing “Hosanna, Hosanna” from the day before in the Triumphal Entry.

Who is the cornerstone? Jesus.

And who will “fall on this stone?” They will. The chief priests and elders. Or here he says the “chief priests and Pharisees.” All the religious leaders of all stripes and colors.

And they got it. He was speaking about them.

I want to lean into what Jesus says here.

Taken Away

Matthew 21:43 ESV

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

“A people” is ethnos. He is talking about their leaders, but he isn’t just talking about the replacement of the leaders. Not even so much about Jews getting replaced by Gentiles… because of course Jews are NOT replaced by Gentiles. Gentiles are invited in, grafted in.

Jesus is doing a new thing here.

A new epoch. An old term for this is a new “dispensation”. That language is unhelpful in most regards, I prefer “Covenantal Continuity.” Dispensation theology would teach that almost everything is different in a new dispensation, the rules are different, the game changed. That isn’t true, God is eternally consistent, working out a consistent rescue mission, and His promises endure.

But Jesus is communicating a change here, something new.

This is the judgment and a time of judgment upon the temple, upon the priests, upon the religious leaders and upon the Jews.

The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and give to a… new people.

Again, it isn’t so much from “Jew” to “Gentile” as from person with the right ancestry, religious markers, and religious practice to Jesus’ people, whether they be Jew or Gentile. The church, the ekklessia, the called out, the remnant. The Kingdom.

As God has done numerous times through history, He speaks judgment over His people, redeems a remnant, and starts something new.

Israel

What does this mean for Israel as we know it today?

God has never been about our politics, not Israel, not Judah, not America, nor the name on your church building. He is about choosing and partnering with His people to produce fruit in and out of season.

Quick hobby horse:

We must not equate the political construct “Israel” with the “Israel” of the Bible. Frankly, that is too small a thing.

They may be great political allies of the US, they certainly are surrounded by enemies who seek their destruction because of their identity as Jews, but they are not the same as “Israel” of the Bible. The descendants of Israel are spread out throughout the world, they have always been a people, an ethnos, and even a family over a nation.

And the prophets always did this. They condemned and judged the nations around Israel… and then looked inward to condemn Israel for its own sin and stupid. And Israel today is not without its sin and stupid.

God has never been about our politics, not Israel, not Judah, not America, nor the name on your church building. Here is what He is about: choosing and partnering with His people to produce fruit in and out of season.

But before I get too far away from Israel - the people of Israel of every tribe.

There still a plan of redemption for Israel. It’s the same plan. Jesus.

There is a day coming when Jews, and Israel of all tribes, will return to Jesus, when the “fullness of the Gentiles” has come.

Paul writes to the church in Rome, some Jews, lots of Gentiles, all Romans.

Rom 11, whole thing is about how Jews rejected God, God hardened their hearts, to make room for Gentiles, but don’t be arrogant or despise the Jews for

Romans 11:21 ESV

21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

Yikes. And then:

Romans 11:24–26 ESV

24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. 25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

Note that has nothing to do with political entities. It is the call of Jesus. And this is the call of Jesus on us.

We are branches, grafted into the vine. Call it a grape vine. Call it an olive tree, call it a fruit tree. What is our job?

Commands of Jesus. Right after Jesus says John 15:1

John 15:5 ESV

5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

He says this:

John 15:16 ESV

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Same thing, three times, really:

Abide in Christ and be Fruitful.

Be Ready. Be Fruitful.

Learn the lesson of the fig tree.

Learn the lesson that most of the people of Israel missed again and again.

Be ready. Be fruitful, in and out of season.

This is not about salvation, this is not about God abandoning you if you don’t have fruit, this is not about earning salvation… or that God will condemn you to shrivel up like a fig tree if you don’t do enough. That is works salvation, when you hear it, walk away. Go back to the cross, back to the gospel, back to salvation by faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone. Amen.

AND God has given you whole-life whole-self salvation to be Fruitful, to be Awesome, to be Abundant. He has given you His Spirit, producing fruit in you. Your faith produces fruit, walking out the good works He has prepared for you is fruit. It is partnership with God, and that is Life and Life Abundant, Life to the Fullest.

You are invited into Fruitful Life. You are chosen to be fruitful. You are commanded to bear Fruit.

Don’t just translate that into the stuff you don’t like, by the way. You convert that into “standing on a soapbox shouting about Jesus” you make it to small. Yes, faithfully and boldly witness. Yes serve in church-stuff. And yes, ALL the fruits of the Spirit: love and joy, peace and patience, kindness goodness gentleness and self-control.

We are the new thing God is doing, the new people, the Church… not the building, the people called by Jesus. Abiding in the vine. So abide and be fruitful.

Hear the words of Jesus spoken to you, his disciples.

John 15:16 ESV

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.