Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

I. Christ Performs a Peculiar Act

A. He had just cleansed the Temple for the second time.

1. Christ directed His righteous zeal toward dead religion. Nothing is more important to God than worship. That is why Christ is so zealous in dealing with the Temple. What we see of Christ catches us off guard, surprises us. The Lamb becomes a Lion, the meek becomes bold. Turning over tables, calling people out, making a scene.

2. His actions were justified. House of prayer had become a den of thieves. And after he cleansed it ministry and worship just erupted naturally.

3. God’s actions are always righteous. Even if it appears to us that they are not. The existence of hell is just as righteous as the existence of heaven. God created them both and hell is not the result of God acting out of a sinful heart.

B. Both Matthew and Mark record this event.

1. Mark tells us some things Matthew doesn’t. For instance, Mark tells us that Jesus initially cursed the fig tree n the way to Jerusalem and the disciples passed by it and saw it had withered up. Matthew just lumps the event of the cursing of the fig tree and the withering of it into one passage. Mark also tells us that it was not the time of the year for a fig tree to grow figs.

2. Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem when He spots a fig tree. The Bible says that Jesus was hungry. He saw a fig tree that had leaves on it. Fig trees generally bore fruit before they became leafy. Therefore, it appeared as if this tree had fruit on it. When Jesus approached the tree it became evident that there was no fruit for Him to eat. All it had was leaves.

3. Jesus curses the fig tree. Quiet literally, He kills it. Not with poison or by chopping it down or anything like that. He simply kills it by the word of His power. He says to the fig tree “Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever”. Now the tree immediately died but it died in its root so it would not have been evident to the disciples immediately. Jesus and the disciples go into Jerusalem, Jesus cleanses the Temple. Jesus and the disciples leave Jerusalem to go to Bethany, probably to stay with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They have to pass by the fig tree again and when they see it is withered. That is the leafy tree is just drooping, withered away. It is clearly dead. Peter, surprised, cries out to the Lord “Master the fig tree which thou cursed is withered away!”

C. Many people question why the Lord would do this.

1. Some commentators completely dismiss this. They do not think it is something the Lord would do so they say that a scribe entered this account later into the Bible. I personally do not understand what the big deal is. We are talking about a tree. It is not a person. Trees are killed so homes can be built, trees are killed so we can cook and warm ourselves. There was nothing immoral about the Lord killing of a fig tree.

2. This is an action consistent with the character of Christ. It comes around the same time He turns over tables and physically chases people out of the Temple. What about when the Lord cast the demons into the 2,000 pigs. I mean that seems worse than cursing a fig tree. Better that pigs are killed than a man is possessed, right? God values humans more highly than he values plants and animals and we ought to as well!

3. There was a reason for the cursing of the fig tree. The Lord was not mad at the tree because He was hungry and it tricked Him. That’s ridiculous. The Lord would fast for 40 days at a time and not even turn a rock into bread to quench His hunger, even though He could. As well, the Lord was not a fool, He knew that trees are not people and you can’t punish them for not doing what you want them to do. He also knew that tree had no fruit before He ever approached it. The cursing of the fig tree was a lesson for the disciples to see and us to read about.

II. The Fig Tree represented the Spiritual State of Israel.

A. The fig tree was an important tree to the Jew.

1. They were a symbol of the Promised Land. When the Lord would tell the Jewish people about the land He was taking them to, while in the wilderness, he would make references to the fig trees there. Deut. 8:8 He tells them it is a land of “wheat and barley and vines and fig trees and pomegranates”. The first tree mentioned in the Bible by species (not knowledge of good and evil) is the fig tree and it was in the Garden of Eden. The fig tree was a valuable source of food both delicious and nutritious.

2. They were used for shade. They could grow 20 feet high and 20 feet wide. In desert areas like Palestine they offered a wonderful place for a person to find rest from the heat of the sun. In fact the phrase “under the fig tree” became a phrase that Rabbis used to mean that one was meditating of Scripture (John 1:48). People relaxed, meditated, and even slept underneath the fig tree.

3. One tree could produce a lot of fruit. Generally they gave fruit twice a year, in June and August. In some areas fig trees were known to produce fruit all year because the area was hotter and the water supply was good. Because of their value the land was decorated with fig trees.

B. Jesus used the fig tree as a symbol of the nation of Israel.

1. The parable of the fig tree in Luke 13:6-9. A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. It went three years without producing any fruit at all. He told the dresser of the vineyard to cut it down because all it was doing was taking up space. The dresser begged the owner to give the fig tree one more year. He promised to loosen up the soil and fertilize the tree. If it didn’t produce fruit after that the tree could be cut down. The fig tree represented Israel, the lack of fruit represented her dead religion, the owner was God and the dresser could have represented the prophets that pleaded with God for mercy and tried to prepare Israel to bear fruit with their preaching. The years the tree was allowed to stay represent the patience of God.

2. There are some interesting parallels in the story of Luke and what we see here. Christ was sent first to the Jewish people and when He arrived He saw that there was no fruit. For three years of ministry He prepared the soil by preaching and ministering to the people but the tree did not bear any fruit. He prayed for Jerusalem. He told them that their days were numbered because they had refused Him.

3. The nation of Israel was cursed as the fig tree. Titus of Rome would come in 40 years and destroy Jerusalem. Israel would continue to suffer throughout history. She still suffers today. In recent years she has become the strongest she has been since Biblical days but she is still weak compared to the military might she once had. Israel continues to face the consequences of not placing their faith in the Messiah. The nation has been cursed and the only thing that will lift that curse is faith and repentance in Christ.

C. It’s important that we combine the cleansing of the Temple and the cursing of the fig tree.

1. The cleansing of the Temple symbolized God’s judgment on Israel’s religion. It was nothing but a sham. And the Temple was helping no one. The religious leaders had become the problem in Israel. Christ even told them that the Temple would be destroyed (Matthew 24:2).

2. The cursing of the fig tree symbolized God’s judgment on Israel as a nation. God was not simply mad at the religious leaders. It was the entire nation that had forsaken Him. He wouldn’t just leave the Temple in ruins. They would just build it back and continue business as usual. The whole nation would be judged.

3. There is a principle for us here. God holds the nations accountable. Nations can’t blame religious leaders in the end. They can’t say “We didn’t have enough missionaries, our preachers were ignorant, the leaders were hypocrites, etc.” God will judge the religious for their hypocrisy but He will judge the whole world because we all have the opportunity to know Him and love Him.

III. Religious Hypocrisy is a Danger for Us All.

A. People can appear to be spiritual.

1. Israel was a religious place. Had a Temple, cities filled with synagogues, trained their young people, fasted , prayed, dressed religious, read Scripture, passed along stories, held feasts, rested on Sabbaths, made sacrifices, gave financially, respected religious leaders, etc.

2. All of their actions were simply “leaves”. It was false foliage that masqueraded a person to look like they had a relationship with God. From a distance, like the fig tree, they appeared to be sincerely religious. But when their limbs were inspected it was determined that there was no fruit at all. I had this happen with my potatoes this year. They looked great. Dark green, flowers blooming at the top. But when I went to dig some I found only one. Before I inspected them I was certain that I would have many potatoes. But all I had was leaves.

3. Their leaves hid their unredeemed hearts. So that people would not know they were lost they covered themselves in the leaves of religious works. Do you remember what Adam and Eve did when they sinned? They realized they were naked and they wanted to do something about it. So they went and got some leaves off of a fig tree and made themselves clothing. They hid themselves behind the fig leaves. They looked silly because their problem was not nakedness. Nothing wrong with a husband and wife seeing one another naked. Their problem was spiritual nakedness. They were not clothed in righteousness any more. So they decided to put together their own righteousness through human works. It didn’t work. God saw right through it and He still does today. We cannot hide our lostness behind religious works.

B. It is vital that when God inspects us that He finds fruit.

1. Mere religion is not fruit. 2 Tim. 3:5 says of some “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof; from such turn away”. You can have the appearance of godliness but not be godly. You can produce your own “fruit” by your own power but it is not the fruit of the Spirit. You can pray, give, serve, fast, study all in the power of the flesh. Think of how many do just those things in religions that deny Christ. This so called fruit is actually just leaves.

2. If we have leaves we obligate ourselves to have fruit. What I mean is that our religious actions say to God and the world “I am a spiritual person. I believe in and love God.” Therefore our actions invite scrutiny. Our actions invite inspection. If people are spiritually hungry they should be able to come to us and be filled. On top of that, God should be able to come to us and be satisfied with what He sees. Let me interject something here. Remember that Jesus was hungry and that is why He went to the fig tree. I think His hunger represented the hunger of God to see true righteousness in His people. God is hungry to see His people be who they claim to be. It brings pleasure and satisfaction to god for His people to be who He has called us to be. Our leaves do not please God, our fruit does. Our actions only please Him when our hearts are right with Him.

3. What is fruit? It is genuine proof that we are God’s children. We are known by our fruits. It is divine empowerment. It is proof that the God of the universe is working in you. It deals with character first and foremost but leads to actions such as praise and service. Fruit is loving God and laboring for Him. It is possible to have the leaves with the fruit but not the fruit without the leaves. We can do things in the name of God without loving Him but we cannot love Him without doing things for Him.

C. Faith and fruit.

1. There is a portion of this text that almost appears as if it does not belong here. Peter is amazed at the power of Christ in cursing the fig tree. Jesus gives him a lesson in faith. He tells Peter that faith can curse fig trees and move mountains. He tells Peter that he too can do powerful works if he would pray and believe. We might think this does not fit. But it would not be out of order for Christ to use one of His mighty acts to teach two different principles, and that is what He does here.

2. Faith and prayer are powerful resources that God gives believers. Of course it must be faith in what God wants. More than anything we should want the will of God done. And when we do we can be sure we will receive it. Think about this “If you passionately want and pursue what God wants you to have you will have it.” That is an encouraging truth. What could we do and what would we have if we abandoned ourselves to the will of God? We would have what God wants us to have and I must say that I believe He wants us to have so much more than most of us have.

3. There is a connection between faith and fruit. I would like to tie this all together. I mean if faith can move mountains it can surely produce fruit. I know that mountain moving faith must be developed and that kind of faith I believe is even a special gift of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:9). But at the very least, faith will produce fruit and it will do that in anyone that possesses it. There is such a thing as a dead faith and it does not produce fruit. So we need to ask ourselves if we truly have faith. Or maybe we should ask ourselves if we truly have fruit instead. Faith will always produce fruit. Israel had no fruit because they had no faith…they had leaves without faith, but no fruit. May we be found with fruit and leaves when God inspects us.