Figs & Faith

INTRO

Who likes Fig Newtons? Help yourselves. Sorry it’s a little early to find cucidati (that’s Italian Christmas cookie) - Does anyone make them? I think it has been a few years since my last one. I don’t think I’ve ever had an English Figgy pudding. Christmas plum pudding was popular in Ireland, so I’ve had that a number of times. But figs are a staple in middle eastern culture and around the Mediterranean too. Does anyone here have fig trees? Today’s passage is about figs and faith and it will help to understand a little more about them. Few accounts in the Gospels are more difficult than the cursing of the fig tree. Some have claimed Jesus was displaying a petty fit of anger. On a first reading of this, it seems utterly irrational to expect figs when they are out of season. But we will see more as we dive deeper into God’s Word this morning.

Series

As we continue our series: The Crown & The Cross sermon, Mark’s Gospel shows Jesus as a man with a clear message and mission, and the reader is called to actively response to the message. Jesus’ responses always helped his listeners better understand God’s heart and his statements are typically clear commands for us to follow.

In the first half of Mark the emphasis was on seeing Jesus revealed as Messiah - the King who deserved the crown. Now in the second half the focus is on Jesus in Jerusalem fulfilling His life’s mission to suffer and die on the cross - and to rise from the dead.

Last week Jesus called for the Temple to be a house of prayer and not busy with distractions - the crowd was astonished and the religious leaders were outraged.

Our parallel passage is in Matthew 21. Luke and John skipped this incident entirely. You can turn to Mark 11 with me.

We passed over verses 12-14 last week because Mark sandwiched the cleansing of the temple in the middle of the fig story for a reason. He wanted us to see it in light of the temple. The fig tree is another real-life parable - where Jesus teaches his disciples using the things around him.

PRAY

READ Mark 11:12-14

Jesus looks for fruit vv. 12-13

Verse 12 says Jesus was hungry and saw a fig tree in the distance hoping for something to eat. Fig trees can grow up to 30 ft tall and produce a fruit that can be dried and traveled well in the middle east climate before preservatives and refrigeration were a thing.

Genesis 3 tells us Adam and Eve used fig leaves sewn together to cover their nakedness after disobeying God. Some scholars think the forbidden fruit tree might have been figs instead of the commonly pictured apple.

In March, the fig trees had small edible buds (paggim in Hebrew); in April came the large green leaves. Then in May the buds would fall off, replaced by the normal crop of figs. Passover is usually in April, and the green leaves should have indicated the presence of the edible buds which Jesus expected to find on the tree. However, this tree, though full of leaves, had no buds. The tree looked promising but offered no fruit.

Mark alone tells us it was not the season for figs. Jesus would have known that, so He was not being unreasonable expecting mature fruit when it wasn’t the right time. He was looking for the initial paggim buds to snack on. This was apparently a common thing to do.

Jesus curses fig tree v. 14

Jesus cursed the tree, saying no one will ever eat fruit from you again. And the disciples all heard him. He was saying this for their benefit - a real life parable.

A fruit tree is expected to bear fruit. Especially one that is full of leaves.

The OT uses the fruitful fig as a symbol of Israel's peace and security. Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel and Micah all use the dying fig tree as a symbol of God's judgement.

Micah 7:1 ESV

Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires.

John’s Gospel includes Jesus’ calling himself the vine and his followers the branches who are expected to produce spiritual fruit. And the Apostle Paul wrote about what that fruit should be and how the Holy Spirit helps produce it in us.

Verses 15-19 cover the cleansing of the temple where Jesus finds all kinds of commerce and commotion but no true worship of God. He kicks out the the buyers, sellers, and money changers and has judged the temple leaders as unfit for serving God. They are all about a religious show of activity with no spiritual depth - no intimate worship or prayer.

The leafy fig tree, with all its promise of fruit, is as deceptive as the temple, which, despite its religious commerce and activity, is really an outlaws’ hideout a den of thieves and robbers. The curse of the fig tree is a symbol of God’s judgment of the temple. Jesus came to the temple looking for fruit of sincere worship but instead found lots of commotion but no worship.

READ Mark 11: 20-25

Fig tree was dead vv. 20-21

The next morning when they passed by the tree again, Peter says “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus knew this would happen, but he let the disciples discover it themselves. This is an important part of discipleship - its not just about teaching facts and information, its helping people find and discover spiritual truth themselves.

The fig tree was not just mostly dead. It was withered away to its roots. The leaves didn’t just blow off in a storm. This couldn’t just happen overnight. It was a miracle!

The tree was dead - even it’s roots were dead. It would never grow back or come back to life. It was gone forever - just as Jesus said - no one will eat fruit from you again.

The temple would soon be gone - completely destroyed and never to be rebuilt. Two thousand years later - even though the nation of Israel was reestablished in 1948 - there is still no temple in Jerusalem.

The withered fig tree was an object lesson to the disciples to “Have faith in God.” Because faith and prayer and not the temple are now the way to God. God was doing something new in His grand redemption plan. We talk about this in terms of dispensations or periods of God’s work in the world. Just as Jesus prophesied, the nation of Israel would reject the Son of God - the promised Messiah and the church age was coming.

Jesus teaches about faith & forgiveness

Jesus uses this opportunity to point his disciples to God through faith, prayer and forgiveness. A personal relationship with God is what the kingdom is all about - not the customs and rules of the temple. This is what loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength looks like.

in verse 23 Jesus gives uses an example of moving a mountain to show how powerful Faith can be. Some have said Jesus was pointing to the nearby mount of olives. The mountain most likely would be temple mount visible from their location, but With the ending of the temple worship coming, I think that makes more sense.

Again Jesus uses hyperbole - faith can move mountains. Any obstacle can be overcome by bringing it to God in faithful prayer. Faith is the opposite of “doubting in one’s heart” (v. 23). Faith is also the opposite of fear. It is a choice to trust in Jesus despite everything going on around you. It’s expecting from him what cannot be expected from anyone or anything else in the world. There is an obvious connection between faith and prayer. Mark includes several teachings about prayer and faith in this passage that appear in different places in the other Gospels.

Faith is not only a condition of prayer: it is the basis of our entire relationship with God.

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

We can’t interpret verse 24 to mean, “If you pray hard enough and really believe, God is obligated to answer your prayers, no matter what you ask.” That kind of faith is not faith in God; rather, it is nothing but faith in faith, or faith in feelings. That’s what the false prosperity Gospel teaches.

True faith in God is based on His Word and His Word reveals His will to us. Someone said “the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth.”

In verse 25, Jesus also reminds the disciples that forgiveness is an important component to effective prayer.

Unless we freely forgive others it shows that we have no real understanding of the grace that we ourselves have received and need. It also shows that we are expecting to be heard based on our own merits - again completely missing the mark. God will not hear the prayers of an un-repentant, un-humbled person.

We do not earn God’s blessing by forgiving one another. Our forgiving spirit is evidence that our hearts are right with God and that we want to obey His will. This makes it possible for the Father to hear us and to answer prayer according to His will.

Jesus taught his disciples to not simply trust what you know or can see around you and assume you know what is going on. Trust God. Trust His infallible Word. Have a biblical worldview - see and understand the world through the lens of God’s Word.

SUMMARY

Mark sandwiches the temple cleansing with the fig story before and after. - Helping us see the connection with the fig tree being destroyed just as the temple worship would end and be replaced by the new praying community of believers. It is a living parable of the unfruitful temple being judged by God.

This was a prophetic sign of God’s impending judgment on Israel, not an angry reaction because Jesus was hungry and found no food. The fig tree with lots of leaves yet unproductive symbolized Israel’s spiritual barrenness despite divine favor and the impressive outward appearance of their religion and their impressive new temple. I think there is another connection with Genesis. Adam and Eve used the large fig leaves to attempt to hide their sin, but God saw through their disguise - they had disobeyed him and their hearts were not right.

Verse 26 was omitted in the ESV and other newer translations - it repeats the same idea of God not forgiving us when we don't forgive others.

Jesus had spoken of the temple as a house of prayer he now teaches his disciples what real prayer looks like. He was not intend for Christians to try to move literal mountains. But he did expect us to believe that our prayers can overcome great difficulties. We must have faith when we pray. But our faith is not in the strength of our prayers, nor in the size of our faith. The strength of our prayer is in Jesus Christ and His completed work on the cross. It has nothing to do with our own strength or weakness of faith. He calls us to believe in Him with our whole heart and not waver.

Take Aways

Are you like the fig tree - all show with no fruit?

Galatians 5:22 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Is your life continuing to change and grow?

If you are anxious or impatient person, is it clear to others that you are changing to trust and wait on God more and more?

Are you easily angered, unforgiving, quick to hold grudges? Is you heart softening because you have accepted God’s grace and want to show that to others?

Whether you’ve been a follower of Christ for a few months or many decades - is the Holy Spirit actively convicting you and changing you - or are you too busy with religious activities to be transformed?

Is your prayer life powered by faith?

Pray according to God’s will 1 John 5:14

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.”

Would others characterize you as a forgiving person, because you recognize that you have been forgiven much? Knowing and appreciating God’s amazing grace in your own life makes it easier to show that same grace to others around you.

Benediction

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.