By Ben Griffith
Jesus was a master story-teller. If there were ever a homiletic model, it would be Christ. Some of the most spiritually successful (which, on a side note, is a very different criterion than most people’s benchmark for success as a preacher) men who have ever devoted themselves to the preaching of the Gospel have had at least one thing in common; it seems that they have an uncanny ability to take high, lofty concepts and make them easy to understand. One of the more effective means to simplify ideas is through the use of an example or a metaphor. Jesus was amazing at things like this! Jesus would make use of everyday situations to prove a point that would stick with his listeners.
One of (if not the) most perplexing allegories that Christ utilized was “The Cursing of the Fig Tree” (Mk. 11:12-14). However, despite its difficulty to understand, it provides a rich application for Christians today. The story begins five days before the crucifixion with Jesus’ “triumphal entry.” On this day, the Son of God entered the Jerusalem area for the last time, and with royal treatment. Out of respect and awe, some “spread their cloaks on the road,” while others “spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields” down on the road before Jesus and his colt (Mk. 11:8). After his grand entry to the Holy City, Jesus immediately went into the temple; however, since it was already late, he left the city to go out to the nearby town of Bethany (vs. 11). On the next day, one of the most peculiar events of Jesus’ ministry takes place—the cursing of the fig tree. By looking at some key details in the story, analyzing the situation immediately following the cursing of the fig tree, and making a connection between the two circumstances, a lesson from this puzzling encounter can be gleaned.
In order to properly understand the story of the cursing of the fig tree, it needs to be understood in its wider context. The narrative sequence follows an A-B-A-B-A sequence; it involves: (A) First visit to the temple (11:11); (B) Cursing of the fig tree (11:12-14); (A) Jesus takes action in the temple (11:15-19); (B) The fig tree is found to be dead (11:20-25); (A) Jesus returns to the temple. France notes:
"This is one of the more elaborate examples of Mark’s tendency to weave separate incidents together by shifting the spotlight to and fro between two narrative scenes, so as to enable the reader to interpret each incident in the light of the other (p. 436).
It is apparent that Mark did not intend for verses 11-14 to be read independent from the rest of the chapter. The narrative structure implies that there is a connection between the fig tree and the temple—the physical aspect of the story has a deep spiritual meaning.
Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree involves three key facts: (1) Jesus desired fruit, (2) The tree that he saw was fruitless, and (3) Jesus cursed the tree because it was all foliage and no fruit. The first fact is plainly stated in the text. The Message reads: “As they left Bethany the next day, he was hungry. Off in the distance he saw a fig tree in full leaf. He came up to it expecting to find something for breakfast” (Mk. 11:12-13a). It was early in the morning, and like any human, Jesus was hungry for physical food, and undoubtedly it was exciting to see a tree in the distance. Sometimes we will seek something but do not yet have a clear idea how that desire will be fulfilled, but this was not the case. Jesus spotted a fig tree, and not just any fig tree, this one was full of foliage. This segues into the next fact—the tree was fruitless. The tree’s luscious looking leaves made Jesus suspect that it would be filled with some hearty sustenance, but to his dismay it was barren. Jesus was starving for food, but this tree was unable to satisfy his hunger. Imagine Jesus’ emotion at this point. Very few cravings can affect a person as much as hunger. Imagine waking up with an insatiable desire for a stack of pancakes, which causes you to get in your car and drive around looking for somewhere to eat. Then, after spotting a restaurant with an extremely large neon “OPEN” sign, you approach the restaurant to discover that it is in fact closed. Words like “ridiculous” and “absurd” flood through your head as you realize that the outward signs were indeed fake, deceptive, and vain. This is how Jesus must have felt. Finally, this narrative climaxes with Jesus pronouncing a curse upon the tree. The clause, “for it was not the season for figs” is what makes this passage difficult. This aspect of the story gives commentators fits; it makes “the whole story seem quite discreditable. It reminds one of the vindictive behavior of the holy child narrated in the second-century Infancy Gospel of Thomas” (Ibid., p. 439). It seems unfair for Jesus to curse this poor fig tree for not producing fruit when it is not even fruit-bearing season! However, while Jesus’ reaction seems “horticulturally unreasonable,” it has great “symbolic value” (Ibid., p.441). This entire account should be understood as a real-life parable. It seems reasonable to conclude that Jesus intended to use this encounter with the fig tree as a conceit regarding the temple.
The three key physical facts have rich spiritual applications. First, just as Jesus was hungry for food—likewise he was hungry for the Jew’s spiritual fruit. God was hungry for his people’s worship; he was hungry for their spiritual service that stems from a good heart. Jesus’ disciples would have recognized the allegory; the language of fruit bearing is used by both John the Baptist (Mat. 3:8-10), and Jesus (Jn. 15:1-8) in the context of spiritual productivity. And even further, they may have “recall[ed] Micah 7:1-6 where the prophet declares that God is seeking ‘the first ripe fruit’ from His people” (Wiersbe, p.150). God desires his people to be a holy, living sacrifice to him, loving him with heart, soul, mind and strength (Rom. 12:1-2; Mk. 12:29-30).
Second, just as the fig tree was all foliage and no fruit—likewise the temple was all show and no substance. Even though the fig tree was out of season, it was still being deceptive. As France notes, “a tree in full leaf at Passover season is making a promise it cannot fulfill” (p. 441). In this manner, the Jewish religion had become empty and substance less. Earlier in his ministry, Jesus applied a prophesy of Isaiah to them saying, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mat. 15:8-9), and shortly after the cursing of the fig tree, Jesus indicted the Pharisees’ heart problem with several different vivid metaphors describing their poor spiritual condition (Mat. 23:1-36). The Jews had abandoned their love for God and substituted it with strict law keeping. Wiersbe points out that, “Jesus had a spiritual view of the Jewish religion, while the leaders promoted a traditional view that was cluttered with rules and regulations” (p. 151). God loved them, but they forsook him and it broke his heart. We can connect with the shallow, physical disappointment that Jesus felt when he was let down by a fig tree that promised fruit but offered none (most have had a similar experience), but no one can understand the pain that Jesus must have felt when he saw the travesty that was taking place in the temple. Most people will have their heart broken some time during their life; most people will get burned or shafted in a relationship, but no one will ever feel what Jesus felt when he wept over Jerusalem (Lk. 19:41). The Jewish leaders disappointed God; they were all foliage with no fruit.
Third, just as Jesus cursed the fig tree, he also curses the temple. This story is usually known as Jesus “cleansing” the temple, but in actuality he curses it. This is reminiscent of Ezekiel 10 when the glory of the Lord left the first temple, and just as the first temple would be destroyed when God left, so would the second. The next day, as Jesus and his disciples were walking back to Jerusalem, Peter remembered the fig tree and drew attention to the fact that it had “withered away to its roots” (Mk. 11:20). The symbolic story of the fig tree had reached its conclusion, and that conclusion was total annihilation. Analogous to the tree that withered all the way down the roots, Jesus prophesied that, “there will not be left here [the temple] one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Mk. 13:2).
The contemporary application is simple: God desires fruit (which equally involves right actions and right attitudes) and foliage is not going to be enough to satisfy that hunger. The spiritual leaders of first century Judaism were condemned for having an outward appearance of spirituality, but an inward heart full of “hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Mat. 23:28). Oftentimes people will be noted as “faithful” based on attendance. You might hear, “Sister Smith was the most faithful woman I have ever seen, even after she was sick, she never missed a Sunday.” While attendance is important (Heb. 10:25), there is much more to Christianity than law keeping. It is possible to fool others about your personal spirituality. One can show up every Sunday and Wednesday, and avoid any kind of public sin and appear holy and upright to those around him, but Jesus says to that person: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Lk. 16:15). Let us always check our hearts to make sure that our outward foliage is not making a promise that our heart cannot fulfill.
Sources:
R.T. France, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002.
Warren W. Wiersbe, Bible Exposition Commentary. Colorado Springs: Victor/Cook, 2005.