Mark 11:12-14

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

From Background Notes [BN] for September 21^st & 22^nd written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Why the action of cursing the fig tree?

 

What Jesus does here is no different than many similar actions by the prophets in the Old Testament (see Isaiah 20:1-6; Jeremiah 13:1-11; 19:1-13; Ezekiel 4:1-15). Put succinctly, the fig tree represented the state of Israel in Jesus' time. The cursing of the fig tree can only mean that he is predicting judgment on the nation, indeed that he is decreeing it, when Israel's judge comes to refine and purify the people. As the Synoptic Gospels later tell (Mark 13; Matthew 24; Luke 21), Jesus will predict judgment on Jerusalem and its ultimate fall. William Lane summarizes this idea nicely:

Just as the leaves of the tree concealed the fact that there was no fruit to enjoy, so the magnificence of the Temple and its ceremony conceals the fact that Israel has not brought forth the fruit of righteousness demanded by God. Both incidents have the character of a prophetic sign which warns of judgment to fall upon Israel for honoring God with their lips when their heart was far from him (cf. Ch. 7:6).  [BN,4-5]

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* Saturday 6:00pm
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