Why did Jesus Curse the Fig Tree?
By Peter Salemi
Why did Jesus curse the fig tree in Mark the 11th chapter? When understood, this is a valuable lesson for the Christian.
God wants us to continually produce the “fruits of righteousness” (Philip 1:11; 2 Cor 9:10) in our lives. Individually, God has called us and when he does come to us it will be time for us to display our fruit- whether in season or out of season, “be instant [Grk. “ready”] in season, out of season;” (2 Tim 4:2) our fruits must be displayed-just as it was when Jesus came to the fig tree.
The only purpose of a fig tree is to bear fruit. The Christian must through continued union with Christ, through His Spirit [see 1 John 3:24; 1 John 4:13], be bringing forth now the fruits of the Holy Spirit, as Christ says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:1-2, 4-6). That fruits we produce is love, joy, peace, patience (which often includes suffering long), gentleness, goodness, faith, humility, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).
Fig Tree Lesson
Jesus explains the whole symbolism of the fig tree. Let’s read what happens, “And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:” (Mark 11:12). Jesus is God, and when he was in the flesh he “hungered.” But now he is spirit. What does God (Jesus) hunger for NOW? We know that God is not confined to a human body, he is spirit (John 4:24). He has no need for food. God is self-existent and does not need any outside source to assist him in sustaining life (Psalm 50:12-13). However, though he is not physically dependent on food, he does hunger for us to be righteous (Matthew 5:6). He searches as Jesus search for the fig tree for the fruits we have produced, “for the LORD searcheth all hearts,” (1 Chron 28:9); “and all the churches [fig trees] shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts:” (Rev 2:23). Once God finds our “fruits” he “will give unto every one of you according to your works.”
The Christian is a “living sacrifice” for God (Romans 12:1). Sacrifices are God’s food, “it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savour: all the fat is the LORD’S.” (Lev 3:16; see also Deut 32:38). God is hungry for our hearts this is why he searches them. The Father’s meal is the sacrifices of a broken heart and contrite spirit (Isaiah 57:15; 66:2). David wrote, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalm 51:17). This is what God-Jesus searches and hungers for!
This particular physical fig tree that Jesus came to could not provide that! The spiritual lesson in this as Jesus plainly shows us in these passages reveals what will happen to a person who cannot provide fruit in his heart for God. Jesus said, “…he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:6; see also Matthew 7:19; see also the Parable of the Barren fig tree Luke 13:6-9).
Then we read, “And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.” (Mark 11:3). Jesus comes to the fig tree and “found nothing.” Notice that Jesus did not go to the tree expecting to find “figs” — “for the time of figs was not yet” He was looking to see, instead, whether there was “anything” on it. What was the “thing” He expected?
Let’s break this down!
He saw the fig tree from afar “having leaves.” Leaves are fine at the beginning this shows signs of promise of fruit. In the beginning we are “babes” in Christ, but then we must progress and become mature, “let us go on unto perfection… For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
“For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb 6:1; 5:12-14). For Jesus to come to a chosen member of his church and seeing no progress-no spiritual growth, then we are a tree that “had promise without performance” (Robertson’s Word Pictures, emphasis added). God wants us to be, “called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” (Isa 61:3).
Green leaves are not wrong, but there must come fruit-spiritual growth with our Christian profession! (2 Peter 3:18).
So what was the “thing” Jesus expected out of season?
At the time a fig tree puts out new leaves in the spring — whether it is early or late — it already bears the “taqsh,” the small knobs, or buds, which are the forerunners of the figs that are to grow there. Later they will develop into the early or first fruit figs (called bicura and boccore) which ripen at the end of June. (While not particularly palatable, these buds may be eaten if one is hungry enough — even when they are very small.) The fig tree in question had put forth leaves early. Jesus could see that from a distance. He had every reason, therefore, to assume He would find undeveloped, but edible, buds or “proto-figs” on it.
However, if the small proto-figs are not present with the earliest leaves, the fig tree will bear no fruit that year. This was a tree that had none. Jesus could see at a glance that the tree was barren, or perhaps diseased. Spiritually, we are to produce fruits, be it “in season, out of season;” (2 Tim 4:2). Whether the conditions are favorable or not, always continue to practice your faith.
At the beginning of one’s conversion [planted by God] a Christian begins his/her journey towards Christian perfection, and he/she begins to bud with the laying of the “foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” (Heb 6:1-2), practicing these doctrines in favorable conditions [peace time] or in bad conditions [times of war and persecution].
Christians are to persevere in whatever conditions this world in is, “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19).If Christians let this world take them over, and don’t produce fruits, there is no reason for such a tree to continue to exist!
So then Jesus cursed the tree, “No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.” (Mark 11:14). Jesus did not lose His temper, or curse the fig tree out of anger or disappointment at finding no figs. He chose, with purpose, to use this showy, but worthless, tree to symbolize the hollowness, emptiness, barrenness, phoniness, superficiality and pretension of Christians who don’t continue to grow, progress and PRODUCE. The only purpose of a fig tree is to bear fruit. But a barren “Christian” fig tree only disappoints other people who are looking for spiritual food and find none.
Jesus said to grow Spiritually and produce Fruits
The next day the disciple Peter saw the fig tree that Jesus cursed, he said, “Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.” (v.21). The tree was “dried up from the roots” (v.20). Spiritually, this is similar to a scripture about people who refuse to grow spiritually, and destined to, “leave them neither root nor branch.” (Mal 4:1). When this day comes these, “shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up,”
But Jesus has the cure to spiritual stagnation, as his words about the physical fig tree is an obvious spiritual lesson about the growth a Christian, “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:22). By these words we know Jesus meant for us to learn and spiritual lesson!
Jesus said we must, “Have faith in God.” This is the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal 5:22), “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” When one receives the Holy Spirit it does not stay dormant inside the Christian, but it is active alive ready to produce the “fruits of Righteousness” which is the law of God (Psalm 119:172)-this is Faith! “I will shew thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:18; see also Deut 32:20).
Jesus is telling his disciples to keep the first commandment in the great law of God to believe in God their Savior, to grow in “grace and knowledge” of God and put the law of God into practice. “Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no Saviour beside me.” (Hosea 13:4). How do we “know” God? “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” (1 John 2:3).
Jesus is teaching us to know and to trust in God our Savior as the following verse reveals: “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” (Mark 11:23-24).
This is similar to John 15:16, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” If we produce the fruits that “remain” the eternal fruits of righteousness then because of our obedience to God, God will answer any prayer that we have, “ye shall have them.” God knows that the words of God “abide” in the Christian and God knows that his/her prayers will not go contrary to his will, “if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” (1 John 5:14).
Grow Spiritually
Spiritual growth is of utmost importance for the Christian. One cannot stay a “babe in Christ” (1 Cor 3:1; Heb 5:13; 1 Peter 2:2). A Christian must mature by digging into the word of God that has vast knowledge of spiritual truths that must be cultivated, practiced and taught to the individual, the church and the world.
Paul wrote, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb 5:14). “Strong meat” is one who is skillful in the word of righteousness. One, who studies, meditates, prays and immerses themselves in the word of God; as oppose to a new convert in Christ who, “…useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.” (Heb 5:12). A new Babe in Christ in the beginning learns the simple truths [milk] first, and grows from there.
With years of study and practice a mature spiritually grown Christian, “have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” “that is, their spiritual senses, the internal senses of the understanding and judgment…such are qualified for discerning, as between moral good and evil… between the doctrines of Christ, and the doctrines of men…and the discernment they make, and the judgment they form, are not according to the dictates of carnal reason, but according to the Scriptures of truth, and their own experience.” (Gill’s Commentary, emphasis added).
The lesson of the fig tree is clear, all of us Christians that have the Holy Spirit within must begin to grow within, put our faith into practice produce the “fruits of righteousness” in good or bad times and to be “perfect before God.” (Rev 3:2).
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