Through His actions, Jesus asked, “Where’s the fruit?” Mark 11: 12 The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. 14 Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.[1]
Since most of us don’t grow figs, here are some facts about them. In early spring, the trees form small edible buds that will grow to fruit in the summer. After these buds form, the leaves come out. The tree of our story had many leaves but no edible buds for Jesus. And because there were no buds, there would be no fruit even in the summer.
Why Did Jesus Curse the Tree?
If we only look at the verses above, Jesus seems unreasonable and heavy-handed. It was not the season for figs, so why should He curse the tree? This is where context is so important. The Gospel writer, Mark, often combined two stories to tell a bigger story. Here, the two parts of the fig tree’s story surround the Temple cleansing in Mark 11:15-19. The fig tree becomes an acted-out parable.
From a distance, the tree looked good. But upon closer inspection, there would be no fruit since there were no buds. In the same way, the Temple looked fruitful from a distance. It was beautiful, and many people came to celebrate the feasts and offer sacrifices. But spiritually, there was no fruit coming from it. They lacked heartfelt worship for the Lord.
So, in this parable, Jesus’ curse on the tree will be the same curse that will come upon the Temple. Jesus will stop the marketplace and the man-made activities in the Temple that day. But later in the week, Jesus will die on the cross and, three days later, rise again. His sacrifice will be the perfect sacrifice for our sins, negating the need for Temple sacrifices. Forty years later, the Romans destroyed the Jerusalem Temple.
Fruit Comes from Relationship not Religion
The religious rituals at the Temple looked good on the outside but missed true worship from the heart. Jesus came to die for our sins and restores our relationship with God as we trust Him. Jesus asks us to repent and trust in Him, leading to genuine faith in our hearts. This is more than the trappings of religion. It results in the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which shows as action in our lives.
Galatians 5: 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. [2]
If you claim to have faith, but it doesn’t change your actions, you are like the unfruitful fig tree. God desires to help you bear fruit for His Kingdom. Where’s the fruit? To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-fig-tree-and-the-temple
[1-2] Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.