The Fig Tree

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Sunday - 9:15 AM Sunday School, 10:30 AM Worship Service

by: Denise Robinson

03/26/2024

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If you're in the Indy area today and are headed outside, hold onto your hat (as the saying goes). It's windy out there! Well, it's Tuesday of Holy Week, and Jesus and the disciples are quiet. They are making trips in and out of Jerusalem and, curiously, Jesus stops to curse a fig tree for not bearing fruit. I don't know that Jesus wanted a fig necessarily, although he might have, but he certainly wanted to make a point. 
Jesus sees the fig tree and it has a lot of leaves, but no figs. Now, the Gospels make it clear that it was early in the season, so it's debatable whether it should have been expected to have fruit yet, but Jesus turns the fig tree into a parable so it really doesn't matter. What was Jesus trying to tell the disciples? A couple of things.
Throughout the Bible, the fig tree served as a powerful symbol of Israel's faith. Their faithfulness and rebellion against God was depicted by either the tree being barren or the figs rotten. So, Jesus' use of the fig tree as an example wouldn't have been a surprise. In this case, Jesus was first talking about the fact that his own people were about to reject him. Jerusalem, the holy city, was about to be the place of his arrest and crucifixion. But, more importantly for the disciples (and us), Jesus was talking about prayer. 
Though they don't fully understand, they will be the new caretakers of God’s people. They will be instruments by which the world is transformed—when the Jewish nucleus of Christ-followers extends branches worldwide and brings forth fruit from all nations. And, as Jesus teaches here, they will do this primarily by the power of prayer which is then put into action. 
We, like the disciples, are called to bear fruit. A fig tree (which represents our faith) is worthless if it doesn't bear figs (acts of faith). Jesus was looking for just one tiny fig but saw nothing ... and that led him to make a point by cursing the tree.
Too often we pray and fail to act or we act before we pray. The balance is wrong. Pray and act. Repeat cycle. Which description fits you best? For me, I tend to act before praying. I think I know the answers and how to proceed. When that happens I often get it wrong, but even when I'm on the right track my actions aren't blessed by God in the same way as if I had prayed first. Is your life out of balance? What do you think about Jesus and the fig tree?
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If you're in the Indy area today and are headed outside, hold onto your hat (as the saying goes). It's windy out there! Well, it's Tuesday of Holy Week, and Jesus and the disciples are quiet. They are making trips in and out of Jerusalem and, curiously, Jesus stops to curse a fig tree for not bearing fruit. I don't know that Jesus wanted a fig necessarily, although he might have, but he certainly wanted to make a point. 
Jesus sees the fig tree and it has a lot of leaves, but no figs. Now, the Gospels make it clear that it was early in the season, so it's debatable whether it should have been expected to have fruit yet, but Jesus turns the fig tree into a parable so it really doesn't matter. What was Jesus trying to tell the disciples? A couple of things.
Throughout the Bible, the fig tree served as a powerful symbol of Israel's faith. Their faithfulness and rebellion against God was depicted by either the tree being barren or the figs rotten. So, Jesus' use of the fig tree as an example wouldn't have been a surprise. In this case, Jesus was first talking about the fact that his own people were about to reject him. Jerusalem, the holy city, was about to be the place of his arrest and crucifixion. But, more importantly for the disciples (and us), Jesus was talking about prayer. 
Though they don't fully understand, they will be the new caretakers of God’s people. They will be instruments by which the world is transformed—when the Jewish nucleus of Christ-followers extends branches worldwide and brings forth fruit from all nations. And, as Jesus teaches here, they will do this primarily by the power of prayer which is then put into action. 
We, like the disciples, are called to bear fruit. A fig tree (which represents our faith) is worthless if it doesn't bear figs (acts of faith). Jesus was looking for just one tiny fig but saw nothing ... and that led him to make a point by cursing the tree.
Too often we pray and fail to act or we act before we pray. The balance is wrong. Pray and act. Repeat cycle. Which description fits you best? For me, I tend to act before praying. I think I know the answers and how to proceed. When that happens I often get it wrong, but even when I'm on the right track my actions aren't blessed by God in the same way as if I had prayed first. Is your life out of balance? What do you think about Jesus and the fig tree?
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