But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?. Do you understand your life? There is hope and every expectation that the wise and capable attention of the keeper will produce a new burst of productivity so that the next harvest will see fruit on the tree. This is not the kind of response I expect. He told them to bring the fruit of their hearts to Christ because the ax was already at the root of the tree. It was an atrocity committed by the Roman ruler of the province upon the Galileans. Mark 11:13 must mean that the particular tree on which Christ expected to find figs was barren, because it had no figs on it at all. Mark 11:13-15 "On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. This end-times warning system with the fig analogy is picked up again in Revelation 6:13. The curse is that the tree will not produce fruit until the end of the age. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. Its basic meaning is to change. Thats what Jesus saw when he entered the temple. This is the meaning of the fig tree in Luke 13:6-9. The trees roots spread, thicken and set. Chuck Smith was a pastor of a little church in Costa Mesa, California. Peter pointed it out, and Jesus responded in a really interesting way. But if they leave the church because we make it hard for them to worship God, thats between God and us. Rather, a curse was a pronouncement of judgment upon a person or object (cf. We have an amazing capacity for self-deception and self-justification. All he did was state a truth about it. You have a "place." The chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him.. But he does love sinners. God did something powerful. Against such there is no law." Do you know the purpose for your life and what it can become? But we know the kind of good King he is, dont we? Jesus answer is to have faith in God. The Passage: Matt. And, believe it or not, he actually wants to be near to us. But God is also a God of judgment, and Christ is warning here that a time of final judgment will come on a lifeespecially a life that has had opportunity, warning and the benefit of the doubt. The fruit tree (each of us) requires a lot of time, investment, and proper handling to enjoy its fruit year after year. Look at verse 23. C.S. The Gentiles could enter the outer court. For what? All rights reserved. Your efforts combine with the work of nature to bring fruit to harvest. Showy religion is so boring. Hes bigger than your sin. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". And Jesus answering said to them, Suppose you that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. It was definitely identified as Jerusalem in Matt. God is full of mercy and compassion. Just looked around. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark both tell the story of how Jesus cursed a fig tree which had no fruit just outside of Jerusalem. 4. Throughout the Old Testament, the fig tree held spiritual value as a symbol for Israel, serving as a metaphor for their standing with God. 1) "The fig tree was the metaphor YHVH associated with Israel, and the remnant of Israel - Judea and Jerusalem. Feb 11, 2019 at 16:54. (2020, August 27). It was time to act. Last week, we saw from Mark 11:1-11 the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. First, Jesus explains the power and importance of faith it is faith in God that gave him the power to curse the fig tree and make it wither overnight and similar faith on the disciples' part will give them the power to work other wonders. Two stories from everyday life. Both accounts are examples of the importance of the biblical and cultural context in understanding the words and deeds attributed to Jesus. Neither you nor I want to be on the receiving end of the ax. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Galatians 5:22-23 Galatians 5:22-23 [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, God has come. Jesus spoke the Parable or the Lesson of the Fig Tree in Matthew 24:32-35 as such: "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out . To go into your backyard and pick your own fruit you watched develop and ripen is both instructive and rewarding. With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! When a church becomes a place where its hard to find God, it becomes something other than what God intends. Later he curses the fruitless fig tree, representing unfruitfulness (Mark 11:12-21), and then uses the fig as a metaphor of how we should recognise the signs of the times (Matthew 24:32). So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, For three years now Ive been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and havent found any. The remainder of the parable shows us the way out! There are seven species of food mentioned here, which would be abundant in the land promised to his people, and it is the time leading up to the Jewish holidays when many of them are ripe and ready to be eaten. It also symbolizes fruitfulness. Jesus cant be ruined. John the Baptist warned the people about the coming Messiah. When you come to God, you dont get everything you deserve. Its the fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi 3:1-2. Is it True for Christians That 'Once Saved, Always Saved'? Throughout the scriptures, the plant becomes a symbol of prosperity, wellbeing, and security. Mt. Is it cheaper to drive or fly to New York? He showed us the kind of forgiving heart God has. As the story unfolds, we see God is disappointed because it lacked any fruit after caring for the tree for three years. The fig tree bears bountiful figs, ripening principally in the month of August. . Yet at the same time, none of us knows how much time we have leftso we'd better get moving! The importance of faith has been a consistent theme for Mark. (John 1:48) And there was a curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, representing the distance between the Holy God and sinful man. God brought revival. In this parable, Jesus knows were human, were frail, we have weaknesses and temptations. He cleans things out. Normally, a leafy fig tree would be pleasing, since a fig tree in leaf indicates that it has ripe fruit. Im not saying this is easy. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Jesus was saying that these poor people were just like everyone else. Now the disciples learn the fate of the fig tree that Jesus cursed and Marks sandwich is complete: two stories, one surrounding the other, with each providing deeper meaning to the other. Christ's cursing of the fig tree is recorded in Matthew 21:17-22 and Mark 11:12-24. Craig S. Keener, Inter-Varsity Press, 1993, Matthew 21:18-20 & Mark 11:12-14.. ..with the fig tree representing Israel; A tree full of leaves normally should . It means to stop doing something that's not productive or taking you in a wrong direction. True worship bears fruit, and the temple, though it looked good from afar, didnt, which leads to our next point. Normally, a leafy fig tree would be pleasing, since a fig tree in leaf indicates that it has ripe fruit. They have two sons, who are both married, and four grandchildren. He is available to us all, right now, and every moment from now until we stand before him in heaven. But its up to us to rely on Jesus for the strength and wisdom to navigate what comes our way. Cline, Austin. And his disciples heard it. It is no wonder that this feature of Gods creation crops up repeatedly in the Bible in wonderfully symbollic ways. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. Maybe youve made your heart a den of robbers. The cursing and withering of the fig tree are interpreted in the Byzantine tradition as an expression of "foolishness." Of a "shady understanding of Scripture which does not bear good fruit." The fig tree is a shrub of the Moraceae family, one of the many species of the genus Ficus. How can Jesus move the mountain of dead worship in the temple? Some scholars suspect that verse 26 was added at a later time in order make the connection even more explicit most translations omit it entirely. Article Images Copyright . These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. But are you producing fruit? It's not even the season for figs, and yet Jesus curses the tree because it is fruitless. But what is this mountain? It proves once again that Jesus is God. He wont reject an open heart. Andy Gullahorn is a Nashville songwriter. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Where does the Bible say that Jesus cursed the fig tree? It looked alive. Was it done in retaliation for an attack on the Romans, or was it just done on the whim of the Roman governor as a display of Roman ruthlessness to keep the locals in fear? When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. I am the vine and you are the branches. In the temple, there was no direct access to God for everyone. But it wasnt doing what it was supposed to do. There is so much richness in what God has created and placed in this land for his people not just in their good taste and nutrition, but in their meaning too. What? Nathanael was without hypocrisy under his fig tree. His point was that we understand this and do what we can and should do, realizing that time and chance could unexpectedly strike at any time. The harvest of ripened fruit is the reason the tree is taking up valuable real estate. The Jewish people felt their actions, deeds, and the states of their hearts were righteous despite God pointing out their sins. Who of us hasnt? Pre-figs, as it were. The Fig tree in this parable represents us and the nation of Israel. Not a small number of people have found, Some have claimed the New Testament is wrong about Genesis 3:15? The fig tree represented the temple, especially her leaders. 12On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. Shirts and shoes please. He took it down, and after church met with the church leaders. Whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Heres another object lesson, like the fig tree. How free we are? Some scholars had real trouble with it. Whats going on? Every one of them. Have you ever felt compelled to get a weight off of your chest. Where sinners met with God. Why not later? MARK 11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:13. You cannot grow a new fiddle-leaf fig tree from a leaf. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. You get his life of obedience. The temple was defiled, but Jesus cant be defiled. It takes time and care to nurture and develop. MARK 11:12-14 AND 20-22 How could Jesus raise it up again in three days? The fig tree is also symbollic of Israel itself - It often symbolized the health of the nation both spiritually and physically [1]. He and his wife, Debbie, have served in the ministry for more than 43years. It's rewarding to take part in the process by which fruit grows. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. The account in Matthew 21 is compressed to . These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. He witnessed it so often, He used the tree in this story as a vivid depiction of it. This parable, about the Kingdom of God, involves a fig tree, as does the equally brief parable of the barren fig tree. The temple in Jerusalem was much the same. The vineyard owner's solution to this unproductive fig tree was blunt: "Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?" Many tiny flowers produce the crunchy little edible seeds that give figs their unique texture. At this point, though, we receive exegesis that goes beyond anything warranted by the previous text alone. There will be no figs on the tree, AND THEIR LEAVES WILL WITHER. Isaiah 56 is about the nations coming to God. The vineyard owner in this story is God, the One who rightly decides whether or not to uproot the trees that are not bearing fruit. 2: Comparisons between current aboveground carbon-density maps and our . When Jesus went back to the temple that day, he went on a mission. Mark 11:13 must mean that the particular tree on which Christ expected to find figs was barren, because it had no figs on it at all. It means to stop going in one direction of life, a direction that can be self-destructive, and to turn around and go anotherin a way that's productive and even godly. Every year, we take a trip to Kansas City to visit our best friends. They had created their own system of human works righteousness which was never Gods intention. All rights reserved. He enjoys hunting, travel and reading and spending time with his grandchildren. 17:2-10; 19:10-14 ). He was done looking. Bethphage, which adjoined Bethany, derives its name from its being a fig region"House of figs." afar off having leavesand therefore promising fruit, which in the case of figs come before the leaves. There were four layers, each one a step closer to God. The day before He told this parable, He had entered the temple courts to find His Fathers house turned into a market filled with people who didnt care about God but were taking advantage of those hearts who wanted to honor Him. 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