The Fruitless Fig Tree (Protestant/Evangelical Caucus and Devotional)

“When [Jesus] came to [the fig tree], he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard it” (vv. 13b–14).

Reformed theology emphasizes Christ’s threefold office as the Prophet who brings God’s Word to us, the Priest who atones for sin and intercedes for us, and the King who rules and reigns over us (WSC 23–26). Of particular note for our study today is our Lord’s prophetic office, for what Jesus does in Mark 11:12–14 is very much in keeping with the prophets who came before Him.

In addition to proclaiming God’s revelation verbally, the old covenant prophets sometimes performed what have been called “enacted parables” in which their actions conveyed a truth from our Creator. One example of this is Jeremiah’s purchase of a field in Judah during Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem (Jer. 32). From a human perspective, the purchase did not make much sense. Jerusalem was about to fall and Jeremiah would not be able to enjoy his new land. But God had the prophet buy the field in order to teach the people a lesson. Yes, the exile was coming and the residents of Judah would be taken off to Babylon. But the exile would not last forever and the people would return to their homeland. Jeremiah’s owning a piece of property was a tangible example of that. It showed that the Judahites’ loss of the land was not permanent, that they would be coming back to what they had left behind and taking up ownership again.

Jesus’ cursing of the fruitless fig tree is an enacted parable. The sign that Palestinian fig trees have fruit is that their foliage appears in full bloom, so Jesus expected to find something to eat when He saw a fig tree in leaf (Mark 11:12–13a). Some have said that Jesus’ expectations were incorrect, since Mark tells us “it was not the season for figs” (v. 13b). There are two possible explanations for this. First, there are different varieties of fig trees in that part of the world, not all of which bear fruit in the same season. Mark may have been saying that it was not the season in which most fig trees would bear fruit, but that the fig tree Jesus saw was one that bore fruit in the season when most others did not. Second, even when it was not the season for mature figs, Palestinian fig trees in leaf had smaller, unripe figs that were edible, if not as tasty as ripe figs. Either way, Jesus was clearly not wrong to expect fruit when He saw lush foliage.

The Old Testament prophets sometimes used barren fig trees to show divine judgment on Israel (Hos. 2:12), and Jesus’ curse should be viewed in that context. His curse of the fruitless fig tree was a sign that judgment was about to come on Jerusalem.

Jesus cursed the fig tree for its fruitlessness, for not living up to what it appeared to be when it had foliage but no figs. That is a warning to all who profess faith in Him. We are to bear fruit for God’s glory, and if we are not bearing fruit in service to God and neighbor, we must repent and rely on His grace. If we do not, that may be a sign that we are not in His kingdom after all.

There is a 3rd possibility.

Being the creator of the universe, Jesus expected the tree to recognize him (yes, I know that demands the tree to be conscious) and be prepared to deliver fruit. Why else would he curse the tree? He wouldn't curse the tree for merely being out of season.

As James Kugel says, there is much more, infinitely more, to the Word of God that appears on the surface.

Ancient rabbis scoured the Word for hidden meaning because they knew God's Word was perfect in every detail.

This reminds me of a scene in The Life of Brian. He is being chased by a bunch of people who want to worship him. In the process, he loses a sandal. When the crowd approaches the sandal, they stop, circle it, and one of them gingerly reaches down and picks it up. He holds it up and pontificates about the message in Brian removing one of his sandal. They all then remove one sandal and continue the chase.

i.e. sometimes the bible is more straightforward than we give it credit for.

A friend of mine who went to seminary explained this to me. He said the students are required to take some scripture and write a paper on it that brings out a meaning that nobody has ever gleaned from it before.

You get a lot of goofy baloney when you do that. Sadly, some of it gets preached.

About six years ago I read an article right here on FR that turned me from the traditional view of hell to the belief that the lost simply die in the second death. And the reason is that when I actually studied the bible, it was crystal clear. I’m at a loss for why anyone every preached that the lost spend eternity in conscious torment.

I’m now having a similar experience with the trinity concept.

This is brought on by me listening to the bible on my daily 3 hour round trip commute for about three years. You get immersion bible study, and by listening, rather than reading. I’ve picked up so much that I never noticed was there before, it’s shocking.

Before one becomes tempted to form a doctrine or judgment based on this illustration, it would be wise to gain familiarity with fig culture. From merely a brief survey, the following facts may be found:

-- Fig trees usually bear 2 crops a year, the early season ("breba") fruits being inferior and frequently too acid, and only those of the second, or main, crop of economic value.

-- Fig trees are prone to attack by nematodes (especially Meloidogyne spp.) and, in the tropics, have been traditionally planted close to a wall or building so that the roots can go underneath and escape damage. A heavy mulch will serve equally well.

-- . There are also coleopterous insects of the genera Epitrix and Colaspis that perforate and severely damage the leaves and shoots. Scale insects include Asterolecanium sp. which attacks the bark of trees weakened by excessive humidity or prolonged drought, and the lesser enemy, Saissetia haemispherica

-- A common and widespread problem is leaf rust caused by Cerotelium fici; bringing about premature leaf fall and reducing yields. It is most prevalent in rainy seasons. Leaf spot results from infection by Cylindrocladium scoparium or Cercospora fici. Fig mosaic is caused by a virus and is incurable. Affected trees must be destroyed.

Don't rush to judgment on what is obvious to the Middle Eastern fruit farmer or consumer, but not to the Roman, Lutheran, Oxonian, or Yale theologian.

Breba figs resulting from the previous year's growth would normally have been available at the Passover time, especially in an intercalary year (which AD 33 was); but the sickness of a particular tree tree might have been obvious to Jesus and His companions, and worthy of felling before it infected others around it. (Now, that would invite a comparative application under the theme broached in Matthew 7:15-20 and similar passages.)

Be advised.

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