Lovers of God

Jesus withers the fig tree on the road from Bethany

Mt 21:18-22 18 Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, "No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered. 20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, "How did the fig tree wither all at once?" 21 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen. 22 And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

Mk 11:11-14 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. 12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening.

Mk 11:20-26 20 As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 21 Being reminded, Peter said to Him, "Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered." 22 And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. 23 "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. 25 "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. 26 ["But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."]

In Matthew’s account, the fig tree withered immediately, and the disciples noticed the withering right away, whereas in Mark’s account Peter noticed on the next morning that the fig tree had withered from the roots up. Perhaps the upper part withered immediately, and by the next day the roots had withered too. In Matthew’s account, the conversation about the fig tree appears to have happened immediately (the passage solidly requires that), but in Mark’s account, the conversation appears to have happened on the next day. Combining the two, a consistent explanation is that the upper part of the tree withered immediately after Jesus spoke, and the disciples saw on the next day that the roots had withered too, and that was when they asked Jesus how it withered all at once.

The fig tree was a symbol of the nation of Israel. Jesus cursing the fig tree was symbolic of God’s curse on Israel because as a nation it was not faithful in serving God.

This miracle teaches us that God takes away from those who don’t product the fruit that He expects.

Mt 13:12 12 "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

This miracle also teaches us that when our relationship with God is solid, God will grant us whatever spiritual blessing we ask of Him.

The physical is symbolic of the spiritual. Spiritual mountains, like sinful habits, can be overcome by those who ask God for power to overcome, and believe that He will give it to them.

One major reason why our prayers don’t get answered is because we have not forgiven everyone who has sinned against us everything that they have done. God doesn’t answer the prayers of those who are in such a state. As a result, such people continue to struggle against mountains that impede their progress.