Well, it has been interesting and illuminating to think about the fig tree episode. I’ll share my exegesis, not that it’s worth anything to anyone else! So, starting again with Matthew’s version of the withering of the fig tree, which in Matthew is in between the stories of Jesus overturning tables at the Temple and having His authority questioned by the chief priests and elders :
The Fig Tree Withers
18Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
(Matthew 21:18-21)
So, my first response to this story is that is a metaphor of judgment. My NIV Study bible agrees with this. Because of this it is linked in my mind to the parable of the sheep and the goats later in Matthew 25:
The Sheep and the Goats
31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
(Matthew 25:31-46)
It was interesting to me that when I read this passage I noticed that it also starts with Jesus coming (in glory) so it further suggests that the fig tree parable is about judgment day. So, in that light I’m thinking to myself, “Yikes!” In Matthew the tree withers immediately. Before moving on I also note another similarity between the fig tree and the sheep and goats stories: they both refer to what might be called good works. Why did Jesus smite the fig tree? Because it did not bear fruit. He was hungry and the fig tree did not feed Him. And what did the sheep do to be put at God’s right hand? They fed, gave drink to, gave hospitality to, clothed, healed and visited Jesus (the least of these brothers).
In Mark the parable of the fig is broken into two parts surrounding the cleansing of the temple:
Jesus Clears the Temple
12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “ ‘My house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations’[c]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[d]”
18The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19When evening came, they[e] went out of the city.
The Withered Fig Tree
20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22“Have[f] faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”[g] (Mark 11: 12-25)
Now this gets more interesting in two ways. First, the fig tree has leaves out of season and second more time passes between the curse and the withering. And, the tree withers from the roots as if it were cut off from below where it is planted in the dirt, rather than deprived from above (sun and rain). I’m not sure what to make of the tree having leaves out of season, it almost seems unfair of Jesus to curse it for not having fruit when it’s not even supposed to have leaves. But the whole day passes before the tree is discovered withered, so it suggests to me that this reflects more time given by God before passing final judgment.
In both Matthew and Mark’s Gospels, which are the only two to relate the fig tree story as above, the disciples, typically, did not get it. They focused on the overt sign, the miracle. And Jesus does not say that this is a teaching about judgment, but goes along and gives a teaching about faith in both cases. In Mark the overt teaching is about faith and prayer and forgiveness. So, perhaps this is to soften the message of judgment and remind us that what we are to worry about is not judgment at the last day but how we conduct our relationships with God (prayer, faith) and each other (feed, heal, be compassionate) now. And in between make sure our temple is clean.
Luke does not have the story of Jesus withering the fig tree, but he does give another interesting parable about a fig tree:
1Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 2Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
6Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
8“ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”
(Luke 13:1-9)
In Luke this parable is placed right after his first passages about interpreting signs of the (end)times (Luke 12:35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.” Luke 12:54 “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.”). I note that here not only did the tree get three years to bear fruit, it also gets yet another chance as the caretaker intercedes on its behalf and promises to give the tree special care so that it might yet bear fruit. It’s quite an amazing softening of the message in contrast to the immediate withering in Matthew.
According to my study NIV, Luke was most likely addressing the upper class of Romans and his Gospel aimed at the Gentiles. So this is interesting when compared to the Matthew, who supposedly was addressing primarily Greek-speaking Jews. I admit I have not read Luke as much as Matthew so I don’t have a good feel for Luke’s spin on the Message. However, there is a clear difference in the sense of urgency between the two. I know both Matthew and Luke are possibly based upon Mark, which was also directed to Gentile readers. Matthew, writing later than Mark, shortened the time between curse and consequence, making the judgment “at hand,” while Luke greatly lengthened it. The world had not literally ended with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, so perhaps this meant that God was gong to give the world a second chance to repent, under the care of the Spirit. Luke, then, is the one to go on and give us Acts, the movement of the Gospel out into the World.
Luke mentions the fig tree once more, again in the context of Signs of the End of the Age:
25“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32“I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Luke 21:25-32)
Here is my NIV study Bible definition of repent: “Repentance is more than a change of mind or feeling sorry for one’s sins. It is a radical and deliberate turning or returning to God.”
Well, this little study has greatly deepened my appreciation of the fig tree story, which is so easy to overlook.
cheers,
lunamoth
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