Mark 11:12-14, 20-24 The Fig Tree

"On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, 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. ... As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, 'Master, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered.' And Jesus answered them, 'Have faith in God. 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 will come to pass it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours" (Mark 11:12-14, 20-24 RSV).

Question:

It is disturbing that the time for the tree's bearing fruit had not come and Christ showed it no mercy and cursed it. If the tree was never going to bear fruit, why hasten the inevitable? I understand the part about belief (interestingly once I read it again). I'm working on a consistent faith and to be more aligned in my life with God.

Comment:

What I love about this particular story (which, as you note, is also found at Mark: 11) is the glimpse it gives us of a very human Jesus, knowing he has only a few days left of his earthly ministry (this is the final week of his life) and anxious to complete his work and leave his disciples with as much strength and awareness as possible. His treatment of the fig tree seems impatient and unfair—and it is. Jesus had achieved a full expression of the Christ—the divine nature that is his true identity, and ours as well. And he was also fully human, susceptible to irritation and impatience when he encountered impediments to his extremely important spiritual work—whether the impediments came from judgmental Pharisees, from dense disciples or from an uncooperative fig tree.   The important lesson lies in what he did with the situation. He turned it into a positive—into a powerful and pointed lesson to his disciples—and, by extension, to us as well. We have to realize, as we follow Jesus' path, that we are dealing with very strong energies indeed. Used for good—to create the kingdom—they will express infinite love and empowerment. But the creative power of the Word is no less strong if we tie it to negative impulses and rash judgments. 'This stuff really works,' he's saying in essence. 'So be careful how you use it!'   When we allow Jesus to be less than perfect—and no less clear and powerful a teacher because of it—then we also give ourselves permission to imperfectly express the spiritual power that is our true identity—and to learn and grow in the process.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed