Producing Figs

The passage in the gospel of Mark where Jesus curses the fig tree is an intriguing passage to me. After Jesus had previously (in Mark chapter 3) taken a man whose hand was withered and unfruitful, he healed him. And now we see Jesus cursing a leafy fig tree, and it consequently withers clear to the root. The sequence of events seems odd here. First the fig tree bears no fruit, only leaves. Then the scene switches to Jesus overturning the tables in the temple. Then the scene goes back to the tree. And finally, Jesus utters some profound words that seem unconnected to the fig tree.

Mark 11:12-26
12On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13Seeing 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. 14He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. 15Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS’? But you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.” 18The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. 19When evening came, they would go out of the city. 20As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 21Being reminded, Peter said* to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.” 22And 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.”

Some commentators talk of how the unfruitful fig tree and the incident in the temple are symbolic of the impending judgment on those who have consistently rejected Christ. There are some deep things to think about there. While that may be true, I see a simple truth that applies to the Christian here. While the fig tree and the temple situation appear to be unrelated on the surface, a few minutes of meditation on these verses reveal a striking truth about the relationship between ‘fruit’ and ‘prayer’. This fig tree was literally full of fig leaves. But there were no figs. None. Christians often have beautiful ‘leaves’, like their baptism, or nice works, or pretty church clothes, or doing all the right ‘things’, but they have no ‘figs’. Bishop Ryle suggests that, just like Adam and Eve tried to hide their nakedness with a fig leaf, we try to hide our own fruitlessness with other seemingly good things.

Then Jesus busts through the gate of the temple and tables start flying. “My house shall be called a house of…” Preaching? Singing? Socializing? No… PRAYER. It appears to me as we read on, that PRAYER is the main ingredient in producing ‘figs’. Do we want to be fruitful? This passage is telling us how to be fruitful fig trees that won’t wither when we’re exposed to the Son. “Have faith in God”. What is prayer if it isn’t faith in God? What is prayer if it isn’t sprinkled with our belief that God hears and answers? Knock, seek, pray, ask, believe… produce figs.