Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area.He looked around at everything and, since it was already late,went out to Bethany with the Twelve.The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,he went over to see if he could find anything on it.When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;it was not the time for figs.And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!”And his disciples heard it.They came to Jerusalem,and on entering the temple areahe began to drive out those selling and buying there.He overturned the tables of the money changersand the seats of those who were selling doves.He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written:My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples?But you have made it a den of thieves.”The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of itand were seeking a way to put him to death,yet they feared himbecause the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.When evening came, they went out of the city.Early in the morning, as they were walking along,they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look!The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’and does not doubt in his heartbut believes that what he says will happen,it shall be done for him.Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.When you stand to pray,forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance,so that your heavenly Father may in turnforgive you your transgressions.”

When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs. And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!”

The parable of the fig tree is one of the more enigmatic teachings in the bible. It does not make sense to modern ears that Jesus would condemn a tree. But as all things that Jesus taught there are deeper meanings to the teaching. The Fig tree is a symbol of all of isreal, there was no fruit on the tree, just like all of israel. Over all the years, the Jews had only succeeded in creating a system of their own making, a usurper was the kings, pharisees (not levites) were in charge of the temple, and the people were lost in a mire of man made laws. And as such Jesus curses the tree, as stand-in for the whole of Israel. The fig tree also serves as a sign of the truth of his condemnation after entering the temple to cleanse it. The outer court of the temple, was designed as a place of worship for all nations (isaiah 66), God wanted the temple to be a place that all nations could come to and worship the one true god. But instead, because the jews hated the gentiles, they excluded them from any part of the temple, and turned the outer court into a marketplace for buying and selling temple sacrificial offerings. This turn of events was foretold in Jeremiah 7:11 that the temple would become a “Den of Thieves, and that god would not protect it.” So when Jesus used the Prophets words here the Pharisees in the temple, recognized it immediately and were deeply angered. I cannot emphasize enough how this quote would enrage them, it could not have been more volatile or controversial. And indeed god would no longer protect the temple…, It was destroyed 40 years after that day. And so, as a sign of this prophecy, Mark tells us that the Fig tree is withered on the way out, and thus his prophesy was proved true.

Oh lord, help me to live my life in a way that honors you, and pleases you, help me not to be like the pharisees, that put their wishes above your own. Amen.