Mark 11

Mark 11
12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again. And His disciples heard it.

My first reaction to this is “ummmm”… now, I know that God is not like a man who throws a tantrum because He can’t immediately get what he wants. And Jesus doesn’t just get angry and kill things for no reason. So why does He curse that tree?

So I pray… God, why did you do that? Verses come to mind…

Matthew 25:29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

Revelation 3:1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

Then the picture of Jesus, hungry… going to look for food.

He spots a tree… the leaves are plenty and green. A tree that by all appearances should have fruit. When He gets there -though having the appearance of fruit it has none.

So He shocks the disciples and curses the tree.

He sets an imprint upon their hearts of quick and speedy justice for the fruitless trees.

… from Him who does not have even what He does have will be taken away.

So, while Richard is cooking dinner that night (yummy) I ask him about it because He has been studying Mark with commentaries and stuff. He tells me that fig trees -before they have the actual fig fruit have some kind of pre-fruit that is edible. If the fig tree has these than it will bear the true fig in due season, if it does not have these than there will be no figs that season.

Richard also lets me know that Mark, sort of sandwiches truths together as a literary technique to emphasize the meaning of particular truths… Look at the events that sandwich the fig tree scene…

7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“ Hosanna!
‘ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’
10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David
That comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!”
11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

This crowd has correct language… from a distance the leaves look green but they shout words that have no corresponding reality in their hearts … they crucify Jesus just a minute later.

15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

The temple -the place of worship... the place designed for meeting with God had nothing of substance to offer the people. God has zeal concerning His house and having shepherds that are able to feed His people. He is not interested in a place with a name that assumes life -but is dead.