The story of Jesus cursing the fig tree that bore no fruits is puzzling to most people. Most people think it unreasonable that Jesus should expect to find fruit on the tree when, as Mark put it, "it was not the season for figs." The incident is recorded, with slight variation, by Matthew (21:17-20) and Mark (11:11-24). The texts of both records are reproduced below, but since it is Mark's remark about it not being the season for figs that creates our bewilderment, we shall focus on it in the explanation.
Matt 21:17-20:
17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
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."
23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"
24Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?"
They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 26But if we say, 'From men'—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." 27So they answered Jesus, "We don't know."
Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
Mk 11:11-24:
11Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. 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'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"
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 went out of the city.
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 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. 26But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.
(Note: Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptural references refer to the Mark passage.)
It might seem to some people that Jesus was being plain unreasonable to go up to a fig tree expecting to find fruits on it when it was not the season for figs (v13b). The answer may, in fact, be simpler. Two possible explanations may be given.
The young fruits of a mature tree appear on the tree fairly early in season, though they ripen and are best harvested during "the season for figs." A mature tree "in leaf" (v13a) should be expected to show a crop of young fruits. These immature figs are readily edible if not quite so good. But Jesus found none. With all its leaves the tree gave the impression of being fruitful when, in reality, it was not. In a very real sense, then, it was not Jesus who was un-reasonable in expecting it to be bearing fruits; the fig tree was!
The second explanation is slightly more involved. As explained in our study of its biology, the fig requires a specific species of wasp to pollinate it, and the two have developed a biological time-table that is synchronized to one another. The fruiting process occurs, of course, over the summer, but the wasps need to winter over somewhere. It has been suggested that the special kind of figs, called caprifigs, borne by the fig-tree serves as "winter quarters" for the wasps. If that is the case, even though it was not "the season" for fig, a normal fig tree should be expected to bear caprifigs, which though not a choice fruit for eating, can still be eaten. But this fig tree was not even fulfilling this despite being "in leaf."
The story, however, cannot be understood only at the factual level, such as the question we had to resolve above. The story also has to be understood from the literary point of view, i.e., how the author tells the story. We now know that the biblical authors often order their material, include or highlight different details, and repeat certain words in order to emphasize what he feels important. One of the most important difference between Mark and Matthew in the telling of the story is that Mark intervenes his telling about Jesus' cursing of the fig tree (vv11-14) and its withering (vv20-26) with the lesson about prayers with the events at the temple (vv15-19), whereas Matthew tells of Jesus' cursing of the fig tree, complete with report of the tree's immediate withering (vv17-19) and the lesson about prayers (vv20-22), before moving on to the events at the temple (vv23-27). These differences do not point to Mark's and Matthew's historical accuracy and reliability as witnesses; rather they point to the differences in their purposes in telling the story.
Notice also how they introduce the story. Both set the events in Bethany (Matt 21:17, Mk 11:1, 11, 12). Most of us tend to ignore this little geographical detail as nothing more than a contextual indicator. The village of Bethany is mentioned twice in Matthew; once here (21:17) and once more in 26:6. We can, therefore, safely assume that Matthew meant his use of the place name in his story as indicating the historical setting of the events. What is remarkable, however, is that while Bethany is mentioned four times in Mark's Gospel, he uses three-quarters of them here in this story! This suggests strongly that Mark's interest in the place name is not incidental like Matthew's. As the immediate introduction to the story, he mentions twice Jesus coming to and about to leave Bethany (vv11 & 12):
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
The repetition is really un-necessary; their movement in and out of the village would have been completely discernable without it.
So, is the fact that Bethany—beth-te'ena—means "house of figs" important? Does Mark intend us to see a play on the name of the village? Is he saying, Jesus was in "the house of figs" and, therefore, has a right to expect to find figs, and yet when he goes up to a tree that has advertized its apparent fruitfulness with its leaves he finds none?
After this incident, Jesus goes to the temple in Jerusalem, and there he cleans out the tables and benches of the money changers and sellers of doves because the temple—"my house'—is supposed to be "a house of prayers for all the nations" (v17). Instead it had become a "den of robbers." Does Mark intend for us to make a comparison or a parallel here? Is he saying, just as the fig tree failed the expections of the "house of figs" so the temple had failed the expections of the "house of prayers"?
Finally, when the disciples finds the fig tree "withered from the roots" and reports it to Jesus, Jesus turns it into a lesson in prayers, about the need to have faith in God (v22-26). Is it Mark's intention here for us to draw parallels between this lesson in fulfilling prayers to the "robbers" taking up space in the "house of prayer" but turning it into a "den of robber" and to the "fig tree in leaf" making taking up space in the "house of fig" but turning out into a barren existence? In cursing the fig-tree and using it as an occasion for teaching about fulfilling prayers, was Jesus saying something significant about the temple and the priest and teachers of the law who "were looking for a way to kill him," when they were meant to be channels of divine grace and mercy?
Finally, what does all these say about us, about our prayers and our faith? What does it ask of us?
Low Chai Hok©Alberith, 2014