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Author: Stephen Weller
672 words, 4 minutes read time

No Evidence of Fruit

Scripture: Matthew 21:18-19; Mark 11:12-14

With the previous lesson we completed the events recorded in the gospels for Sunday. With this lesson we begin the events recorded for Monday.

^{Mt 21:18} In the morning, ^{Mk 11:12} on the following day, when they came from Bethany, ^{Mt 21:18} as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. ^{Mk 11:13} 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. ¹⁴ And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. ^{Mt 21:19} “May no fruit ever come from you again!”

On Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple to look around. Nothing was said in the narrative about what he saw or thought, but we will soon find out that he wasn’t pleased. Leaving the temple, he returns to Bethany, which was located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives about two miles from Jerusalem, to probably spend the night with his friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha.

In the morning of the following day, which would be Monday, Jesus and his disciples left Bethany and returned to Jerusalem. On the way, Jesus became hungry and seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if there were any figs on it. Since it was not the season for figs, he found nothing but leaves. From this statement, one might conclude that no figs should have been expected, but that is not the case since the fruit of the fig tree usually appears about the same time as the leaves. What Jesus was expecting to find was fruit in the form of green figs that would grow and ripen in season. Not finding green figs, which would indicate no fruit from the tree that season, Jesus says to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”

Remember that on Sunday Jesus went into the temple and looked around at everything. Now Jesus goes to the fig tree to look for the beginning of fruit and finds none. Do you suppose that Jesus found no evidence of fruit bearing when he looked at everything in the temple? The tree had leaves thus giving the appearance of having fruit. In our past studies on the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, we found they gave the appearance of bearing fruit but actually did not. Did Jesus find some kind of evidence in the temple that fruit was not being produced?

The fig tree is often used as a metaphor in the Old Testament for Israel and its standing before God (Jeremiah 8:13; Joel 1:7). The lack of fruit on the fig tree parallels the lack of fruit on the part of the Jewish leaders. The curse of the fig tree, by Jesus, would be an indication of coming judgment against Jewish leadership for their lack of fruit. God chose these people to reveal himself to and to teach them how to walk with him and share him with others, but they turned away from God and instead gave themselves to empty ritual and legalism. It appears that Jesus did not find evidence of the true fruit of worship, prayer, and righteousness when he looked at things in the temple.

Conclusion

The disciples heard Jesus curse the fig tree for not showing evidence of growing fruit and they may begin to realize that he has a standard of expectation. “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10 ESV). What evidence, what fruit, do we show that we are doing the assigned good works. The fig tree was found lacking. When you stand before God will you be found lacking?