THE CURSED FIG TREE AND THE CLEANSED THE TEMPLE

After His triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus returned to Bethany for the night. On Monday morning, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley, returning to Jerusalem. As He “went out from Bethany, he was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to find out if there was anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves” (Mark 11:12-13).

At this point, Jesus did something seemingly out of character. He cursed the fig tree, saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” (Mark 11:14). Before we try to explain this episode, let’s see what happened next.

“They came to Jerusalem, and he went into the temple and began to throw out those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. He was teaching them: ‘Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!’ ” (Mark 11:15-17).

Having fulfilled the prophecies, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7), and “this house, which bears My name, (has) become a den of robbers” (Jeremiah 7:11), Jesus returned to Bethany (Mark 11:19).

Early the following morning (Tuesday), “they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up” (Mark 11:20). When the disciples asked, Jesus told them that God makes the impossible possible. “Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for—believe that you have received it and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). When Jesus withered the tree, He was demonstrating God’s unequalled, unconstrained, mindboggling power.

But, why curse an innocent tree? Because He was also demonstrating the failure of the pharisaical and hypocritical religious system that had polluted the temple with its money changers and livestock sales.  Their man-made, self-serving, religious regulations were doomed to destruction.

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).