On the Monday after Jesus made His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, He and the disciples were headed back into the city. As they walked, Jesus became hungry. He saw a fig tree in the distance. From a distance, the tree gave the appearance that it would yield sweet and nourishing fruit. But when Jesus arrived at the tree, it had no fruit. The leaves were full, the branches strong, the roots were firmly and deeply planted into rich soil—but there was no fruit. Jesus condemned the tree to eternal barrenness: “No more figs from this tree—ever.” And in that very moment, the tree withered and died.
Every facet of this story has deeper spiritual implications. Jesus’ hunger is symbolic of God’s hunger for righteousness and holiness in His world. The fig tree symbolized Israel, which God has established as a fruitful tree in a barren spiritual wasteland. The fullness of the tree—the firm roots and the strong branches and the lush leaves—symbolized how much God had cared for us, and how He had done everything necessary for us to produce rich and good fruit. The barrenness of the tree symbolized our disregard for what the Lord has done for us; it symbolized our rebellion against God’s will and God’s way; it symbolized our selfish nature—we take from God, we enjoy living in the shadow of His goodness and His provision, but when the time comes for us to produce, we have no fruit.
Jesus is asking us today, “Where are the figs?” Jesus is telling us, “I need you to bear fruit.” Jesus was disappointed because this tree gave false hope.
So much in life presents the hope of being real, but when we get close to it, we find that it’s barren. That must not be true of us, for as disciples of Christ, we are the bearers of the message of real Hope, which is Jesus.
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