Saturday, September 06, 2008
The Cursing of the Fig Tree
Mark 11:14-Jesus and His disciples were traveling from Bethany to Jerusalem and seeing a fig tree in the distance, Jesus approached the tree hoping to find any fruit on it for He was hungry. When He approached it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the time for figs.
In the life of a fig tree, leaves begin to appear towards the end of March. In about a week the whole tree is coated with leaves and in conjunction with this, small knobs appear that are the forerunners of the figs. Jesus said that this tree had none of the small knobs which were often eaten by peasants and others when hungry. So Jesus cursed the tree and said, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again". Why would Jesus curse a tree?
They traveled on to Jerusalem and went to the temple, where Jesus began turning tables over of the money changers. [You've all heard this story]. And He said, "My House shall be called a House of prayer for all the nations. But you have made it a robbers den". And when Jesus and His disciples traveled out of Jerusalem, the disciples noticed that the fig tree had withered from the roots up.
This message was meant for the Jews who had defiled the temple and put money over prayer. The very same Jews that Moses had led out of Egypt and that Joshua had led victoriously into Canaan. Through the years, three temples stood in the same spot where Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac; Solomon's, Zerubbable's and Herod's. None of which survived, but were replaced by the Doom of the Rock Mosque, the Muslim sanctuary which stands to this day in Jerusalem. The fig tree had represented Jerusalem and God had cursed His people for not producing fruit and not recognizing the Savior. Luke 19:43-44- For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. 44 and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize “the time of your visitation”.
In the life of a fig tree, leaves begin to appear towards the end of March. In about a week the whole tree is coated with leaves and in conjunction with this, small knobs appear that are the forerunners of the figs. Jesus said that this tree had none of the small knobs which were often eaten by peasants and others when hungry. So Jesus cursed the tree and said, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again". Why would Jesus curse a tree?
They traveled on to Jerusalem and went to the temple, where Jesus began turning tables over of the money changers. [You've all heard this story]. And He said, "My House shall be called a House of prayer for all the nations. But you have made it a robbers den". And when Jesus and His disciples traveled out of Jerusalem, the disciples noticed that the fig tree had withered from the roots up.
This message was meant for the Jews who had defiled the temple and put money over prayer. The very same Jews that Moses had led out of Egypt and that Joshua had led victoriously into Canaan. Through the years, three temples stood in the same spot where Abraham was told to sacrifice Isaac; Solomon's, Zerubbable's and Herod's. None of which survived, but were replaced by the Doom of the Rock Mosque, the Muslim sanctuary which stands to this day in Jerusalem. The fig tree had represented Jerusalem and God had cursed His people for not producing fruit and not recognizing the Savior. Luke 19:43-44- For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. 44 and will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize “the time of your visitation”.
