Why did Jesus wither the fig tree?

[catspaws]

I enjoy reading the Bible, but there is one passage that really has me puzzled.
I believe Jesus was fully human while being fully devine. When He lost his temper,
it was with righteous indignation except for the time He cursed the fig tree because
there were no figs on it when He wanted a snack. "But it was not the season for figs".
The disciple John said Jesus did a lot more than was written in his gospel and if it were
all written down there wouldn't be space to contain it all. So why is the fig tree story
recorded.
I don't have the Bible all figured out but this is one story I have never understood.
I don't buy the simplest answer that Jesus was having a bad day.

[ruffian]

catpaws, I found this as possible explanation.  What do you think:

Why did Jesus curse the fig tree and miraculously cause it to wither (Matthew 21:19)?

In Matthew 21 we find that Jesus was hungry and saw a fig tree by the side of the road. As He came close to it, He saw that it had no figs on it, so He cursed it and it withered (Matthew 21:19). It may appear that Jesus is just responding in anger to the tree, cursing it in tantrum-like behavior. But this is not the case at all. One must keep in mind the broader backdrop of Jesus' teaching methodology, which often involved parables and word pictures. Scholars agree that Jesus in the present case is performing a living parable -- an acted-out parable -- to teach His disciples an important truth. His cursing of the fig tree was a dramatic "visual aid."

What important truth does the parable illustrate? Scholars have different opinions. Some say Jesus was illustrating the principle of faith to the disciples. If the disciples had such faith, they too could do such things as withering fig trees and moving mountains (Matthew 17:20). They would need such faith in the hard days to come.

Other scholars believe that since the fig tree had leaves on it (Matthew 21:19), from a distance it gave the appearance of being fruitful. But upon closer examination it became clear that there was no fruit on it at all. So perhaps Jesus' cursing of the fig tree was an acted-out parable that taught the disciples that God will judge those who give an outer appearance of fruitfulness but in fact are not fruitful at all (like the Pharisees).

Still other scholars suggest the fig tree is representative of faithless Israel. Israel professed to be faithful to God and fruitful as a nation, but in fact it was faithless and fruitless. Indeed, Israel had rejected Jesus the Messiah. Israel was thus ripe for judgment. Perhaps the withering of the fig tree foreshadowed the withering (or destruction) of Israel when Titus and his Roman warriors trampled on and destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70, ending Israel as a political entity (see Luke 21:20).

And still other scholars see significance in the fact that the account of Jesus' cleansing of the temple in Mark's Gospel (Mark 11:15-19) is sandwiched between the two sections of Scripture dealing with the fig tree (verses 12-14 and 20-25). It is suggested that perhaps Jesus was teaching that at a distance the Jewish temple and its sacrificial activities looked fine. But on closer inspection it was found to be mere religion without substance, full of hypocrisy, bearing no spiritual fruit, ripe for judgment.

My opinion? I think the second option above -- God judges those who appear fruitful but are not truly fruitful -- has the most going for it.

[catspaws]

I never thought of it as parable-like. That's a good way to approach it. I like the last option. I like to look at context.
I actually haven't sat down to read that section of Matthew in a while, so didn't realize the cleansing of the temple
was in the middle of the fig tree story.
The last option is similar to the 2nd option. Bear fruit, don't just stand there looking pretty.

If both of these incidents happened in the same time frame, maybe Jesus was having a little bit of a bad day. I appreciate the
new incite. Thanks.

[Berwyn GOP]

I was getting ready to give an explanation but Ruffian beat me to it and did a most excellent job at presenting a most comprehensive analysis of the Scripture. Hm...now I'm perplexed as to who this "Ruffian" is who could slay Goliath with her words, yet give such a succinct interpretation of Scripture. 

[T-Stan RPCV]

I have very little knowledge of scripture and was not familar with this fig tree story. 

The first thought I had when I read it was that Jesus's anger at the tree caused it to wilt and die.  Therefore insted of simply not having fruit at that moment in time,  it would never provide fruit again.  Since he was Jesus I would assume that this was done to set an example. Anger resulted in the tree being no good to no one, present or future.   Somewhat similar to the statement "don't burn your bridges".

[ruffian]

Well, whatever the real reason for it is something we all can only wonder about.  I would assume that Jesus walked about like the rest of us and would get angry when things didn't go his way too.  He was man.  A HU-man.

Imagine when you walk 10 blocks to go to your favorite Starbucks and when you get there you find that it closed just minutes before you got there.

Or maybe he was in a mood like Michael Douglas in that movie ... wasn't it Falling Down? when he's at the McDonalds and he's like two seconds late to order breakfast? and he just goes berserk !!!

not making light but in the story of the fig tree ... I felt sorry for the tree. 

[Berwyn GOP]

Wait until I AM BACK gets wind if this thread. I'm sure she's got a few "theories" about those withered "figs."

[catspaws]

T-Stan,

That is a very insightful interpretation. I can really appreciate that teaching. Who hasn't
been angry and then been sorry for the long lasting repercussions.

[Suzy Q]

I believe it was a combination of all of Ruffian's explanations.  Typically, in that particular time of year, figs are not yet bearing fruit or have leaves yet.  That particular tree did have foliage but no fruit.  I believe that this was a parable of judgement with the fig tree representing Israel.  A tree normally full of leaves would have had fruit but this one was considered cursed because it had none.      This time period was during Passover where people would typically buy and sell animals, etc. to meet the ritual requirements for sacrifice.  They had allowed the area in the temple set aside for Gentiles to worship to become a noisy, smelly marketplace.  Jesus was upset that not only did they take advantage of the people but they robbed the temple of its sanctity.  Teachers and chief priests of the law began to look for ways to kill Jesus.  The next morning, they noticed that the fig tree was withered down to its roots.  This served to remind us that the destruction was total and it served as a vivid warning of the judgement to come.  THis is perhaps prophetic of the fate of the Jewish authorities that were about to reject their Messiah.

[ruffian]

Pretty good there, Suzy Q !

[T-Stan RPCV]

Imagine when you walk 10 blocks to go to your favorite Starbucks and when you get there you find that it closed just minutes before you got there.

Or maybe he was in a mood like Michael Douglas in that movie ... wasn't it Falling Down? when he's at the McDonalds and he's like two seconds late to order breakfast? and he just goes berserk !!!

not making light but in the story of the fig tree ... I felt sorry for the tree.  

Or imagine being Clark Griswold and showing up at Wally World only to have Marty Moose tell you it was closed.  I did not have much sympathy for the moose.

[Suzy Q]

Lol!!!   My kids love that movie!