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I am struck first by the humanity of Jesus in
these words, "Jesus was hungry".
Many get hung up on the cursing of this fig tree but this is a living
parable. The first thing it shows us is how intimately Jesus identifies
with our humanity, even to the point of knowing common hunger and thirst.
And here is a fig tree in full leaf, something that promises satisfaction
for his hunger. The trouble is that the promise of fulfilment is an
empty one since the tree, though it looked fruitful bore no fruit. Jesus
cursed the fig tree and we learn in verse 20 that it was withered from
the roots.
It is important to realise that "cursing" and "blessing" in the Bible
had nothing to do with magic but they were signs of God displeasure
or pleasure in what he sees. People are sometimes troubled by this story
and critics like to make much of what they see as a gratuitous act on
Jesus' part. However, God's judgement is neither arbitrary nor gratuitous.
The fig tree was judged and cursed because it looked healthy and fruitful
but bore no fruit.
Note carefully the wording of the curse, "May
no one ever eat fruit from you again."
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered
the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling
there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches
of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise
through the temple courts (vv 15-16)
The temple was little more than a market place where animals were sold
for sacrifice and "foreign" money, carrying the profane image of the
emperor, was exchanged at a very profitable rate for coinage that was
accepted in the temple. In such an atmosphere true worship was impossible
and, while the temple seemed busy and functional (in full leaf) yet
it was barren as the fig tree.
However, we see throughout Jesus' ministry that the people were hungry
for the truth and "the whole crowd were
amazed at his teaching (v 18). Amazed
because he offered them food and drink that satisfies.
And as he taught them, he said,
"Is it not written: 'My house will be
called A house of prayer for all Nations'? But you have made it 'a den
of robbers'"
This refers to the words of God to Judah through the prophet Jeremiah:
Hear the word of the Lord, all you people
of Judah who come through these [temple] gates to worship the Lord…Reform
your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do
not trust in the deceptive words and say, 'This is the temple of the
LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!'…Will you steal
and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow
after other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before
me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, 'We are safe' - safe
to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name,
become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching declares the
LORD.
Therefore, what I did to Shilo I will now do to the house that bears
my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your fathers.
I will thrust you from my presence…(Jeremiah 7:1-15)
Can there be any doubt that the worse charges in the Jeremiah passage
were true of the temple Jesus cleared?
The chief priests and teachers of the law heard this and began looking
for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd
was amazed at his teaching (v18).
The temple was a bazaar, those who came for spiritual sustenance were
sent away hungry, and the custodians of the temple were plotting the
murder of the Son of God!
The withering of the temple from its roots began with the tearing of
the curtain from top to bottom at the crucifixion (Luke 23:45), signifying
an end to sacrifices and access to God through our eternal High Priest,
Jesus (Hebrews 4:14-16). The end came less than forty years later with
the complete destruction of the temple by the Romans, as prophesied
by Jesus (Matthew 24:2).
The next morning, as they went along, the disciples saw the withered
fig tree:
Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi,
look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone
says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not
doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will
be done for him. Therefore I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (vv20-24)
I don't believe this is a blab-it-and-grab-it-passage. That is to say,
it is not a formula for getting anything you want simply by asking or
by 'positive confession'. The Bible does not teach any such thing. It
is, however, clear from this passage that true faith is fruitful, unlike
the fig tree and the empty temple worship. Jesus told his followers
in John 15 that he was the true vine and that all those who abide in
him bear fruit. We are to make sure we are abiding in him and not in
empty worship, in business instead of faithfulness, in image instead
of substance. As we look to Easter perhaps we could spend time asking
ourselves whether we are truly fruitful and not just in leaf.
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