The Lesson Of The Cursed Fig Tree

As I thought about what I wanted to write today, I was naturally drawn to the most well-known thing Jesus did on Monday of Holy Week, which was the cleansing of the temple. He overturned the tables of the money changers who had turned the temple into, as He called it, “A den of robbers.”

But, then I realized, I had written on that just one year ago, on March 29, 2021, which was also the Monday of Holy Week. In that devotional, I challenged us to be “red hot” for God in the face of unrighteousness. I asked,

“Will injustice make our blood boil? Then… will our anger lead us to righteous action that moves us away from sin and leads us to make a positive difference in the lives of others?

May we be a people of God who stand up against injustice and unrighteousness. May we, as followers of Jesus Christ, follow His example, and make a bold stand for the things that truly matter to God.”

While I love that topic, I decided I did not want to write on the same thing again one year later So I wondered, “What else can I write about that took place on Monday of Holy Week?”

On that day, the other account recorded in Scripture is Jesus cursing a fig tree. Who wants to write about that? What life lesson can we learn from Jesus cursing a fig tree? There cannot possibly be any redeeming value from that.

Oh, but there is!

Matthew records in Matthew 21:18-22,

18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

There is not only one, but at least two theological truths we can learn from Jesus cursing a fig tree:

1. Judgment – Jesus is making a point regarding Israel’s leaders, who claim to be followers of God, but reject Jesus and do not bear fruit in their lives. Judgment awaits them, just as it does for any of us who choose to reject Jesus and don’t allow Him to do a transforming work in our lives. Heaven, and an abundant life here on Earth, are reserved for those who surrender their lives to Jesus. If you have not yet done that, I invite you to take that step of faith today.
2. Faith – While telling a mountain to throw itself into the sea is obviously hyperbole on the part of Jesus, the point is real. With faith, we (actually, God through us) can do so much more than we ever thought possible. My table group talked about this topic last week; how, because we don’t often see miracles in today’s world, we determine they are not possible. We need to open ourselves up to the truth that God wants to do more, but is waiting on us to develop enough faith to believe it will happen. Let’s be honest… we sell God’s power short. There is so much more power available to us than what we are tapping into.

As we enter Holy Week, may our faith in Jesus be real, evidenced by the fruit produced in our lives, and may our faith be strong, believing God can do so much more than what we have attributed to Him.

Pastor Ken

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