Blessings And Judgements – The Symbolism Of The Fig Tree

Blessings and Judgements – The Symbolism of the Fig Tree

Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz

Mark 11:12-14

12 On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.

Jesus woke up in the morning, and the troop headed in the direction of Jerusalem. What you need to know about that day’s culture is that Semitic people did not eat breakfast. They fasted in the morning. So, Jesus arose and went to Jerusalem. He must have felt hunger pains, so He walked over to a fig tree. A couple of essential points about fig trees are that if the fig tree was next to the road, it was considered a public tree, and any traveler could pick its fruit. Also, Jesus knew when fruit season was. It was obviously fig season because Jesus would have expected to find fruit in the off-season.

Jesus reached the tree and saw plenty of leaves but no figs. He was upset. How do I know that? This is another reason to learn some of the cultures of the people in Judea and Galilee. Semitic people would curse anything when whatever they were looking for could not be found. Jesus wanted figs. The tree had no figs, probably because other travelers took them all. He was angry, so he said a curse on the tree. This was normal for his time. If a person came up to a stream to take a drink of water and found the stream dry, he would curse the stream to never have water again. It was an emotional outlet for Semitic people in Jesus’ day. That’s all it was.

We have to remember that the stories in the Bible are allegories. They are stories about the culture of the day crafted so that we can gain spiritual awareness from them today. The story of the fig tree is definitely one in which we receive a lesson through symbolism.

When utilizing the symbolism of the fig tree, one is left to wonder how the LORD is working in the world. The tree full of fruit would be the LORD’s blessings being bestowed upon the people. The travelers would be able to fill their hunger with the fruit of the fig tree. The tree’s fig would give the traveler the strength to continue their journey. If the trip is pleasing to the LORD, then the traveler would find fruit trees along the path. The fruitless tree symbolizes the LORD’s punishment. In this case, the LORD’s punishment is not destruction but rather a removal of blessings. Each of us will have to determine which direction to go in. As yourself, “How important are the blessings of the LORD to you?”

The LORD’s judgment does not have to be catastrophic. It can be as simple as the LORD taking His blessings away. The Ten Commandments clearly say that the LORD will bless the children of Israel as long as they follow the commandments given to them. The commandments can be found in the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy). As long as the people followed the LORD’s law, the blessings came down from Heaven. The fig tree was full of fruit. The tree Jesus went to was barren of fruit. This was an indication that the LORD was not happy with the people and removed His blessings.

Now you must choose. Is your fig tree full of fruit or barren? If you are going to follow the LORD, then you want fruit on your tree. Since the fruit is the blessings of the LORD showered down from Heaven, you will have to do something to make it happen. Too many people believe that if they were baptized and perhaps at some time in their life said they believe in the salvation offered by Jesus Christ, they have their Heaven admission ticket punched. Sorry, gang, that is NOT true.

The LORD is watching each of us to see if we are going to follow the guidance of the Bible. That manual of life is the key to having fruit growing on your fig tree. The more fruit produced is an indicator that you are following a path in your life that the LORD finds pleasing. If your tree is barren, you will need to discover what is causing that; in other words, what is the sin you are committing and rectify the situation.

The Bible is filled with warnings about the balance of blessings and curses. It is always best to be on the side of blessings. Look at your fig tree and do whatever is necessary to have plenty of figs on it.