And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus knew the tree wouldn't have fruit, so He must have orchestrated this moment to teach His disciples a lesson. New Living Translation The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Being reminded, Peter said to him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:20–22) Look again at … 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in … The fig tree is the third tree to be mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. 1. 21 Being reminded, Peter *said to Him, “ Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.”. Mark explains that it actually took place over two days, with Jesus cursing the fig tree the first day on the way to cleanse the Temple, and the disciples seeing the tree withered on the second day when they were again going to Jerusalem from Bethany (Mark 11:12-14 and Mark 11:19-20). January 7, 2021 | In Uncategorized In Uncategorized | By By Fig tree withered completely. The fig tree Jesus cursed was unfruitful because it was out of season. The Barren Fig Tree Withered. But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” 18 The chief priests and the 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. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter said "look, the fig tree you cursed has withered!" Now the disciples learn the fate of the fig tree that Jesus cursed and Mark’s “sandwich” is complete: two stories, one surrounding the other, with each providing deeper meaning to the other. Though this generation in Israel gave an outward appearance of piety and religious belief (just as the tree appeared to be in season for fruit), in reality Israel was producing no spiritual fruit by their unwillingness to believe in the Messiah they claimed to seek. The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. Mark's account reinforces for the reader how evil was this generation and how hypocritical was Israel. Mark 11:20, ESV: "As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots." The next morning, they return to Jerusalem along the same road. Mark’s presentation makes the connection between the incident with the fig tree and the cleansing of the Temple more explicit. Upon seeing the withered tree, the disciples exclaimed that that the tree was dying. Verses 20, 21. Peter remembered…” (11:20-21; emphasis added). Mark 11:20 Early in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. In the Luke 11 passage quoted above, Jesus said this generation of Israel would reject the word of God delivered by the prophets and apostles sent to her. The fig tree you cursed has withered!” 22 “Have faith in God, ” Jesus answered. Matthew 21- 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! The implications of all this for Temple-based Judaism would have been obvious to Mark’s audience. Fig trees on property lines inevitably cause problems as the fig sends vigorous roots into the neighbour's garden, lawn or septic tank. 19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. 21 And Peter remembered and said to Him, Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which You cursed has withered. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! Should I obey a lockdown or go to church anyway? “Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Terms and Conditions, ©2021. All rights reserved. Austin Cline, a former regional director for the Council for Secular Humanism, writes and lectures extensively about atheism and agnosticism. Should Christians receive the COVID-19 vaccine? Instead, the most important things in the nascent Christian community would be faith in God and forgiveness for others. And presently the fig tree withered away. Jesus explains to his disciples one of the lessons they should take from the two incidents; all you need is faith and with that, you can accomplish anything. Mark 11:20, KJV: "And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots." 20 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. Their exclamation carried a tone of disbelief, which led Jesus to launch into a teaching on the power of prayer. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. In Mark, a day passes between the cursing of the fig tree and the disciples’ discovery of what happened to it; in Matthew, the effect is immediate. First, Jesus explains the power and importance of faith — it is faith in God that gave him the power to curse the fig tree and make it wither overnight and similar faith on the disciples’ part will give them the power to work other wonders. Why did Jesus cause the fig tree to wither, when He knew it was not the season for figs? At this point, though, we receive exegesis that goes beyond anything warranted by the previous text alone. Adam and Eve used the leaves of the fig tree to sew garments for themselves after they ate the " fruit of the Tree of knowledge " ( Genesis 2:16–17 ), when they realized that they were naked ( Genesis 3:7 ). It’s not enough, however, for someone to simply pray in order to receive things. The fig tree you cursed has withered" (Mark 11:20–21)! Fig trees possess shallow fibrous root system which later on provides anchorage and nutrition to the fig tree trunk. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Jesus statements to the tree were a demonstration conducted for the sake of the disciples to teach a spiritual truth concerning the generation of Israel who had rejected His claims to be Messiah. We know that Jesus literally caused the fig tree to wither. Removal of the trespassing roots dooms the fig. If these passages were speaking figuratively, then we wouldn’t be worried about the apparent contradiction between these two accounts of the Lord’s encounter with a fig tree in Matthew 21:19 and Mark 11:20. In the wilderness, did Jesus have supernatural power to resist temptation. The temple is fundamentally - from the roots - replaced by Jesus as the centre of Israel - and the centre of Israel’s faith. Even the quoted short portion has difficulties. Howbeit, we are dealing with a passage in a literal sense. If fig trees grow too close to a roadway, the passage of vehicles often injures the sensitive roots … 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! It's representing fruitless nation of Israel. It is tempting for modern readers to … It’s interesting, though, that God will only forgive someone’s trespasses if they forgive the trespasses of others. As Jesus approaches the fig tree the first time, Mark says Jesus was hungry and looking for fruit on the tree. In other words, the withering was complete. The tree had leaves, indicating that it was ready to produce fruit, but Jesus finds none. The fig tree you cursed has withered!” Reflection: Figs Out of Season By John Tillman. The fig tree you cursed has withered!” 22 “ Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. Some scholars suspect that verse 26 was added at a later time in order make the connection even more explicit — most translations omit it entirely. 20 And as they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! Israel would suffer judgment in the same way the tree withered: from the roots … The nation of Israel had been offered the opportunity to receive their Messiah and enter into the promised Kingdom, but they rejected Jesus and now they were about to kill their Messiah. When there is sufficient faith on the part of someone petitioning him, Jesus is able to heal; when there is a definite lack of faith on the part of those around him, Jesus is unable to heal. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. As the tree lost nourishment from the roots in the ground, it began to die in keeping with Jesus' words. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, r look! Jesus taught the disciples that their ability to see great things happen from their prayers was a matter of being confident of God's will beforehand, and when we pray in God's will, we will see God's power at work in the result. The next morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.” Jesus curses a fig tree, and unwittingly sets up a joke. Promotional Images & Ministry Logos Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! Jesus' condemnation of the tree initiated a slow dying process starting at the roots, the tree's source of nourishment. 20 As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. If the Lord was willing to condemn a fruit tree for failing to produce fruit out of season, how much more will He bring judgment against Israel for failing to show spiritual fruit in the face of clear evidence that Jesus was the Messiah? The context of Mark 11 is Jesus entering Jerusalem shortly before His crucifixion during the week of Passover. "- … 22 And Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in God. When one prays, it is also necessary to forgive those that one is angry with. The events of the fig tree in Mark 11 are part of a larger narrative and must be understood in context. Then, in Mark 11:14,20 the next morning the disciples saw that the tree had withered from the root up. In place of faith, the nation was displaying hypocrisy and unbelief, so in his chapter Mark records Jesus entering Jerusalem and the temple only to find sin and unbelief rather than prayer and faith. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Mark 11:20 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Mark 11:20, NIV: "In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots." The cursing of the fig tree is an incident in the gospels, presented in Mark and Matthew as a miracle in connection with the entry into Jerusalem, and in Luke as a parable. - And as they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots. So, as Jesus entered into the city, He chose to use His encounter with the fig tree as an opportunity to teach the disciples a lesson concerning the future judgment coming for this unbelieving generation of Israel by the power of God. The next morning they walked past and noticed the tree that Jesus had cursed was withered from the roots . Austin Cline Updated June 25, 2019 20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. He resumes the fig tree story with these words, “In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” The unlimited power of prayer comes up in other gospels as well, but every time it is always in the context of faith. 20 As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 17— 20. The fig tree withers, but the disciples have passed the tree and don't yet notice that it withered. They had returned the evening before, probably after sunset, to Bethany; and so, in the twilight, had not noticed the withered tree. The first is the Tree of life and the second is the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil . Matthew 21- 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. Faith is the sine qua non for Jesus and would become a defining characteristic of Christianity. Jesus then declares that this tree will never again produce fruit. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered … As the tree lost nourishment from the roots in the ground, it began to die in keeping with Jesus' words. Whereas other religions can be defined by people’s adherence to ritual practices and proper behavior, Christianity would come to be defined as a specific sort of faith in certain religious ideas — not so much empirically verifiable propositions as the idea of God’s love and God’s grace. His condemnation of the fig tree for not bearing fruit is actually a condemnation upon the Jewish leadership and their spiritual deadness. Berean Study Bible The next morning (presumably Tuesday of Passion Week) Jesus Thus, there seems to be a problem in the timing. When Jesus visits the fig tree a second time, the tree is withering starting from the roots. In Mark 11:20 the disciples remarked that the tree was withered from the root. As soon as the temple narrative is over, Mark wraps up the cursing of the fig tree: In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 2. Israel would suffer judgment in the same way the tree withered: from the roots up, so to speak. Eventually, this generation would suffer physical judgment when the city of Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70. Israel is often pictured in Scripture as a fig tree, and this tree becomes a picture of the generation of Israel in Jesus' day who rejected His clam to be Messiah. 20 As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. They may even be able to move mountains, though that is arguably a bit of hyperbole on his part. Verse By Verse Ministry International. Importantly, Mark notes that this was not the season for figs, so it was not surprising that the tree was without fruit. The withering tree completes Jesus' picture of Israel. It's just taking up space. And his disciples heard him say it…In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Since spiritual nourishment is found in the word of God (Matthew 4:4), this generation would be spiritually starved by their rejection of the Gospel. Privacy Policy The withering tree completes Jesus' picture of Israel. The fig withered on the spot after Jesus told the tree (representing Israel) that it had been set aside for a season (now 2000 years) ---until the full number of the gentiles has been brought in. Israel: God's fig tree Jesus' condemnation would result in a gradual withering of this generation in Israel by the cutting off of all spiritual nourishment from God. Designed and developed by VBVMI in partnership with Giles-Parscale. At first reading, it appears that the tree withered at once in M…