The Withered Fig Tree
(From the Gospels according to Apostle Matthew, Chapter 21 and Apostle Mark, Chapter 11, read on Monday during Passion Week.)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
Before looking closely at the narration of the fig tree’s condemnation in the gospels, we must not overlook the words of Apostle Mark: "and seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf" (Chapter 11) , and the words of Apostle Matthew: "that the fig tree was covered with nothing but leaves" (Chapter 21). One must note that fruit buds on the Palestinian fig tree blossom first followed by the leaves.
When the fig leaves achieve a known size and are abundant in number, one can then hope to find at least some mature figs. Thus, the whole story of the fig tree’s condemnation can be interpreted as follows.
In passing from Bethany on the way to Jerusalem, our Lord Jesus Christ felt hunger. He looks around and in the distance sees a fig tree which differs from all the others found in abundance by the wayside since it already had leaves. At that time of the year (at the end of March or the beginning of April) this phenomenon was quite unusual. But, since the fruit of the tree develops prior to the leaves and the leaves grow simultaneously with the ripening of the fruit, Christ obviously could have expected the figs to be present. In truth, the occurrence of leaves on a fig tree was too early and premature, but, nevertheless, the abundance of leaves entitled one to expect premature and early fruit on such a tree. Thus, in this light, there is nothing surprising in that, which in accordance to the Gospel reading and after seeing the fig tree covered with leaves, Christ approached it with the intent of finding some figs to satisfy his hunger.
At first glance, it seems strange and incomprehensible how Jesus could direct His indignation at a tree, which has no will and consequently is not accountable; a tree grown by His Heavenly Father and bestowed with this set of magnificent leaves. It is not clear how He could darn this tree just because it could not satisfy His hunger. In order to clearly understand this mysterious behavior of our Lord, we first should take a look at the inner connection to which this event is related to.
Jesus Christ as King of Israel, entered Jerusalem triumphantly. Equally awaited by the Jews and pagans He was accompanied by crowds of people, and was met with an unusual greeting: "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord". At this time He also visited the temple in Jerusalem. "Having examined all", He returned to Bethany in the evening. The next morning, again wishing to visit Jerusalem and the temple, Christ performed the miracle of the withered fig tree. Thus, the damnation of the fig tree is in the middle of what God already saw in Jerusalem, what he saw at the temple and what was still to come; cleansing of the temple! Evidently, this wonderful miracle is directly linked to Christ’s last struggle waged with the unilateral representatives of Jewish theocracy. This is why one can not deny the interpretation of many Biblical scholars that the damnation of the fig tree is representative of Israel herself. The above viewpoint tells us that this wonderful miracle is none other than a supplement to an earlier parable of the fig tree as stated by Christ only in the words of Apostle and Evangelist Luke in Chapter 13: 6 -9. The parable of the fig tree remained as if unfinished. Christ concluded it with the request of the vinedresser not to cut the fig tree for one more year in the hopes that maybe this year also, she will bear fruit. "Sir!", said the vinedresser, "let it alone for this year also till I dig about it and put on manure and if it bears no fruit next year, then you can cut it down". And when the public service of Jesus Christ neared its conclusion, when all means where depleted for the salvation and conversion of the house of Israel’s lost sheep, when the ground on which the fig tree of the parable grew was fertilized the best way possible, that year was also coming to an end, when the vinedresser begged of the Lord for his beloved but barren fig tree. Furthermore, this symbolic prophecy is representative of that underscoring judgment which had to be executed over Israel and jointly performed before the very eyes of those who executed it, becoming themselves surprised witnesses of this wonderful implementation of Christ’s words (through His disciples). Understandably, this is the whole meaning of this wonderful miracle.
The fig tree represented an image of a false Israel. Christ sought the fruit on the tree because on this tree, leaves were already present, leaves of God’s revelation. Therefore, what was expected, was an early fruit. Israel, before all other nations, had to believe in the promised Messiah, because she, before all other nations, was prepared for this unusual and supernatural revelation of God, just like the fig tree in the Gospel which had leaves at a time when all the other fig trees had none. But the Jews persistently rejected the angel’s testament, Who entered into His own temple. The tree full of leaves was barren. God is angry at the fig tree and damns her, saying: "may no one ever eat fruit from you again". Because of this, the fig tree dries-up and the people of Israel, bringing forth no fruit, even after being diligently nurtured, supernaturally attended to, cease to be God’s people of a supernatural promise. Represented by official and unofficial, civil and spiritual leaders, Israel rejected the Savior. Beginning, with King Herod’s Bethlehem massacre of infant’s and ending with the Sanhedrin enticing the masses to shout at Pontius Pilate, "crucify Him, crucify Him", the Jews from the very beginning aspired to kill Jesus Christ and finally achieved their purpose. But why did this tragedy occur? The prophet Isaiah, many centuries before gave an answer to this question: "therefore, they could not believe He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and turn for me to heal them". "Isaiah said this", adds Apostle John, "because he saw His glory and spoke of Him".
The Apostles were amazed at how the authority of Christ’s word extended even on the plant kingdom, but Christ repeatedly taught them and now confirmed, that the strength of doubtless faith has no boundaries. "If you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do, as was done to the fig tree, but if you say to this mountain ‘be taken up and cast into the sea’, it will be done".
The miracle of the condemned fig tree, was no other than, a symbolic prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ’s representation of the tragic destruction of old testament Israel, as it came to pass very soon after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans during the reigns of emperors Vespasian and Titus, in the years 69 - 70 AD.
The fig tree condemned by God, for the present, is not eradicated and completely destroyed. It remains still at the wayside, but forever doomed barren, withered and dried-up signifying that in its veins life has stopped flowing. It alone exists only as a dumb, historical monument, not having believed in Christ, the Jewish people have ceased to bear fruits of God’s revelation, and for that reason are unable to satisfy and fully quench the religious hunger of any traveler, traveling towards a heavenly Jerusalem.
Fr. Anatoly Trepatschko