Fig tree is cursed
Key Verses: 8, 12, 15, 22, 25, 32, 39, 43, 46
I don’t know about you, but this seems like a strange way to welcome someone into town? Is this the ancient equivalent of the red carpet treatment? Is this how they welcomed celebrities? And they shout words proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah. This must be like the words at the bottom of CNN or Fox News. They are excited. They know they are at the right place at the right time. The problem is, they are at the wrong event. They want to overthrow the Romans and set up David’s kingdom again. But Jesus interrupts their status quo business as usual lives.
What a contrast between seeing wonderful things and being indignant. These two things just don’t seem to go together, unless their hearts were twisted in the wrong direction. Then it makes sense. If they want to keep the status quo, a light bulb moment happens. Everything they stand for is about to be challenged. They have to do something. And the next morning Jesus makes a visual object lesson out of this turning event. The fig tree withers rapidly, unexpectedly.
I want to caution you in reading verse 22. This can turn into the words of the cowardly lion in the Wizard of OZ, “I do believe, I do believe, I do believe.” The focus in the Scriptures is always on the object of our faith, Jesus, not on the quality or quantity of our belief. Don’t get caught in the flagellation of condemnation when you don’t get the Porsche you wanted. You just wanted the wrong thing. You should want Jesus.
Jesus can see through hypocrisy. When the religious leaders are not willing to admit John’s authority, they won’t accept His. In the parable Jesus tells, the son who finally obeyed recognized the authority of his father. It made no difference that at first he didn’t. In the end he obeyed. Jesus connects this son with those at the bottom of the religious scale, those who now follow Him. And the tenants are the religious leaders who don’t recognize the authority of the land owner and end up killing the messengers.
The religious leaders realize that they have been caught in their duplicity. They are not recognizing God’s authority in Jesus. They are rejecting God. It is a sad state of affairs when we reject the truth because we are not willing to humble ourselves. We are not willing to fall on the stone and be broken. It is only when we humble ourselves that He can lift us up. Pride that prevents an honest evaluation of ourselves can be fatal, both physically and spiritually. Take time for some honest reflection today.
The Arnold Journey 