Mar 11:12-14 | KingComments | STEP | “The next day” is Monday. The Lord goes out of Bethany, apparently without breakfast, for He is hungry. That He is hungry means He didn’t get anything to eat from His people. This goes beyond physical hunger. He sought fruit from His people, of which the fig tree, which He sees in the distance, is a picture. He sees the many leaves which indicates that there is a lot of life in the tree and also that there must be a lot of fruit on the tree. But appearances deceive. When He has reached the tree, it appears that it has only leaves and no fruit. That there is no fruit on the tree, while there are many leaves, is an unnatural phenomenon. He could expect fruit on the tree. That it was “not the time of the figs” means that it was not the time of the fig harvest. Therefore there should have been fruits, not the ripe fruits, but the precocious figs. However, there were only leaves. If the tree didn’t have leaves, He wouldn’t have cursed the tree. But the leaves gave the impression that there would be precisely those precocious figs. The soul of the Lord went out to that fruit ( ). This tree is a symbol of Israel that did not bear fruit for God, although for the people there seemed to be an abundance of proofs of life. So it is with the crowds that had hailed Him. It seemed much, but there was nothing in the heart for Him. It is also a lesson for us. The Lord curses the fig tree. He does this not because there are no fruits, but because the tree gave the appearance of bearing fruit through its leaves. The tree gave false hope of fruit. The curse is final. That tree will never bear any fruit. With regard to the people of Israel of which the tree is a picture, it is so. The Israel according to the flesh will never bear fruit for God. Only a remnant conceived by God Himself, which will then be the true Israel, will bear fruit for Him.

‏ Mark 11:12-14

A Fig Tree Cursed

“The next day” is Monday. The Lord goes out of Bethany, apparently without breakfast, for He is hungry. That He is hungry means He didn’t get anything to eat from His people. This goes beyond physical hunger. He sought fruit from His people, of which the fig tree, which He sees in the distance, is a picture. He sees the many leaves which indicates that there is a lot of life in the tree and also that there must be a lot of fruit on the tree. But appearances deceive.

When He has reached the tree, it appears that it has only leaves and no fruit. That there is no fruit on the tree, while there are many leaves, is an unnatural phenomenon. He could expect fruit on the tree. That it was “not the time of the figs” means that it was not the time of the fig harvest. Therefore there should have been fruits, not the ripe fruits, but the precocious figs. However, there were only leaves.

If the tree didn’t have leaves, He wouldn’t have cursed the tree. But the leaves gave the impression that there would be precisely those precocious figs. The soul of the Lord went out to that fruit (Mic 7:1). This tree is a symbol of Israel that did not bear fruit for God, although for the people there seemed to be an abundance of proofs of life. So it is with the crowds that had hailed Him. It seemed much, but there was nothing in the heart for Him. It is also a lesson for us.

The Lord curses the fig tree. He does this not because there are no fruits, but because the tree gave the appearance of bearing fruit through its leaves. The tree gave false hope of fruit. The curse is final. That tree will never bear any fruit. With regard to the people of Israel of which the tree is a picture, it is so. The Israel according to the flesh will never bear fruit for God. Only a remnant conceived by God Himself, which will then be the true Israel, will bear fruit for Him.