The Cursing of the Fig Tree
The Story "An Interwoven Gospel" • Sermon • Submitted
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· 22 viewsCondemnation of fruitless Israel, don't let us make same mistake
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They will be known by their fruit!
They will be known by their fruit!
Jesus has referred to being fruitful all throughout the Gospels.
Mt7:16
“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
“Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.
As a way of tying this together with another similar story, that one told as a parable
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’
Lk
8 “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ”
We will come back to tie this in, loosely, in a little bit.
The fig tree has been linked to represent the nation of Israel, today let’s just keep in mind that the fig tree does represent something, not necessarily the nation of Israel.
(Slide) Turn to Story Book pg. 116 and your Bible to Lk11:12-14, 18-20
(Slide)What do you notice, what do you see, what sticks out to you?
Just want to touch on one verse not covered in this passage or the previous.
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.
Jesus when he came in parade day entered into the temple, well the temple grounds, looked around and left going back to Bethany. So all the hoopla that happened outside the city with the triumphal entry lead to Jesus walking into the temple with no regalia or opposition. Just a non event after a big event outside of town.
Alright let’s start to break down the passage and then find some application.
(Slide) What can we know about what day it is from (v.12)?
(Slide) What can you deduct about fig tree(s) (v.13)? - in Mt21:19 shows it is single, lone fig tree
Some interesting facts: (THIS IS NOT ON A SLIDE)
Fig tree is often thought of as a symbol of nation of Israel (see Jer8, Nah3 and HOs9)
Fig tree’s do not grow alone, they are planted in groves for they have to cross pollinate
Fig tree’s would start to show leaves as early as early as April, but fruit is not really there until mid-May early June
While there are several views of this passage, with these things in mind do we know Jesus is looking for literal fruit from a literal tree?
Looking at it spiritually for a few minutes, here is this tree with leaves, on the outside it looks good, but upon close inspection there is no fruit. If the Lord looks at us up close, expecting to find fruit is He going to find:
(Slide) Fruit of Love? (Gal5:22-23)
(Slide) Fruit for life eternal (Jn4:36)
(Slide) Fruit of labor (Phi1:22)
(Slide) Fruit of giving (Rom15:26-28)
(Slide) Fruit of giving our lips for praise (Heb13:15)
I think I should share some of the scriptures here
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
36 “Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.
22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.
Php
15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
So why didn’t this tree have fruit?
So why didn’t this tree have fruit?
19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
a lone tree can produce no fruit, I believe I mentioned earlier. We cannot produce fruit for the kingdom alone either. We need each other. We need to keep together, in one mind, in one accord, to keep assembling.
25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
What was the problem with the Hebrews when they gave up the assembly? They were not using their gifts, they were not being reminded of God’s truth and they were slipping back into the world. We need each other to bear fruit!
14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.
It seems out of character doesn’t it that Jesus would pass this judgment on a tree that was not supposed to bear fruit yet anyways? It also seems out of character for Jesus did good not bad, right?
(Slide) Healed the sick and lame
(Slide)Fed the hungry
(Slide) Raised the dead
So this would also point to the fact that this story cannot as a whole be taken literal doesn’t it? Now remember I mentioned earlier tying this in with another passage?
6 And He began telling this parable: “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’
8 “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’ ”
So what if this tree, is the spiritual tree, that should be bearing spiritual fruit from it. What if the story today is just a later part of the parable that Luke recorded? And now it is later and the cultivating did nothing and there still was no fruit.
Faith, faith is what was needed in Lk, faith is what was needed in MK, faith is what we need here. Jesus was cursing to show the necessity of faith, redemptive faith. See Jesus not only made all things, but all things were made for Him according to Col1.
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
So the best thing anyone can do is to bear fruit for the One who created him. If we do not bear fruit we need to remember
10 “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
(Slide) Fruitlessness = fire and that should be a fact we need to remember.
(Slide) Fruitlessness = gospel dies in its tracks
(Slide) Fruitlessness = God’s love is not shared
Fruitlessness = people
(Slide) Fruitlessness = we have no evidence of our own salvation
We need to be fruitful, to help give spiritual strength, to encourage spiritual growth and that starts personally, then within the family and radiates out to the church family and the community.
Don’t be someone who says “This country is going to hell in a hand basket” and not do something to show, share the love of God. It’s not too late, as long as it is a day, today is a day of opportunity. So let us bear fruit.
I read Mt3:10 a few minutes ago, about the root of the trees. Roots are hidden for the most part, they are underground. Our spiritual roots are personal, intimate, between us and God when no one is looking. They are your morning or evening devotionals. Your personal time in prayer and study of God’s Word. Remember the tree
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.
It looked good on the outside didn’t it. We may be looking good on the outside, what we show to other people, when in reality we maybe dying inside and our root system is not strong, not taking in the nourishment from the Living Water that bears fruit in season and out
8 “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.
We go through low times, times of spiritual drought so we need to keep feeding on the Living Water now, bear fruit now that will help sustain us in the spiritually low times.
So the cursing of the fig tree is not a bad thing, out of character thing for Jesus, it is a just thing, a warning to them, an encouragement to us to bear fruit. We will get more as Jesus will continue the teaching in Mk11:21f on another day.
Lead to prayer