The Barren Temple

Many people find this incident with the fig tree baffling. Why does Jesus curse it? What did the poor tree do to deserve such judgment? What is even stranger is that it was not the season for figs, so Jesus had no reason to expect to find any. What are we supposed to learn from this?

The key to properly interpreting this story is found in a literary technique that Mark frequently uses throughout his Gospel. When Mark wants to highlight something, he uses a device called the “sandwich” technique. He mentions one thing (the fig tree), then moves on to something else (the temple cleansing), and then comes back to the first thing (the fig tree, vv 20-21). When Mark uses this technique the events have to be interpreted together. This means that the cursing of the fig tree cannot be understood apart from the cleansing of the temple.

In the Old Testament, Israel was often pictured as a fig tree. When the tree bore bad fruit, it was judged by God. Jesus passes the fig tree on the way to Jerusalem. When he enters the temple, far from finding good “fruit,” he finds that Gentiles are being excluded, and the house of prayer has become a place of extortion. The result is that Jesus drives out the money changers—he “withers” the ungodly activity in the temple. Going up to the temple should have been a highlight: it should have been a time of meeting with God in a place characterized by holy prayer, sacrifice, and worship. But the temple was like a fig tree with no fruit; it was good for nothing except judgment. The cursing of the fig tree symbolizes Jesus’ judgment on the temple.

Respond in Prayer

God, thank you for sending Jesus to purify your people and to make us truly holy. Help us to dedicate ourselves to true purity, prayer, and worship. May we not be like a fig tree that has leaves and looks good from afar but has no fruit. Amen.

Steve West