SOME BACKGROUND AND HISTORY:
That kingdom was promised first to Abraham (2126 B.C.) – then Isaac –
and Jacob by the Lord. Throughout the history of the Hebrew Israelites
(named for Jacob who was later renamed Israel) they won and lost many
victories, conquered many nations and were nearly conquered by many—the
most recent was by the Romans. But their promised kingdom was never
fully instituted.
The first disappointment came when Moses took them out of Egypt and they
refused to enter into their kingdom lands across the Jordan River.
After being disciplined for their disobedience for 40 years in the
southern wilderness came their first success.
Moses led them to the Jordan river and Joshua took them into the
lands promised--what we know as Palestine (then called Canaan), Syria,
and Lebanon as far north as the Euphrates River and from the
Mediterranean Sea on the west to the Arabian Desert on the East.
The nation then became engaged in a continuing cycle of successes and
failures. There was the series of Judges who came to power to rescue
them from their enemies (and themselves). David came close to
establishing the kingdom but failed and the kingdom split in two. Israel
fell to Assyria, and then Assyria and Judah fell to Babylon, then the
Egyptians, and the Persians. After some battles they were able to regain
their lands, but eventually lost all to the Romans.
Then Jesus is born - most scholars place the date around March/April of
3 B.C.. The Israelites, now known as the Jews (Judeans – the remnants of
the last faithful tribe), were dispersed all over the surrounding
countries – Then, nearly 2000 years later at the end of World War II and
the redistribution of the middle east, Israel once again became a nation
of its own (May 14th, 1948, at midnight). To this day the
majority of Jews have no faith in their Savior God, and many hate those
who do.
So first, we’ll
look at the recording of the actual event that Jesus took part in and
recorded by both Matthew and Mark. We’ll use our “Linear Text” way of
integrating both recordings into a single narration so we get as much
information as possible.
THE UNFRUITFUL FIG TREE NARRATION
Matthew
21:18-22; Mark 11:22-26 [NASB] The Linear Text
(Mt 21:18-19a)
Now in the morning, when He,
Jesus, was
returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by
the road, (Mk
11:13b) He went to see if perhaps He
would find anything, to eat,
on it; and
when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the
season for figs.
As mentioned before, Matthew and Mark’s Unfruitful Fig Tree is an actual
event that Jesus and His disciples witnessed. We should note also that
the Fig tree is widely used in figurative language about Israel.
A day or two earlier Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem for His Triumphal
Entry.
(Mt 21:19b)
He
(Jesus)
came to it (the Fig tree)
and found nothing on it except leaves only;
The Mark manuscript mentions that it was the wrong season for fig fruit
– Exactly – it was the wrong season for Israel to establish the promised
kingdom of God.
At this point Jesus is using a metaphor about
the Son of God coming to Israel and only finding a non-believing nation,
with no evidence of anyone waiting for their
Savior who saves from sin.
Jesus is putting this “fig tree” event into the minds of His Disciples.
He will later use the memory of this event to re-kindle the minds of His
Disciples as they will then hear Him tell the story as a Parable. We
need to listen carefully to the event, like the Disciples had to, so
that the larger meanings of the Parable will then be in focus.
We’re told that Jesus got up one morning and
He was hungry. He saw a fig tree and went to it to find some fruit… and
only found leaves. Jesus is teaching the disciples, and us, a lesson
using this fig tree. He will speak to it… but His words are for the
disciples’ ears… not for the tree.
We need to remember right away that – Jesus
is God the Creator
(John 1:3). He is walking on earth
having the form of a man
(John 1:14).
He has just awoken and found that He is hungry. Another metaphor for
Jesus’ desire to get on with this very important address to His
disciples.
Now it might help us to make believe and
think of Him as the owner
of a breakfast sandwich shop (the fig tree). So, He goes to His sandwich
shop and says, “Give me a breakfast sandwich!” (some figs) And the clerk
says, “I’m sorry sir, today I knew you were coming, but I did not make
any breakfast sandwiches!” (no figs upon the tree).
As I thought about this myself, the
first thought was “Fire the clerk and close the shop.”
What does Jesus say next?
and He *said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you,”
and
(Mk 11:14)
He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit
from you again!” And His disciples were listening.
(Mt 21:19c)
And at once the fig tree withered.
(Mk 11:20b)
and they
saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 20 Seeing this, the
disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at
once?”
Ah, what question would you have asked? “what do we do next…?”
No, the question that was asked was not “What
do we do next” But “How
did the fig tree wither all at once?”
The poor disciples, they are with Jesus at the
near end of His journey to the Cross… and they are still not getting it.
Jesus is God. He may have some limited powers while He is acting as His
Father’s servant, but only the limiting of certain powers that would
circumvent His obedience to the overall plan for the salvation of man.
So, “How did the fig tree wither all at once? Because God (Jesus)
commanded it by faith (Note: If God did not have faith in the things He
commands, He would not be God).
(Mk 11:21)
And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have
faith and do not doubt,
you
will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if
you
say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will
happen.
(Mk 11:22b)
23 Truly I say to
you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart,
but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted
him.
As a young man, growing up in my faith, I’ve heard these words many
times, but passed over them thinking they said something else. So, I
stress now that we take each word and consider what Jesus is saying to
those who follow Him.
His first lesson says,
if YOU HAVE FAITH
and DO NOT DOUBT
(your faith, or the one you have faith in) you will be able to not only
make an unwilling tree (unwilling to serve the Creator God) wither and
no longer produce fruit, but also able to speak to a mountain and throw
it into the sea. I think the metaphor Jesus is referencing His own faith
as God, perhaps what we humans can accomplish would be somewhat short of
that, but so much can be accomplished if we as people of
FAITH… do
not doubt but ACT by faith without
doubt.
(Mk 11:24)
Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe
that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
Do you see and hear Jesus words. “All things
for which you pray and ask.” So, first of all comes prayer and asking in
FAITH.
The way I interpret this is that my asking and praying must always be
according to the very will of God. As a person of FAITH IN CHRIST, my
prayers must match His will and desires – not my own will and desires.
Then secondly, when I go to pray and ask, I must be believing that my
prayers and questions asked have answers that have already been
received… and THEN they will be granted to you.
And there’s more requirements:
(Mk 11:25-26)
Whenever
you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against
anyone,
so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your
transgressions. 26 [But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father
who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]
(Mt 21:22)
And all things you ask in prayer,
believing, you will receive.”
LET US LOOK AT 3 IMPORTANT WORDS:
Whenever:
Prayer should be an everyday (perhaps all day) discipline of the
believer. I find it amazing that for most of my life those who I’ve held
anything against had me feeling that way because I had done something
that offended them. I can find no release for their offense toward me
without forgiving them for being offended by me. Now this may not always
be the case, for some are just offensive sometimes – in both word and/or
deed. But Jesus’ command is for every believer to forgive.
Anyone:
Yes, anyone. The bad neighbor, the offensive
driver, the political official that is against God and Christ. The
person in your past that has committed a crime or evil against you or
anyone in your knowledge. The selfish, the criminal, the sexual
offender, the
murderer, and all other kinds. But… WHY? Because that’s
what God did through the death of His Son on the Cross. He forgave
everyone who ever lived or will live. We’ve mentioned this a number of
times in this Parables of Jesus study – No human being will ever go to
Hell because of their sin or sins. Total forgiveness was paid for at the
Cross. Heaven is the result of your personal choice to believe in The
Lord Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, for you salvation. Hell is your
destination if you choose to “not believe” in Him.
Verse 26 is in brackets because it does not appear in the earliest
manuscripts, but it does follow after the principles found in the Lord’s
Prayer. (Mt 6:12) “And forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors.” This verse was most likely added much
later.
Believing:
My guess would be that this is the hardest
requirement. You must believe that you will receive your prayer request
when you make it. Nothing hinders a person’s prayers more than a lack of
faith.
If your prayer is in faith, and if you fully
believe that your prayer will be answered… then it will be answered –
that’s His word, now believe it. But do not expect His answer will
violate His will or Word.
And you’ve probably heard the prayer instructions
that say that there are three possible answers to every prayer: (1) Yes;
(2) No; (3) Not Now, but in His time and always according to His will
and purpose.
In our next section we’ll now look at Jesus’ third use of the unfaithful
Fig Tree story. Only this time it will be in the form of a parable.
THE
PARABLE
OF THE UNFRUITFUL FIG TREE
INTRODUCTION
But, Before we tackle this parable, we need to pay special attention
to some verses from Luke’s gospel and chapter 12 that lead up to
Jesus’ parable of the Fig Tree in chapter 13.
At the end of Luke 12 Jesus closes with admonitions to his hearers,
a large crowd, that while they can tell the possibilities of the
weather by looking at the sky… the don’t apply the same skills and
logic into telling the possibilities of the political system around
them, or God’s plans for their world and time by just looking around
and seeing. His closing statement tells them that they are sinners
and in line for judgment and condemnation,
but they just don’t see it. And speaking to the Jews he says,
(Lk 12:57-59) “And why
do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right?
Jesus asks them why they don’t see the truth
of what is going on around them for themselves. Why don’t they
believe and have faith in what Moses and the Prophets have written
in the Word of God about Him, His words and His miracles, and see
that they are under God’s judgment and condemnation.
58 For while you are
going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your
way there make an effort to settle with him
(the
opponent), so that he
(the magistrate)
may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to
the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I say to you,
you will not get out of there until you have paid the very
last cent.”
Jesus is telling them that settling your lack of forgiveness issues
before you come to judgment will save you from an eternal
imprisonment. In the time of Jesus, a prison sentence meant “for the
rest of your life.” There was no way for you to work towards a
financial release. The only way out was for someone else to pay the
penalty. To be clearer: If you are under the condemnation of God you
should go to the Savior for there is no work you can do for your
release… The only out is for the Savior, JESUS, to pay the penalty
and you become free.
Jesus – The Call To Repent
(Luke 13:1-5)
1 At that time some people were
there who told Jesus that Pilate had killed some people from Galilee
while they were worshiping. He mixed their blood with the blood of
the animals they were sacrificing to God. 2 And Jesus said to
them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than
all other Galileans because they suffered this fate?
So the question
Jesus asks is: “Do you suppose
that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans
because they suffered this fate?”
Today in our world Christians are being murdered in places like
North Africa and other Islamic countries. Do we expect that those
who are killed are greater sinners than us? I expect that because we
are largely not legalists, that we would answer “no”.
But
in Jesus’ time the general thought amongst the people of Israel
would be “Yes.” Victims of the Rabbinical legalistic laws of the
day. Greater enforced legalism requires greater punishment according
to their legal definitions. “Oh, they walked too far to synagogue”
they are therefore greater sinners and require greater penalties.
Then Jesus makes
God’s point… Judgment is coming because you
(the nation of Israel and you the
person) will not believe, you will
not “turn around (Repent). Judgment is coming and you don’t want to
see it.” “You are living on borrowed time and that time, God’s
patience, is running out.”
3 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you
will all likewise perish. 4 Or do you suppose that those eighteen on
whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits
than all the men who live in Jerusalem?
Jesus uses a recent local disaster to make
his point. His question to them is… “Do you think God punishes those
who die in an accident because the quantity of their sins being
greater than anyone else’s?”
5 I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you
will all likewise perish.”
This is a repeated sentence in just one paragraph. I was taught, at
an early time after my conversion to Christ, that when God says
something twice… you better listen to what He has to say!
THE PARABLE OF THE
UNFRUITFUL FIG TREE
THE PARABLE
Luke 13:6-9
[NASB]
Jesus tells this parable and it is
about a Fig Tree, a Vineyard Owner, and a Gardener who tends the
vineyard.
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.
So now we are delving into Jesus’ parable of The Fig Tree. We
need some definitions here. The MAN in the Parable is GOD.
He is the vineyard owner and has planted a “Fig Tree” (the Nation of
Israel) in HIS Vinyard (the World). God came looking for FRUIT on
the Fig Tree (He inspected Israel of Jesus’s time and found
NO SPIRITUAL FRUIT upon it or being produced by it.)
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.
Sometime before Jesus begins His public ministry John the Baptist
began his “Repentance ministry.” Jesus’ gospel ministry has been
since He was a Jewish Adult (30). In Luke chapter 3 John the Baptist
told the nation that because of their lack of repentance – the ax
was already laid at the foot of the tree. Now Jesus has been all
over the Nation and found it severely lacking in faithful and
believing leadership and/or people. Here Jesus is at the end of His
earthly ministry (3 years – He’s now 33). God has called John and
Jesus and they have been focusing on searching for and restoring
Israel’s fruit – the fig tree’s fruit in the parable. The
vineyard-keeper is Jesus.
The vineyard owner says,
“Cut it down! Why does it
even use up the ground?’ 8 And he
(the vineyard-keeper)
answered and said to him, (The vineyard owner) ‘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 (or a longer
period of time – 40 years), fine; but if not, cut it down.’”
The owner, God, wants to be finished with this fruitless tree. The
compassionate vineyard-keeper, Jesus, pleads with His Father to
extend another year before cutting down the fig tree. The
vineyard-keeper wants more time to “dig around” to help possible
growth; to put in fertilizer to feed and encourage fruit growth.
Over the next 40 years the Church of Jesus Christ will be
established and the largest part of that ministry will be the
preaching of the Gospel to Jews right there in the heart of Judah.
And if the tree (the nation)
does not bear its fruit in this next span of time, then you may “cut
it down.”
Jesus is using this parable to teach His disciples of the coming end
of God’s salvation of the nation of Israel as a tool to provide the
world with Spiritual Fruit.
Repentance and restoration are still in Israel’s future but not till
the program of the Church has been completed – not till the King
returns from heaven and establishes His Promised Kingdom here on
earth with the Capital of His Kingdom in Jerusalem.
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
“Seek the LORD while He may
be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his
way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He
will have mercy on him, and to our GOD, for He will freely pardon.”
FOLLOW-UP
QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS
1.
When reading through the Scriptures what is the difference
between a factual story and a parable. Why is this difference important
to the understanding of the Scriptures?
2. Why does Jesus wait until the last days of His
earthly ministry to talk about this fig tree?
3. Noah was still alive when Abraham moved from the Ur
of the Chaldees to Canaan. How long did God continue in His desire for
Israel to become the faithful, God believing nation that He desired them
to be?
4. What are three messages of Matthew and Mark’s
telling of Jesus and the Fig Tree?
5. Why was Jesus disappointed with Israel as revealed
in the Parable of the Fit Tree?
6. What was the bottom line that Jesus was teaching to
Israel?
7.
What verses from Isaiah are used in our lesson that
summarize the whole story?
FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
1.
When reading through the Scriptures what is the difference
between a factual story and a parable. Why is this difference important
to the understanding of the Scriptures?
God reveals different ways that His Word can be
used to teach. A true story (such as Matthew and Mark’s telling of Jesus
and the Fig Tree) tell us about real characters and actual events.
A second method God uses is the Parable. In a
parable the story told is only for providing a verbal illustration, a
metaphor of the deeper meanings sometimes found in the telling of the
parable, and not directly expressed – like telling a story about a fig
tree when the real message is to express a nation’s lack of repentance
to their God, and a compassionate Savior who wants to give them more
time. And finally, revealing that the end result of being cut-off from
their purpose is just ahead.
Quiet often the parable gives the opportunity
to speak to different audiences depending on what they are prepared to
hear with a single story. Often we see that if part of the audience is
spiritually alive (the presents of the Holy Spirit) they will hear
spiritually what the speaker (Jesus) desires them to hear. At the same
time, if part of the audience is full of rage and hate – that’s what
they will be triggered by to hear rage and hate as a reaction to the
message.
In
Jesus’ Parable of the Fig Tree Jesus’ introduction to it tells us that
His audience doesn’t have a clue to what God is doing there at the end
of Jesus’ ministry and He’s not happy about it.
2. Why does Jesus wait until the last days of His
earthly ministry to talk about this fig tree?
The
Fig Tree parable is about the end of Jesus ministry with the Israel
nation as the validity of the nation is coming to an end and God was
about to cut it off “at the roots.”
3. Noah was still alive when Abraham moved from the Ur
of the Chaldees to Canaan. How long did God continue in His desire for
Israel to become the faithful, God believing nation that He desired them
to be?
From
2126 B.C. to about 70 A.D. when Rome destroyed the City of Jerusalem and
dispersed the Jews – Israel became a non-nation. That would make the
total number of years 2196.
4. What are three messages of Matthew and Mark’s
telling of Jesus and the Fig Tree?
Mark 11:25-25 and Matthew 21:22
(1)
Whenever – Whenever you pray – Pray and Forgive
(2)
Anyone – Whenever you pray – First forgive everyone
(3)
Believing – Whenever you pray – Believe that what you are praying
about has been already granted – it may not be apparent to you, but you
are required to believe and trust God that what you ask has already been
dealt with by God.
And
one caveat to add is that What you pray for must be “according to God’s
will.” He will not grant you based upon your desires – unless your
desires are in accordance with His desires and nature.
5. Why was Jesus disappointed with Israel as revealed
in the Parable of the Fit Tree?
The
parable is largely about Israel’s lack of repentance in all their
violations against God’s nature. God the Father sent His very own, only
Son, to make the salvation of all those who would repent of their sins
and believe and believe in the life and work of Jesus.
6. What was the bottom line that Jesus was teaching to
Israel?
Luke 13:3
“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
7. What verses from Isaiah are used in our lesson that
summarize the whole story?
(Isaiah 55:6-7)
“Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let
the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn
to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our GOD, for He will
freely pardon.”
