Two thousand years ago, give or take a few, our Lord arrived in triumph to Jerusalem. His infamy had grown over the previous few years, to the point where many were openly discussing the possibility that He was indeed the long-expected Messiah. When He entered the city at the start of Passover week, the people showered Him with praise, crying “Hosanna!” to Him, as well as tossing palm branches at his feet. He rode in on a simple donkey, not on a shimmering white horse. He rode in with followers He had won over with words of peace rather than weapons of war. This was not a military conquest, nor was He a military conqueror. He was meek and lowly and the reason for his entry into the city (apart from the holiday) was not to stir up a grand and bloody revolution against the Roman Empire which had subjected the capital of his nation. He did not come to kill.

He came to die.

That was Sunday. The first day of His final week. Six days before His death. 129 hours before He would give up the ghost as a sacrifice for humanity.

This is Monday…

The Lord spent the day walking and talking with His disciples. In the morning, they came upon a fig tree but found it had sprouted no fruit to enjoy. In response, the Lord issues an edict, saying “Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever” (Matthew 21:19). Reading it, you might wonder why Jesus reacted so strongly against a simple tree that had no fruit. It’s not as if the tree had a mind of its own and purposefully refused to bear figs. Is the Lord overreacting? Hardly.

It’s worth noting that, in Mark’s account, he says “the time of figs was not yet” (Mark 11:13). It wasn’t even in season for figs to sprout. And yet, that seems to muddy the issue even more: Why get mad at a tree that wasn’t supposed to bear fruit in the first place? There must be an explanation, and indeed there is.

First of all, it wasn’t out of the question that a fig tree might bear fruit earlier than usual. Ordinarily, you might not expect to find figs, but it was not an impossibility. Second, on fig trees, the fruit was supposed to sprout before the leaves. Thus, by seeing the tree “afar off” and seeing the leaves thereon, the Lord had every reason to assume figs would be waiting for him. Instead, He was betrayed; the tree bore the appearance of fruitfulness but actually had none of the fruit to enjoy.

The Lord, therefore, used this as a visual metaphor for the state of Jerusalem at the time. The tree was a betrayer, teasing one thing but delivering nothing. The tree was a liar, showing leaves but having no fruit. The tree was a hypocrite, giving the appearance of a ripened state but actually offering nothing of the sort.

Later, the disciples came upon the tree again and observed it had dried up from the roots. Peter remembered that it had been cursed and pointed out the withered tree to the Lord. In response, Jesus says “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). It seems to me that Peter’s astonishment is not that the tree was withered (he had heard the Lord’s cursing and no doubt believed it would be done) but that it was destroyed so quickly. He needed to remember the great power that Jesus maintained.

The Lord speaks to Peter’s astonishment regarding the swiftness of His power, saying that they too—the Apostles—would have great power given to them. They would be able to move mountains. They would be able to pray to the Father and receive the power to do whatever they needed in the Ministry they were soon to enter into (Matthew 21:21-22). With tremendous power also comes tremendous responsibility. Thus Jesus tells them to be a forgiving people, so that God may forgive them (Mark 11:25-26). A lack of forgiveness to others means a lack of forgiveness from Heaven.

What’s the relevance between this ruined fig tree and a warning about forgiveness?

Might it be seen as a contrast, or as a way to better define the (differing) roles both Jesus and His Apostles will occupy? The Lord cursed the fig tree and did not forgive it. He judged it and found it guilty. There was no repentance on the part of the tree; you might say it did not bring forth fruit in repentance (Matthew 3:8).

The lesson we learn on the final Monday of Jesus’ ministry is this: The Lord is the final judge; He is the redeemer and condemner. Until the Day of Judgment we ought to forgive those who repent and trust in the judgment of God against those who do not. The cursing of the fig tree reminds us of God’s final judgment, and yet Jesus used this occasion to teach us about the need for forgiveness from one child of God to the next.

The Lord’s final week begins much like any other: He walked and talked with His followers, He made object lessons out of everyday things, and He spoke sternly about judgment, tenderly about grace, and warningly about the need to forgive. This Monday was much like any other, and yet brewing around him is a plot to kill Him, orchestrated by Sadducees, Scribes, and Pharisees, leaf-bloomed trees which bear no fruit, but who loved to judge and loathed to forgive.

Jesus will have words for them tomorrow…

~ Matthew