I should have saved this one for Christmas!
Why did Jesus curse that fig tree?
Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. (Mark 11:13, NIV)
The short answer is that it wasn’t bearing any fruit.
Because the leaves are so big, you can’t see the fruit until you are much closer to the tree. The fruit that ripens first is closest to the trunk of the tree. The fruit farther away from the trunk, takes longer. Does this ring any bells? See John 15! Some trees can be harvested up to three times per year and unless pruned, stand thirty feet tall or more.
We know that Jesus discovered Nathaniel under a fig tree and Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore-fig tree. The parable of the fig tree encourages patience and care to encourage a crop. (Luke 13:6-9)
The best tasting fresh figs are wrinkled or maybe even have a white line down the side. To eat, just pull off the stem and enjoy skin and all.
And like the fig tree, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. (Matthew 21:21, NIV)
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