This passage starts off with Jesus cursing a fig tree because it's not giving him any figs to eat, which really isn't surprising since though the leaves are full, it's not the season for figs. So why does Jesus curse it?? Is it just because he's hungry, and he woke up on the wrong side of the bed? We all have an off day, so what's the deal?
I think it's because not only was he hungry, but he knew that he had to deal out some justice at the local temple (see yesterday's reading). I'm not going to go into all this today, I'll leave that for tomorrow's reading, but here's what I think this fig tree's all about.
Though it isn't in season, the tree's leaves are full, it's ripe, it gives the indication that there should be fruit on it. The temples, the pharisee's the teachers know the Law, they know the legality of Old Testament teachings, but they don't have the heart of the matter, they don't seek Justice, they don't have compassion. They lord it over their own people.
Basically the Temple had lost it's way. From the outside it looks like it's a place of holiness, but the substance, the 'fruit' if you will was lost, and in the end, if the temple (or Church if you will) looses the heart of God, than it will wither and fade (vs.20).
Jesus was changing everything, not only by bringing salvation to us, but by changing the religious establishment as a whole.
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