Matthew 21:10 When he entered Yerushalayim, the whole city was stirred. “Who is this?” they asked. 11 And the crowds answered, “This is Yeshua, the prophet from Natzeret in the Galil.”
12 Yeshua entered the Temple grounds and drove out those who were doing business there, both the merchants and their customers. He upset the desks of the money-changers and knocked over the benches of those who were selling pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It has been written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it into a den of robbers!”
14 Blind and lame people came up to him in the Temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the head cohanim and Torah-teachers saw the wonderful things he was doing, and the children crying out in the Temple, “Please deliver us!” to the Son of David, they were furious. 16 They said to him, “Do you hear what they’re saying?” Yeshua replied, “Of course! Haven’t you ever read,
‘From the mouth of children and infants
you have prepared praise for yourself’?”
17 With that, he left them and went outside the city to Beit-Anyah, where he spent the night.
18 The next morning, on his way back to the city, he felt hungry. 19 Spotting a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. So he said to it, “May you never again bear fruit!” and immediately the fig tree dried up. 20 The talmidim saw this and were amazed. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked. 21 Yeshua answered them, “Yes! I tell you, if you have trust and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to this fig tree; but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Go and throw yourself into the sea!’ it will be done. 22 In other words, you will receive everything you ask for in prayer, no matter what it is, provided you have trust.”
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Mark 11:11 Yeshua entered Yerushalayim, went into the Temple courts and took a good look at everything; but since it was now late, he went out with the Twelve to Beit-Anyah.
12 The next day, as they came back from Beit-Anyah, he felt hungry. 13 Spotting in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came up to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it wasn’t fig season. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And his talmidim heard what he said.
15 On reaching Yerushalayim, he entered the Temple courts and began driving out those who were carrying on business there, both the merchants and their customers. He also knocked over the desks of the money-changers, upset the benches of the pigeon-dealers, 16 and refused to let anyone carry merchandise through the Temple courts. 17 Then, as he taught them, he said, “Isn’t it written in the Tanakh, My house will be called a house of prayer for all the Goyim But you have made it into a den of robbers!” 18 The head cohanim and the Torah-teachers heard what he said and tried to find a way to do away with him; they were afraid of him, because the crowds were utterly taken by his teaching. 19 When evening came, they left the city.
20 In the morning, as the talmidim passed by, they saw the fig tree withered all the way to its roots. 21 Kefa remembered and said to Yeshua, “Rabbi! Look! The fig tree that you cursed has dried up!” 22 He responded, “Have the kind of trust that comes from God! 23 Yes! I tell you that whoever does not doubt in his heart but trusts that what he says will happen can say to this mountain, ‘Go and throw yourself into the sea!’ and it will be done for him. 24 Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, trust that you are receiving it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive your offenses.” 26 [Some manuscripts include: But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your offenses.”]
Praying for decrease (or destruction) does not make any sense to me whatsoever. A fig tree that overproduces seems like a much greater witness to God’s goodness than a shriveled stick in the ground, am I right? Who in their right mind would pray to have a fig tree dry up anyway just because there are no figs? We should be praying for life so there is a bountiful increase.
In addition, we are told in the wake of the shriveling fig tree that if we tell the mountain to throw itself into the sea, then it will. Again, why would we want that to happen?
The good news is that any trees we want dried up and mountains we want cast away can be done away with.
“In other words, you will receive everything you ask for in prayer, no matter what it is, provided you have trust.”
This verse is often used to show that if you have faith, anything you want (no matter what it is) will be given to you. But this is not talking about an increase at all. We see that prayer here is not in the “ask and you shall receive” stuff for yourself or others. In fact, it seems this goes in the opposite direction. Doesn’t sound like your standard Christianity at all.
Who asks for trees to shrivel up and mountains to throw themselves into the sea? It should be us.
Yeshua was hungry.
If Yeshua had the authority to cause this fig tree to dry up, wouldn't He have equal authority to have it bring forth fruit?
If it were me and I was hungry, I’d want to show off my skills in a way that would teach the lesson AND get me some food. I’m pretty sure the disciples would have been equally impressed if He caused fruit to come forth, right?
Instead of calling out the fruit, though, He sent the fig tree into a state of never providing fruit again.
What is being communicated by eliminating this tree instead of restoring it?
Fig trees produce fruit several times per year. The first round comes in the spring around about the time Yeshua was looking for something to eat. If this isn’t the “season of figs”, is it reasonable to expect figs to be on the tree?
A logical answer is a resounding ‘no’. In order to make sense of this we need to look a little more closely at the phrase “season of figs”.
“Season” here is the word G2540 kairos (καιρός) and in nearly every instance, it carries the context of prophetic time.
Yeshua said on numerous occasions, “My time (kairos) has not yet come.”
Matthew 8:29 They screamed, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time (kairos)?”
Matthew 13:30 Let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest-time (kairos) I will tell the reapers to collect the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn.
Matthew 16:3 and in the morning you say, ‘Storm today!’ because the sky is red and overcast. You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times (kairos)!
Mark 13:32 However, when that day and hour will come, no one knows — not the angels in heaven, not the Son, just the Father. 33 Stay alert! Be on your guard! For you do not know when the time (kairos) will come.
Revelation 22:10 Then he said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy in this book, because the time (kairos) of their fulfillment is near.”
And so on. So the idea of being “the season” of the harvest isn’t wrong, it is just incomplete.
The time of the fig had not come and the leaves were hiding that fact. This period of covering it up is no longer in play.
Spotting in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came up to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it wasn’t fig season.
Where else have we seen fig leaves concealing something? In the Garden:
Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it had a pleasing appearance and that the tree was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her; and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together to make themselves loincloths.
Fig leaves were used to cover their nakedness. Similarly, the fig leaves were used to cover the nakedness of the tree. From a distance, it seems as though this tree should have fruit but upon closer inspection it is clear that it doesn't.
When people along the path look upon it, there is an illusion that this tree bears fruit -- because there are leaves. If the tree had died it would just be a stick, but putting out leaves and producing no fruit sounds to me like a cover up. Which it is, but people are none the wiser.
What do we do about this?
Yeshua uses a parable to explain what should be done with a tree that bears no fruit:
Luke 13:6 Then Yeshua gave this illustration: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit but didn’t find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘Here, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for three years now without finding any. Cut it down — why let it go on using up the soil?’ 8 But he answered, ‘Sir, leave it alone one more year. I’ll dig around it and put manure on it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; if not, you will have it cut down then.’”
A stay of execution. Before the tree is destroyed, we have the opportunity to yield fruit. But if we don’t, it’s time to pray.
The season of the fig is the period of covering ourselves with leaves in order to hide our nakedness. We are no longer in that season.
Sprouting leaves every year and making it look like we are going to bear fruit? Not anymore.
From a distance, you may look as though you’re doing your part but there is One that is coming in for a closer look. We were created to bear fruit and, if we aren’t careful, we will shrivel up and lose the opportunity to do so -- forever.
But we are told here that it isn’t just Him that has the authority to do this. We can too.
If we are using fig leaves to cover up our lack of fruit, we can ask that the entire tree dry up and die. And He will do it. If we have mountains that need to be thrown into the sea, He’ll do that too.
There is nothing in your life (that needs removed) that He will refuse to do.
He wants those fruitless areas to be exposed. He also wants those giant obstacles cast into the sea. So if we decide we want that also, He’ll see to it that it gets done.
“In other words, you will receive everything you ask for in prayer, no matter what it is, provided you have trust.”