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Matthew 21:18-22 NIV
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus replied, “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. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
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Since God led us to move to California, I never imagined that I would start learning how to grow vegetables and fruit trees. I believe this is also an opportunity from God for me to get to know Him better, as the Bible often uses the mindset of a farmer to instruct believers. It also uses sowing, growth, pruning, and bearing fruit as metaphors for the life of a believer. Our family planted a fig tree, which helped me understand this passage of Scripture. As the name suggests, a fig tree bears fruit without flowers. The fruit grows along with the leaves. A tree that has leaves but no fruit is diseased, or it can be said to be “fake.”
After being welcomed by the crowd in the manner of receiving a king, the first thing Jesus did was cleanse the temple to demonstrate His authority and power (Matthew 21:12-13). Then He cursed the fig tree that had lush leaves but bore no fruit, and it immediately withered. This was a miracle, as trees usually take a long time to wither. Once again, Jesus demonstrated His authority and power, while also conveying an important message. The Pharisees created many rituals and unnecessary rules according to their own desires. Although the crowds were bustling during the Passover celebration, none of it could save anyone. Even though it appeared lively and people were busy, it was all useless and even distracted people from God, focusing instead on rituals and losing the essence of life—just like the illusion of a tree with lush leaves but no fruit. This is what the Lord Jesus, the Redeemer, despised and what made Him angry. He was determined to remove any obstacles that hindered people from coming to God. Finally, in 70 AD, the temple was destroyed and could not be rebuilt.
Jesus said, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). When the disciples saw this miracle, they asked how it could happen. Jesus used His response to teach believers how to pray. He emphasized that the driving force behind prayer is faith—believing in the nature of the Triune God, His promises, His sovereignty, and His power. This is what it means to believe in His name. Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Therefore, praying according to God's will is asking for those things that are timeless and have already been accomplished. Jesus said, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14). He also said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you” (John 15:16).
The apostle James encourages believers to be self-aware in their prayers: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5). He also warns, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3). In other words, prayers that only seek to satisfy fleshly desires are not in line with God’s will. Bearing fruit is closely related to faith. My experience with gardening taught me that living seeds will surely sprout. The apostle Peter says, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). A new life born out of faith will surely bear fruit through the promises of God’s word. Do we often examine our faith? Is our faith built on this world, or on God’s promises? Are we familiar with God’s promises?
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