The Cursed Fig Tree

Mark 11 (MSG)
12-14 As they left Bethany the next day, he was hungry. Off in the distance he saw a fig tree in full leaf. He came up to it expecting to find something for breakfast, but found nothing but fig leaves. (It wasn’t yet the season for figs.) He addressed the tree: “No one is going to eat fruit from you again—ever!” And his disciples overheard him.

...The story suddenly switch to Jesus chasing out the merchants of the Holy Temple. However, the next day...

20-21 In the morning, walking along the road, they saw the fig tree, shriveled to a dry stick. Peter, remembering what had happened the previous day, said to him, “Rabbi, look—the fig tree you cursed is shriveled up!”

22-25 Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone,forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.”

I find this story very odd. It seems to me that Lord Jesus woke up in the wrong side of the bed. For the whole day, He was all so pitchy, cursy, and angry. 

Out of no where, still quite early in the morning, He could not be a little bit more patient to the fig tree knowing that it was not yet the season for figs. I wonder if His disciples were as startled as I am seeing the way Jesus reacted. 

But, He must have a good reason for doing so. 

If I could take a guess, Jesus was trying to say, "Watch out with your words while you are not feeling fine or in a good mood. It can kill a person."

In the later section of the paragraph, the story continues. Jesus explained why He did what He did. And my guess was somewhat right. It was about the power of our words. Our words have the power to:

• remove mountains,
• get God's everything (from our smallest need to our biggest one), and
• forgive the unforgivable. 

As it is written many times in the Holy Book, watch out with our tongue, Friends. If it can make a fig tree wilted in a day, it can also crush somebody in a second. Choose the good side!