The parable of the barren Fig tree

The gospel narration of Jesus's entry to the the Jerusalem temple in Mathew: 21 is followed by four chapters of revealing truths about what Jesus spoke before the details about his crucifixion appears in chapter 26.

The parable of the Barren fig tree in Mat.21;18-22 is the first of those teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, recorded in the four chapters.

'Jesus was hungry' and seeing 'a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only..'.

A hungry Jesus. Often it is used by the biblical scholars to highlight the humanity of Jesus. He felt like any one of us and therefore shared a common experience with us. However in view of it being placed in the context of the narration of the gospel after his visit to the Jerusalem temple, this hunger was both real and symbolic. Real, because after seeing the merchandise in the temple instead of praying people, Jesus would have felt emotionally exhausted. In such occasions we are more in touch with our physical feelings. Symbolic, because Jesus felt hungry for the temple to be restored to be a place of righteousness where people came to experience God's presence. How terrible if a 'holy place' was turned to be a 'market place', where deceit and profit become the ambience. I suspect that Jesus knowing that it was the last time He would be in the temple before his crucifixion, was lamenting for the spell of darkness that had clouded the perception of the jewish hierarchy, that too at a time of the passover feast. The passover was a time of grateful remembrance of the redemption of people from slavery and God's merciful protection when the plague of death had visited the rest of the community. Now instead of a festival of prayer of thanksgiving, it was a festival fo profiteering!

Jesus approached the fig tree expecting to find fruit in a tree standing by the wayside. We are planted by God in different places to bear fruit- at home, work place, public place, ...! The phrase 'wayside' is  profound in meaning. People always pass by the way while they are on their journey. People see and come to meet us in search for 'food' because they are weary, troubled, heavy of heart, sick, economically distressed, broken...! The tree is full of leaves! It flourishes but with no benefit for others, who turn to the tree for fruit. The tree is for itself. Why is that we live for ourselves and do not become a source of benefit for others! This might be the thought in the minds of those around us!

Look at the house in the photo above. A designer house with all that is good around it. It is a place of plentiful comfort for those who live in it. Beyond the boundary in the paddy field, the water birds are feeding from the corns that feel on the ground during harvesting. Even the left over is sought after! That is the state of need all around us. 

We consume and live comfortably and some others around us live with the 'left over'! 

This ought to be a worrying theme for the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. A tree consumes the nutrients and water from the soil and lives by the wayside with its luxurious foliage with no fruits. It is for the fruit a fig tree was planted. It stopped at being a tree of leaves and not a fig bearing tree! 

My attention turns to the tree. To me it is a symbol of hope for all those who are hungry! How much we feel the physical and emotional hunger of those who pass by us!

We are visible to others by our presence at our home, place of work and in the areas of our other involvements! People come to us to receive 'fruits' of encouragement, consolation, direction, affirmation...!

We are placed to be a light and we would naturally draw people to ourselves. 

The Holy Week is s time to meditate on this theme, 'Are we only a tree or a fruit bearing tree!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)