Toward the offset of Mark 11, Jesus goes to consume from a fig tree. However, the fig tree has not bore any fruit and he curses it. So, later clearing out the temple, Peter sees that the cursed fig tree is at present withered. But why did Jesus curse the fig tree? Walter W. Wessel and Mark Fifty. Strauss examined this passage in the revised Expositor's Bible Commentary. They have some insight to bring, and nosotros've shared the excerpt below.

OVERVIEW

The first three verses of this section form the second function of the story of the fig tree (11:12–14), which sandwiches the account of the cleansing of the temple. (For the theological significance of this "intercalation," see Overview, 11:15–19.)

SCRIPTURE: Marking xi:20-25

In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does non doubt in his eye simply believes that what he says volition happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell yous, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you accept received information technology, and it volition exist yours. And when y'all stand praying, if you hold anything confronting anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive yous your sins.'"

COMMENTARY ON WHY JESUS CURSED THE FIG TREE

Mark 11:twenty-21

The next morning (presumably Tuesday of Passion Week) Jesus and his disciples, on returning to Jerusalem from Bethany, again passed the fig tree. It was totally destroyed ("withered from the roots"). Jesus had predicted that no i would ever consume fruit from information technology once again (v.14); and Peter, remembering what Jesus had said, called his attention to the withered tree (v.21). Jesus does not explicitly interpret the event, yet the meaning seems clear: Jesus' predicted judgment on the temple will come to pass as surely as did his prediction that the fig tree would wither.

Notation: Matthew refers to the cursing of the fig tree only afterward the cleansing of the temple and says the tree withered "at once" (Mt 21:nineteen). These differences fit his tendency to abbreviate and condense episodes (cf. Mt 8:5–thirteen; 9:eighteen–26).

Marking eleven:22

We have noted that Jesus blasphemous the fig tree is closely related to the cleansing of the temple, with both symbolizing God's judgment against Israel. Yet oddly, Jesus does non make this connection explicit. Instead, in this verse and in the teaching that follows, he links the miracle of the fig tree's destruction to the power of faith and prayer.

This characteristic suggests to some commentators that the sayings of vv.22–25 have no historical connectedness with what precedes and that Marker (or the tradition before them) has added them out of a misunderstanding of the symbolism of the fig tree's destruction. While this is possible, it is more likely that Jesus took this opportunity to draw a second application from the phenomenon and that Mark (and Matthew, who follows him) has retained this application.

Jesus uses the incident of the fig tree to teach disquisitional lessons on faith and prayer. The source of the power for performing the miracle is God. He must be the object of our faith.

Note: The variant reading that inserts εἰ (ei, "if") before ἔχετε (echete, "you have") has rather stiff MS support. But it is probably non original, for (1) the solemn "I tell you the truth" is never preceded past a conditional clause, and (2) the introductory "if" probably arose by assimilation to the saying in Luke 17:vi (cf. Mt 21:21).

Mark xi:23

As with previous pronouncements of Jesus, this one is preceded by the solemn introductory formula "I tell you the truth" — a way of indicating its importance. Since Jesus was standing on the Mount of Olives, from which the Dead Sea can be seen on a clear twenty-four hour period, he may take been referring specifically to that mountain. Of form, the paradigm of throwing a mountain into the sea is figurative for something that is humanly impossible (Zec 4:7). Jesus is saying that the greatest possible difficulties can be removed when a person has organized religion (cf. Jas 1:half dozen). A like paradigm of the power of faith to move mountains appears in the saying apropos the mustard seed in Matthew 17:20 (cf. Lk 17:six).

Mark eleven:24

At that place is a shut connexion between the kind of faith Jesus speaks of here and prayer. E. Stauffer (New Testament Theology [London: SCM, 1955], 169) clearly brings out this connectedness: "The 'faith' of Mark 11:23f. is a faith that prays. . . . Prayer is the source of its ability, and the ways of its strength — God's omnipotence is its sole assurance, and God'due south sovereignty its only brake." Jesus elsewhere affirms the unlimited power of prayer to achieve results (Mt 7:7; 18:19; Lk 11:ix).

Marking 11:25

Admittedly the transition betwixt v.24 and v.25 is abrupt (with v.24 speaking of faith, v.25 of forgiveness). Nonetheless there is a connection. To be effective, prayer must be offered in religion — faith in the all-powerful God, who works miracles. Just it must be offered in the spirit of forgiveness. Faith and the willingness to forgive are the two conditions of efficacious prayer. Matthew omits this poesy, perhaps considering of the abrupt change in field of study or because he has provided a parallel proverb in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 6:14), immediately following the Lord'south Prayer.

Mark 11:26

This verse does not occur in the NIV or about other modern versions considering information technology is not constitute in the best and almost ancient MSS of the NT. It represents an insertion from Matthew six:15.

EXPOSITOR'South BIBLE COMMENTARY – REVISED

Expositor's Bible Commentary Revised Edition Jesus curse fig tree

In 2012, Zondervan released an update to the Expositor's Bible Commentary. The Expositor'south Bible Commentary – Revised Series at present includes the work of 56 unlike authors – xxx of whom are new. Scholarly and accessible, EBC-R reflects the best work from world-course scholars including D. A. Carson, George Guthrie, John Walton, and Andreas Köstenberger. This serial contains xiii volumes.

Take a look inside the Expositor'south Bible Commentary or see which version is best for you. And so, add together information technology to your Olive Tree library and start learning!