Why did Jesus curse a fig tree out of season?
The Devotional Answer
The devotional answer is that Jesus used the fig tree as a visual prophecy—a living illustration of the spiritual danger of looking good on the outside while being empty on the inside. The fig tree was full of leaves, signifying a promise of fruit, but it was barren. Jesus was not acting out of personal frustration or hunger; He was acting as the Divine Judge (Question 83), pronouncing judgment on spiritual hypocrisy.
The lesson for you is profound: God looks past our religious appearances ("leaves") and seeks genuine spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, etc.—Galatians 5:22-23). The curse serves as a strong warning against having a show of faith without the substance of a transformed life.
The Simple Answer
The cursing of the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22 and Mark 11:12-25) was a symbolic action—an acted-out prophecy—that was done on purpose to teach a profound spiritual truth.
The Context: Jesus cursed the fig tree right before and right after He cleansed the Temple (Question 83). The fig tree incident and the Temple cleansing are two parts of the same message: Judgment is coming upon the outwardly religious but inwardly corrupt leaders of Israel.
The Tree's Failure: A fig tree that produces leaves early (before the summer season) usually produces edible early figs. The presence of leaves promised food. Since it had leaves but no fruit, it was deceiving.
Israel's Failure: The Temple leaders had all the outward signs of religion (ceremonies, sacrifices, Question 92) but lacked the essential "fruit" of justice, mercy, and true worship. They were deceiving God and the people.
Jesus cursed the deceptive tree as a foreshadowing of the coming judgment and ruin of the Temple system.
The Deeper Dive
The fact that the tree was "out of season for figs" (Mark 11:13) is a critical detail that actually strengthens the symbolic meaning.
1. The Purpose of the Timing
In Israel, if a fig tree produced early leaves, it was expected to also have a small, edible fruit called the taqqish or breba fig, which grew near the leaves. This fruit was a sign that the main harvest was coming later.
The tree had the early leaves (the show of being ready).
It had no early fruit (the substance was missing).
Jesus knew it was out of season for the main harvest, but He sought the early fruit. The tree, therefore, falsely advertised its readiness. Jesus cursed it not for a lack of the main harvest, but for its deceptive barrenness during a time when some fruit was expected.
2. The Link to the Temple Cleansing
The cursing of the fig tree is often viewed as a prophetic sandwich with the Temple cleansing in the middle:
Beginning (The Fig Tree Cursed): Judgment on outward show without inward reality.
Middle (The Temple Cleansed): Judgment on the corrupt religious system that was barren of true worship and justice (Question 80).
End (The Fig Tree Withered): The visible result of God's judgment and the consequence of spiritual barrenness.
The entire event was a powerful, non-verbal sermon that the authority of the Old Covenant system (represented by the Temple and the barren fig tree, a symbol of Israel, Hosea 9:10) was coming to an end.
3. The Lesson for Disciples
The apostles were amazed by the visible result—the tree withered instantly. Jesus used this miracle to pivot the focus back to faith and prayer (Matthew 21:21-22). The lesson was: If God has the power to destroy a fruitless system, He has the power to move mountains (or answer prayers) for those who do bear spiritual fruit.
God's Assurance
God assures you that His patience is vast, but His desire for genuine, heartfelt faith is absolute. He wants to see the fruit of the Spirit in your life.
"This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." — John 15:8 (NIV)
You are assured that Jesus' power, demonstrated in cursing the tree, is the same power He uses to cultivate and help you produce fruit in abundance.
Your Takeaway Thought
Do not try to find a personal food motive in Jesus' action. See the fig tree as a mirror: Am I a tree full of leaves, but empty of fruit? Your spiritual life is not measured by how much you look like a Christian, but by how much your life actually reflects the character and love of Christ. Strive for genuine, abundant fruitfulness.
