As we see things roll toward their fulfillment, we never take our eyes off the promise of the eternal kingdom. God loves to bring sinners to himself. This can happen inside a church too. Jesus cared so much about removing barriers to worship that he lost his life over it. The other day, I explained the parable of the fig tree to a man. In him he has said everything; there will be no other word than this one.” (CCC 65). Maybe he’s cleaning some of us out right now. Cresting the Mount of Olives in Bethany, they saw a citadel built by Herod the Great for refuge in case of war. Mat 24:32 “ Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” Kind of weird, huh? In depth inductive Bible study of Jesus' parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32-44, Mark 13:28-32, and Luke 21:29-33 are good for small group studies. The tribulation ushers in the kingdom. Reproduction of material from this website without written permission, or unlicensed commercial use or 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. All you need is honesty and openness to admit that your Christianity has been a show, and ask him for the real thing. Yet at the same time, none of us knows how much time we have left—so we'd better get moving! All of these signs of the times should give us a certain sense of urgency. Look at verse 23. He can bring you too, no matter how far you are from true worship right now. The fact is, he didn’t really harm the tree at all. All he did was state a truth about it. Well, no, but it’s also not necessary. How about we make a commitment this morning, united together, to never establish any barrier that would keep others from Christ? So we need to understand what Jesus was doing. The Problem 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. God is glorified by the fruit of our efforts for His kingdom, and He expects us to “bear much fruit”. It was like the fig tree—full of leaf but without fruit. 32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. Have you ever felt compelled to get a weight off of your chest. 15 And they came to Jerusalem. 12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. What appeared full of life was actually lifeless. Jesus isn’t putting himself in a genie’s bottle. So he cursed it, saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”, If you think this is a bit odd, you’re not alone. Lewis talked about how fairy stories (and in this case songs) have a way of getting past our “watchful dragons”—those dragons prevent truths from getting through to our heart. It looked alive. The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. He saw a fig tree in leaf, but when he got to it, he saw no figs. We don’t have to set up elaborate trading floors with international exchange rates. EWTN News, Inc. is the world’s largest Catholic news organization, comprised of television, radio, Was Jesus hangry? A quick transfer was made. So God gave us Jesus. No one eats from it again. It wasn’t a big thing, right? A. Showy religion is so boring. What an important lesson for all of Jesus’ followers! There are two kinds of fruit that a fig tree bears. “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” Here’s another object lesson, like the fig tree. And if you look closely, they all have teeth marks. It’s deadness is not a problem Jesus could ignore. Jesus is sitting on the Mount of Olives as he speaks, looking out on the Temple. 28–32). The lesson of the fig tree comes alive every year as I look out my window and think, “dead, dead, dead” and then every spring there comes, “life, life, life.” I know I am forgetting the three barren years of Luke 13, but I am impatient so one season makes me think all is lost. Subscriber Service CenterAlready a subscriber? He’s doing something much better. God’s glory was at stake. Your sin isn’t too big for him. Israel has been represented typologically, in the Old Testament, as a fig tree with both good and bad figs. Notes on John 8:12; John 10:1), we may think of the words as illustrated by a living example.Both time and place make this probable. The beginning and the end help us to understand the middle. How could Jesus raise it up again in three days? We also explore related Bible Verses & Scripture Quotes to further illustrate the meaning and application of this important parable. Pre-figs, as it were. It didn’t happen all at once. Why is he talking about faith and prayer and moving mountains and forgiving? It’s the fulfillment of the prophecy of Malachi 3:1-2. Mass Readings: Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32. Throughout the Old Testament, the fig tree held spiritual value as a symbol for Israel, serving as a metaphor for their standing with God. But that doesn’t have to keep him from coming in and changing your story. He doesn’t care about how you come to him. I wonder if you remember a little interesting thing in verse 11. 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. He was done looking. You get his life of obedience. or school. Empowered with the Holy Spirit, we rejoice that he has given us the mission of cooperating with him in the restoration of the world. He remains pure no matter what we bring to him. How much do we care? As a result, the temple was dead and worthless. “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Andy Gullahorn is a Nashville songwriter. Isaiah 56:7. Jesus stood in the outer court of the temple, the only place Gentiles could go to find God. There is yet another connection between the withering of the fig tree and the quality of faith. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? How did the temple get to this point? User’s Guide to Sunday, Dec. 20, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, User’s Guide to Sunday, Dec. 13, the Third Sunday of Advent, BOOK PICK: ‘Wisdom of the Heart: The Good, the True and the Beautiful at the Center of Us All’. The vineyard owner represents God, the one who rightly expects to see fruit on His tree and who justly decides to destroy it when He finds none. And since we’re already talking about food, this passage comes at us like f a sandwich in three parts: fig tree/temple/fig tree. You get his resurrection life. But we need reality with Jesus, not the appearance of reality with him. Peter pointed it out, and Jesus responded in a really interesting way. Because there was this hypocritical fig tree in Bethany that was going to serve as an object lesson about the hypocritical temple in Jerusalem. “The chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him.”. Do you know what happened to that little church? Introduction 1. fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near As a result, Jesus cursed the fig You get everything Jesus deserves. Then, he was willing to wait another year while the vineyard keeper fertilized the tree before exercising final judgment on the tree. We have a hunger for true worship, but a dead tree doesn’t bear fruit. He is patient and grants us time to change and bear fruit. And thus, the scene is set for next week as we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. We pray and fast for these conversions and also for the Church as a whole, for “before Christ’s second coming, the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 675). Who can endure? Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. In fact, it’s the only time in the Gospels where Jesus uses miraculous power for wounding rather than healing. “Shirts and shoes please.” He took it down, and after church met with the church leaders. Restoring true worship cost nothing less than the life of Jesus. Baptism Makes Us Sons and Daughters of the Father, Becoming Beacons of Light Like the Wise Men, Saying ‘Yes’ Like Mary This Advent, As We Prepare for the Christ Child, Buffalo’s New Bishop Focuses on His Faith as He Addresses the Challenges That Await Him, Scottish Bishop Asks Catholics Worldwide to Join Him in Marian Consecration, Influential German Jesuit Behind Synodal Path Finally Steps Down. He had to confront it. So it wasn’t the season for figs, but the leaves indicated it was the season for these little nubs. Matt 24:29-31says that the events occur “after the tribulation” or “at the end of the tribulation” so we are in a post-tribulation time frame. God loves to revive his people. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors! 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. With constant prayer, frequent sacraments and daily sacrifices, as we lay our lives down again and again, subjecting everything within us to his authority and to his mercy. Let me propose something for us here at Refuge. As we prepare to close the liturgical year, the Church is asking us to remember that we are now in the final days: the days of the New Covenant. What? That’s why I’m thankful for a song like Andy Gullhorn’s “I Haven’t Either.” C.S. For what? But we know the kind of good King he is, don’t we? He is the sacrifice to grant forgiveness. The church had just installed new carpet and new pews. The war is won, the victory promised. There is a framework in the Old Testament in which the words of the Gospel lesson make a bit more sense. We need another way—another tree from which to eat. As soon as the twigs get tender, what is the tree doing? Robert George Discusses Capitol Riots and the Nation's Polarization, The Poison of Polarization: DC Violence Highlights America’s Deep Divisions, Alex Trebek and ‘Jeopardy!’ Have Given Us a Potpourri of Popery Over the Years, After Georgia Senate Setbacks, the Pro-Life Movement Prepares to Play Defense, Confidentiality Dispute Piles Pressure on Cardinal Accused of Mishandling Abuse Cases. Although his retirement was announced last year, Father Hans Langendörfer delayed his departure due to the COVID-19 crisis. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. The temple was the center of life and worship. Posted on Aug 22, 2014 by Darris McNeely Estimated reading time: 9 minutes. Repentance is necessary, and it is possible with God's help. This is something Jesus is willing to fight for, and ultimately, die for. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”. One day, Chuck Smith showed up to find a sign hanging on the door. Why did he do that? What’s going on in Isaiah 56? 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. C.S. Jesus was there in Jerusalem for that very purpose. When they remark to him about its grandeur, Jesus makes a shocking statement: It will all be destroyed (Mark 13:2). What appeared full of life was actually lifeless. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Catholic Church. We have two options: we can make rules to exclude or remove barriers to include. The temple was an amazing place. The place that was meant for finding freedom in God became a place where it was hard to find God. The temple in Jerusalem was much the same. They may even be able to move mountains, though that is arguably a bit of hyperbole on his part. Finally, We look at the parable of the Barren Fig tree in the Bible ~ The Parable is taken from Luke 13:6-9. It was where God dwelt on Earth with man. This is Jesus’ offer to come into your dead religious heart and drive out what doesn’t belong. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. We will have to lay down some of our preferences. The temple was amazing. A few years ago, our youngest son hungry for pears went to the bowl every time he saw it, picked one up, and bit in. Sinners couldn’t get close to God. This event, brought about because of the rejection of their Messiah by the Jews, would definitively close the chapter of the Old Covenant, and it would be the final end of animal sacrifice, fulfilled in the one perfect sacrifice of the cross. It looked okay from a distance. We just have to fail to welcome people, fail to make it easy to find Jesus. On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. This lesson escapes the Twelve, who are more amazed at the speed with which Jesus’ words come true (Matt. That’s the heart of Jesus. They made a profit on the worship of God. b. His leaves never whither and his fruit never fades for those who need it. Whether the Final Judgment will come before our individual judgment or not, the fact remains: Our time is limited. Here’s why that’s so significant. LESSONS OF THE FIG TREE As Jesus and His disciples were traveling from Bethany to Jerusalem the day after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus saw a fig tree having leaves, but upon closer inspection He saw it had no fruit “for it was not the season for figs” (Mark 11:13). You can do a whole study of the meaning of Israel as the fig tree and the purpose of the temple. We know what the temple leaders were really like. If I had my way, my tree never would have made it three years running with no fruit. How does it have any relation to the fig tree and to the temple? In this case, it’s true worship. Hollow religion is actually hard to spot, especially when the focus is turned on ourselves. And now Jesus has shown up. When a church becomes a place where it’s hard to find God, it becomes something other than what God intends. What’s going on? So when they passed by the fig tree again and it had withered away to its roots. And it will be quite a tribulation; the imminent destruction of the Temple would also mean the massacre of a million Jews during the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans. In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus teaches about “those days” after the coming tribulation, days of a darkened sun and a dull moon, falling stars, shaken heavens. And he doesn’t need a fancy temple. Jesus was hungry. Everyone has a chance to meet Jesus. How free we are? Jesus says “learn a lesson from the fig tree.” This does not mean interpret what the fig tree is. It's coming back to life, when the tree is coming back to life; He said you know it is near. To reiterate this moral, Jesus tells the story of the fig tree, the vineyard owner, and the gardener who took care of the vineyard. Where God dwelt on earth. The British pastor Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “every institution tends to become it’s opposite.” The temple became a place where it was hard to find God. What mountain is that? We need only look to the cross to find that truth. He said it shows Jesus as a furious man unable to control his anger, not worthy of the supposed “Son of God.”. We know what the religious authorities did to Jesus and his followers. Throughout the Old Testament, the fig tree held spiritual value as a symbol for Israel, serving as a metaphor for their standing with God. The fig tree symbolizes the deadness of Israel’s worship. But it wasn’t, at least not alive to God. After another long day of back-and-forth with the Pharisees, the disciples leaving the Jerusalem Temple with Jesus marvel at the magnificence of the building. 20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. First, we explore The Summary, Meaning & Moral Lesson of the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree ~ How it applies to our lives today. That’s what Jesus wants for his disciples. Bishop John Keenan will lead a first-of-its-kind Marian consecration in his Diocese of Paisley, Scotland, and invites those across the Atlantic to join him via social media. He had something better. Add to my study list. Copyright © 2020 EWTN News, Inc. All rights reserved. Mark Sandwich Again a. Still, we are given signs, and if we are wise, we will consider them and “learn a lesson from the fig tree” (Mark 13:28), as Christ points out. We have an amazing capacity for self-deception and self-justification. But it wasn’t doing what it was supposed to do. What if they had kept that sign up? They chose not to put up a barrier and God brought the people. On the beach, there were oil deposits. But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The only question remaining is simple: do you want to come? 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. User’s Guide to Sunday, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. How open the kingdom is? He showed us the kind of forgiving heart God has. We have the advantage of hindsight. We will have to let Jesus rule in our church. According to the prophecy of the fig tree, Christ Ahnsahnghong started to preach the gospel as it says, “He is near, right at the door.” As spiritual King David he got baptized at the age of 30, and he started to preach the gospel from 1948 also to fulfill the prophecy of the fig tree. This act of cleansing the temple cost Jesus. Still, we are given signs, and if we are wise, we will consider them and “learn a lesson from the fig tree” (Mark 13:28), as Christ points out. And you don’t even have to deserve it. They were hypocrites. Let’s pick it up in verse 12. The Lesson of the Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31; Luke 21:29-33) 32 Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. SubscribeStart your Register subscription today. Didn’t do anything. Lesson #2: The Master is patient with us. But we can give that up. And from his purity, he makes us clean. She is editor of SpiritualDirection.com and coordinates adult faith formation at her parish in Phoenix, where she lives with her husband and their six children. It will take some heart-searching for us to get to Jesus. And, of course, later on, it would grow ripe figs. The temple was defiled, but Jesus can’t be defiled. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in… “Christ, the Son of God made man, is the Father’s one, perfect and unsurpassable Word. They didn’t know any better. For us, the lesson of the fig tree is that religious profession, rituals, ceremonies, and appearances are not what we will be judged by. Luke 21:31 says when you see all these things happening (in the tribulation), know that the kingdom of God is near. But can’t follow through because you are ashamed? When God comes inside the hollow religious heart of Israel, what happens? Like the fake pears for my son, this passage is a lesson in how to spot the real thing. But the tree didn’t even have that. 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