Are You Bearing Fruit? Matthew 21:18-22

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 

Jesus is on his way back to Jerusalem and he is hungry for breakfast.  I doubt there was a Denny's near by.  

“He was perfectly human and therefore physically hungry, for hunger is a sign of health.” (Morgan)

19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

This is a curious event.  Since we know Jesus is not cursing the tree literally, it must have some deeper meaning.  The issue was that the tree was not doing what it was intended to do.  Most interpret this to mean it was directed at the Jewish people, who were called the Vine of God.  They were God's chosen possession and were supposed to bear fruit.  

Jesus offers a harsh rebuke.  He curses it for not bearing fruit and it withers away. "In this acted-out-parable, Jesus warned of coming judgment upon an unfruitful Israel. It showed God’s disapproval of people who are all leaves and no fruit. “The story is clear and simple, and its point obvious, that what counts is not promise but performance.” (France) 

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

The disciples did not get the purpose of Jesus' acted out parable.  They are focused on the physical nature of what Jesus did not the spiritual nature.  

"They marvelled; not that Christ should curse it, but that it should wither away so soon, and upon his saying what he did; which was a considerable instance of his power and Godhead, all creatures, animate and inanimate, being at his command and disposal." (Gill)

21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.

Now Jesus gets to the punchline.  Jesus focuses on the power he needed to curse the fig tree so that it withered. He likens it to faith and then gives the hyberbole of throwing a mountain into the sea, clearly not meant to be literal.  

22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

“We can only believe for a thing when we are in such union with God that his thought and purpose can freely flow into us, suggesting what we should pray for, and leading us to that point in which there is a perfect sympathy and understanding between us and the divine mind. Faith is always the product of such a frame as this.” (Meyer)

"He told them that any difficulty could be overcome by faith. To remove a mountain denotes the power of surmounting or removing any difficulty. The phrase was so used by the Jews." (Barnes)

As you look at your life would you say you are bearing fruit?  I.e. Doing the things God has called you to do and seeing the results? Where do you need mountain moving faith in your life right now?  What are the next steps you need to take to trust God in this?