Matthew 21:18-22--Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

Matthew 21:18-22 English Standard Version (ESV)
LISTEN:  https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Matt.21.18-Matt.21.22
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

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This appears to be a strange story until you understand that the fig tree was one of the national symbols of Israel.  This story is all about Jesus coming to His people what they should have expected Him--they had the prophecies and He had fulfilled them all and shown them all these signs and there just wasn't fruit there.  It looked like it was alive, but it might as well have been dead because it bore no fruit.

Does Jesus' curse mean that no one from Israel should ever be saved again?  No!  We know that's not true because we see that there will be saved Israelites at the end of times.  We actually see that there will be 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes.

I do believe that there will be a time when Jesus comes to inspect the fruit of those who say they are His people, and if they are fruitless as that time then they will be judged.  I can't promise that I have the meaning quite right here, but I know I don't have to worry about it if my faith is real and producing fruit.

The disciples have seen a lot of things during their time but it astonished them that the tree died so quickly.  He then told them that they would do even greater things that would seem impossible--like commanding a mountain to move and throw itself into the sea--if they had only a tiny amount of faith.  This is not a "name it and claim it" verse saying we'll get whatever we want if we ask in faith, but rather that God will be the one to move all obstacles out of our way if we are obeying His commands by faith.  God is not a genie in a bottle that is required to say "your wish is my command."  When we ask for something in prayer, we should be praying according to God's Word and God's revealed will--those are the prayers that we know ill be answered--when our desires become His desires.