“12 The next day when they came out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 After seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, He went to find out if there was anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples heard it.”

“20 Early in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 21 Then Peter remembered and said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that You cursed is withered.”

22 Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God. 23 I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for — believe that you have received them, and you will have them. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing. [26 But if you don’t forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your wrongdoing.]””

Mark 11:12-14; 20-26

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Here we find the only destructive miracle in the Gospels. This cursed fig tree, that should have borne at least some edible buds, was entirely fruitless. Fig trees have been symbols of Israel throughout different eras in the Old Testament, specifically within the prophets. And yet again, this fruitless fig tree stands as a witness against the nation. 

Looking back to the beginning of the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 14, we see that God intended for Israel to be a blessing to the nations. They would serve God and in turn bear witness to the Gentile nations, teaching them and blessing them in His Name. But they became a group of navel-gazers, looking inward and neglecting those nations and peoples whom they had been tasked with serving. 

Just like the priests in the tabernacle and temple were meant to serve in the presence of God and bear witness to Israel through their ministry and teaching, Israel was meant to bear fruit for the nations in the same way. But here, they stand fruitless, and so stand cursed. 

And so Jesus shows His disciples that faith is simply a matter of sincere belief and truthful expectation. It’s not a ritual to play out or something you are born into. Faith is an active, intentional thing. We trust God in faith and then move in that faith. Fruit comes from an active faith. The fruitless life is obviously, then, unacceptable. 

As we GoLove people in Jesus’ Name, we must understand that it is to be done in, through and with faith. Faith in God, in His calling on us, in the works He desires to do in and through us, all this must be acted upon so that fruit is born for Him and for the Kingdom.  It is not an option to be fruitless in our lives, fruitlessness does not honor Him or draw people to Him. Faith bears fruit for God, not out of obligation or ritual, but out of love and thanksgiving.