Cursing the Fig Tree

And on the next day, when they had come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if perhaps he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of you hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it. 
(Mark 11:12-14 KJ2000).

This incident provokes a simple question: Why? Why would Jesus curse this tree for its failure to provide figs—which were not in season? There are some interesting answers:

The power of God

Remember that Jesus has, up to this point, cursed no one. He's pronounced much woe upon the hypocrites, for they pretend to be the agents of God when they are not. But up to this point he has never pronounced doom upon anything else. You can almost hear some theologian arguing, then, that only the hypocrites will go to hell—for Jesus never actually did anything to anyone else. By this simple act, Jesus saved us from a great deal of poor theology.

It is fitting, however, that the act was performed not upon a man, nor even an animal (used in the Old Testament as a sacrifice), but a plant. In his first coming, our Lord came to seek and save the lost, and it is his Father's will that none should perish.

The disciples' faith

Jesus is proceeding to his death. It is important for the disciples to know that he has the power to crush those who would crucify him. It is also important that they know he is capable of the willpower to crush and destroy such evil. Knowing this, no other conclusion is possible: Jesus went to the Cross willingly, in order to make atonement for our sins.

Symbolism

Perhaps the most significant way to see this is symbolically. Jeremiah made the fig the symbol of the nation of Israel (Jeremiah 24). We know that Adam and Eve made coverings of fig leaves to hide their sin. So if we see the fig tree as the nation of Israel, and the leaves as covering for sin—we should expect to see figs, the fruit of the tree. Fruit is often used by Jesus as a metaphor for righteousness. Jesus is telling the disciples that the nation of Israel will soon be withered and gone, for it failed to produce righteous fruit.

Know this, then: our Lord wants all to repent and be saved. But if we will not, he has both the power and will to destroy. He is patient for a time, waiting for us to repent. But his patience will end. Will we show the fruit of righteousness by then?