Show Don't Tell: Mark 11:12-14

Instead of saying "Jesus cursed a fig tree," approach the leafy disappointment. The next day, leaving Bethany, Jesus is hungry. In the distance he sees a fig tree in leaf. He goes to find out if it has any fruit. When he reaches it, he finds nothing but leaves—it was not the season for figs. Mark's odd note: it wasn't fig season. So why curse it? "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." His disciples hear him say it. This isn't about hunger or botanical timing. The fig tree represents Israel—leafy with religious activity, fruitless in spiritual reality. The temple looks impressive; it produces nothing. What follows—the temple cleansing—interprets the curse. The disciples will see the result tomorrow. Judgment is coming on the fruitless institution.