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"Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" "Have faith in God," Jesus
answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw
yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he
says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask
for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." -- Mark
11:12-14, 20-24.

In verse 14 Mark makes a POINT of explaining that the Messiah's disciples
actually heard Him curse the fig tree, the implication being that Yeshua did not
necessarily intend for those with Him to hear or understand what He was doing. When
Peter brought the event to the Messiah's attention the next day, as they were passing by
the scene, Yeshua gave an explanation that, in retrospect, could not have really satisfied
the disciples. Why?

The cursing of this particular fig tree has baffled theologians down through the
centuries. In fact, Mark even said that "it was not the season for figs" (verse 13). On top
of that, we should realize that it was barely time for the tree to have leaves! This event
occurred four days before Yeshua's crucifixion in 30 A.D. and, according to theAid to
Bible Understanding, "Along about February, the first fruit buds appear on the branches
of the previous season and precede the leaves by about two months, SINCE THESE
[THE LEAVES] DO NOT APPEAR UNTIL THE FINAL PART OF APRIL OR IN
MAY." (Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York. 1971. P.580).

A Puzzling Event!

It has puzzled people for centuries why the Messiah was so upset with a fig tree
that BY NATURE should not have had much in the way of leaves, and no figs! Notice
what The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible has to say:

The most difficult passage to interpret is the story of Jesus' cursing the fig tree
(Mark 11:13-14, 20-21; and its parallel in Matt.21:18-21), which seems so OUT
OF CHARACTER. Many explanations have been offered, but without any
permanent solution. That it may have been a dramatic illustration of the parable in
Luke 13:6-9, pointing to the tragic end of those who produce no fruit from their
lives, seems possible. The absence of the early spring green figs (Song of S. 2:13),
which normally precede the leaves and indicate that the tree would bear fruit that
season may have been the basis of the story, though it WOULD NOT EXPLAIN
THE IMPULSIVE ACTION OF JESUS. Perhaps the story was originally
intended as an apocalyptic symbol. That the original context and meaning of the
story HAVE BEEN OBSCURED OR LOST is clear. -- Abingdon Press, N.Y. &
Nashville. 1962. P.267.

Harper's Bible Dictionary advances this theory:

A fig tree that failed to bear figs was cursed by Jesus (Matt.21:18-19) PERHAPS
as a metaphor for the destruction of the Temple that similarly failed to bear proper