Synergy of Matthew 21:18-22/Mark 11:12-14,20-24
And on the morrow,
when they were come from Bethany,
he was hungry:
And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves,
he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon:
and when he came to it,
he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
And presently the fig tree withered away.
And when the disciples saw it,
they marveled, saying,
How soon is the fig tree withered away!
And in the morning,
as they passed by,
they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him,
Master,
behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
And Jesus answering saith unto them,
Have faith in God.
Verily I say unto you,
If ye have faith, and doubt not,
ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree,
but also if ye shall say unto this mountain,
Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea;
it shall be done.
Therefore I say unto you,
What things so ever ye desire,
when ye pray, believe that ye receive them,
and ye shall have them.
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Paul Adds - So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV
"Christ's act in cursing the fig tree had astonished the disciples. It seemed to them unlike His ways and works.
The cursing of the fig tree was an acted parable. That barren tree, flaunting its pretentious foliage in the very face of Christ, was a
symbol of the Jewish nation. They boasted of their knowledge, but they were ignorant of the requirements of God, and were full of hypocrisy. Like the barren tree, they spread their pretentious branches aloft, luxuriant in appearance, and beautiful to the eye, but they yielded "nothing but leaves." The warning is for all time. Christ's act in cursing the tree which His own power had created stands as a warning to all churches and to all Christians."
Desire of Ages p.582-584 E.G.W.
"Jesus left a naked, withered tree in His wake that day as He made His way toward the fruitless Temple. He was hungry, we are told, when the leaves that disguised the barrenness of the tree caused Him to hope for just a bite of fruit. It was fruitfulness for which He always hungered."
Michael Card
