The Fault in our Figs

Seeing Jesus’ judgment as directed to our lack of holiness

06/01/2018

Mark 11:11-26 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area. He looked around at everything and, since it was already late, went out to Bethany with the Twelve. The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry. Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs. And he said to it in reply, "May no one ever eat of your fruit again!" And his disciples heard it. They came to Jerusalem, and on entering the temple area he began to drive out those selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area. Then he taught them saying, "Is it not written: My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples? But you have made it a den of thieves." Early in the morning, as they were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered."

It’s amazing how easily hunger can turn into anger, or as some people say these days “hanger” (a conflation of hunger and anger). The funniest commercial depicting the debilitating effect of hunger was for a candy bar. In one commercial, two men are at a party talking to two pretty girls (trying to pick them up). One of the two men looks like Joe Pesci, the sarcastic comedian, prone to violent outbursts. After introducing themselves, Joe Pesci loses his composure and start interrogating the two girls for no apparent reason. Pesci suddenly asks, “What are you looking at?” And not pausing for an answer asks, “What, we’re not good enough for you? What, are you some big supermodels or something? What do you model, gloves?” Then after his friend takes him aside and gives him a candy bar, the man becomes his usual charming self, no longer Joe Pesci. It was a memorable ad about how hunger makes us lose our cool and control to the extent that we’re almost another person.

In Mark 10 it looks like Jesus loses his composure because of hunger and he could use a candy bar to calm down. St. Mark writes: “As they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves; it was not the time for figs. And he said in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!” Jesus suddenly sounded like Joe Pesci because his hunger got the better of him. But is that what’s really going on? Not at all.

First of all, Jesus is not a slave to his passions and bodily appetites, but rather he possesses absolute self-mastery. Remember how he rebuffed the devil’s temptation in the desert not eating for forty days? Jesus can easily fast from figs for one day. Secondly, the fig tree was an ancient symbol for the Chosen People, Israel. Hosea 9:10 prophesied: “Like grapes in the desert, I found Israel; Like the first fruits of the fig tree, its first to ripen, I looked on your ancestors.” But the Jews fell from grace and away from God and the subsequent time for judgment had arrived. Jesus’ judgment on the fig tree was symbolic of God’s greater judgment on Israel. Indeed, that’s why Jesus’ next step is to enter the Temple and drive our the money-changers. The faulty figs represented the faults of the people, hence Jesus’ judgment, not because he was “hangry.”

I think one lesson we can draw out from this scripture is to ask ourselves: are we slaves to our passions, or have we learned some self-mastery? The rich spiritual tradition of the Church offers seven capital sins or vices that perennially plague all people, including me and you: envy, gluttony, greedy, sloth, lust, anger and pride. As a convenient way to remember them, I use the mnemonic device, the acronym that spells “EGG SLAP.” For instance, does greed – a lack of money or financial stability – make you turn into Joe Pesci and behave badly, blaming others? Perhaps gluttony – not satisfying your desire for food – causes you to lash out at people. What about satisfying your sexual appetite, lust? Do you seek solace in illicit sexual activity? Sometimes our bruised ego or our prickly pride prompts us to resort to resentment or revenge. All these indicate a lack of self-mastery and that we are governed by our passions, not like Jesus.

Jesus did not take out his hunger pains on a faulty fig tree. He only condemned the faulty faith of his people. Jesus is also looking for the figs of faithfulness from us, which is evidenced in lives of holiness and humility. We don’t want Jesus to turn into Joe Pesci when he deals with us.

Praised be Jesus Christ!