Why did JESUS curse the Fig tree?

I would say the entire text and the entire ministry of Jesus would point to my view. As does Gill:

and presently the fig tree withered away: immediately, upon Christ's saying these words, its sap was dried up, it lost its verdure; its leaves were shrivelled and shrunk up, and dropped off, and the whole was blasted. This tree was an emblem of the Jews: Christ being hungry, and very desirous of the salvation of men, came first to them, from whom, on account of their large profession of religion, and great pretensions to holiness, and the many advantages they enjoyed, humanly speaking, much fruit of righteousness might have been expected; but, alas! he found nothing but mere words, empty boasts, an outward show of religion, an external profession, and a bare performance of trifling ceremonies, and oral traditions; wherefore Christ rejected them, and in a little time after, the kingdom of God, the Gospel, was taken away from them, and their temple, city, and nation, entirely destroyed.


Albert Barnes though he dosn't necessarily agree wrote this:

It has been commonly thought that the Saviour performed this miracle to denote the sudden "withering away" or destruction of the Jewish people. They, like the fig-tree, promised fair. That was full of leaves, and they full of professions. Yet both were equally barren; and as that was destroyed, so they were soon to be.

Now I'm glad you can tell dispies to quit telling us how the fig tree is Israel in this verse:

Mat 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

Hal Lindsey and his ilk have made millions on this verse.

 

An allegory transfers the properties of one thing to another; a parable puts them side by side.

So in an allegory, people or things stand for something else. In a parable, there is a comparison, such as when Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is like....."

There are probably differing views on this.

 

Absolutely. In the same way he curses those whose "faith" bears no fruit.

Jhn 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Jhn 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Jhn 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Jhn 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Jhn 15:5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Jhn 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned.

 

Can someone explain to me how anyone could come to the conclusion that a tree has faith.

 

In many places in the OT the fig tree is symbolic of Israel:

Jeremiah 29:17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.​

But He has also promised to deliever them from the devourer.​

Joel 2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.​

HankD​

 

This may be eisegesis at its worst [or best] but I hold a similar opinion. I am reminded of the following Scripture:

Matthew 21:43. Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Having said that I then checked John Gill who states:

and presently the fig tree withered away: immediately, upon Christ's saying these words, its sap was dried up, it lost its verdure; its leaves were shrivelled and shrunk up, and dropped off, and the whole was blasted. This tree was an emblem of the Jews: Christ being hungry, and very desirous of the salvation of men, came first to them, from whom, on account of their large profession of religion, and great pretensions to holiness, and the many advantages they enjoyed, humanly speaking, much fruit of righteousness might have been expected; but, alas! he found nothing but mere words, empty boasts, an outward show of religion, an external profession, and a bare performance of trifling ceremonies, and oral traditions; wherefore Christ rejected them, and in a little time after, the kingdom of God, the Gospel, was taken away from them, and their temple, city, and nation, entirely destroyed.

Sorry Grasshopper but I posted the above before I read your quote from Gill! Perhaps it wasn't bad eisegesis at all. Not that Gill is the final word but he is usually pretty sound.

 

You guys are all wrong, it's because God hates fig trees, Jesus was just continuing the tradition. Check out psalms 105:33 and hosea 2:12. :tongue3: