Synopsis: The whole point of Great and Holy week is to prepare us to fully understand and live in the resurrection – not just during the approaching Pascha, but in all of our life. We must listen to the Gospels and hymns with this objective. In Great Monday Matins, the Gospel contains the story of the fig tree that withered; this very short homily explains the spiritual meaning of this passage. The more obvious teaching of this action of our Lord is that we must bear fruit – growing in the virtues and holiness – or else we will wither away. There is much more: the season in which the Lord cursed the fig tree allows us no excuses for our lack of fruit, and we learn that faith is built upon obedience and the bearing of fruit.
"O brethren, let us fear the punishment of the fig tree, / withered because it was unfruitful; / and let us bring worthy fruits of repentance unto Christ, // who grants us His great mercy." (Great Monday Matins, Aposticha, T8)
More homilies on Holy Week are HERE
Matthew 21:18-43 18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, 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. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. 23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. 33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 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.
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Father, Bless,
(I posted this as a comment on your Facebook link to this and then decided that it might be better to post here.):
Thank you very much, Father, for a timely reminder. I always read this story in conjunction with the parable in Luke 13 where the Master comes to cut down the unfruitful fig tree and the steward pleads on behalf of the tree and asks to be given the time and chance to prune and fertilize the tree to see if he can get it to bear fruit. I know I cannot bear fruit without the help of the intercessors that God has placed in my Path to be the stewards of my soul. The story of the cursed fig tree is frightening. On my own I cannot bear fruit even in season, much less out of season and under adverse conditions. This other story of a barren fig tree given help and more time to bear fruit is a great comfort to me. I am thankful beyond words for the Lord's mercy and provision of grace through intercession.
Pray for,
Deborah