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Mark 11

And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,

And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.

And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.

And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

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 Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

And when even was come, he went out of the city.

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.

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

What does Mark 11:14 mean?

Explanation

This verse recounts an event from the Gospel of Mark where Jesus curses a fig tree.

The day before, Jesus had entered Jerusalem, and the next morning, as He returned to the city with His disciples, He felt hungry.

Seeing a fig tree in leaf from a distance, He went to find if it had any fruit.

When He reached the tree, He found it had no figs, only leaves, because it was not the season for figs.

Then Jesus said to the tree, "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever." This action carried a symbolic message beyond the literal event, typically interpreted as a metaphor for spiritual barrenness and the lack of genuine faith or fruitfulness among the people, particularly the religious leaders of Israel.

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Historical Context

During the time of Jesus, the fig tree was a common plant in the region and often used as a symbol in the Hebrew Scriptures.

This event takes place during the week leading up to Jesus' crucifixion.

The historical context of this verse includes the expectations of the Messiah among the Jewish people and the tension between Jesus and the religious leaders of the time.

The cursing of the fig tree is juxtaposed with the cleansing of the temple, which Jesus does shortly after this event, providing a frame for Jesus' criticism of the religious establishment's spiritual emptiness.

Theological Insights

Different theological perspectives offer various insights into this verse:

Traditional Christian view: The fig tree represents Israel, particularly its religious leaders, and their failure to bear spiritual fruit.

The cursing of the tree foretells the coming judgment upon Jerusalem for its rejection of Jesus as the Messiah.

Allegorical interpretation: Some see it as an allegory for the believer's life, encouraging Christians to bear spiritual fruit in keeping with their faith.
Literalist view: This view takes the event at face value, seeing it as a literal demonstration of Jesus' divine authority over creation.

Practical Applications

From this verse, people might draw lessons about the importance of spiritual fruitfulness.

Believers are encouraged to not just have the appearance of faith but also produce actions and qualities that reflect their beliefs.

It serves as a warning against hypocrisy and complacency in one's spiritual life, emphasizing genuine faith that results in a life transformed.

Cross-References

Matthew 21:19-21: A parallel account of the cursing of the fig tree, emphasizing faith and the power of prayer.
Jeremiah 8:13: God uses the fig tree as a symbol of judgment against Israel for their sins.
Luke 13:6-9: The parable of the barren fig tree, which also touches on the theme of spiritual fruitlessness and the looming judgment.

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek text of this verse include:

"answered": ἀποκρίνομαι (apokrinomai), often used in the New Testament when Jesus responds, not just when questioned, but also in reaction to situations.
"cursed": καταρᾶσθαι (kataraomai), which means to curse or to speak ill and in the biblical context often implies divine judgment.
"fruit": καρπός (karpos), which holds both the literal meaning of fruit, such as the produce of the tree, and the figurative sense of the fruits or outcomes of one's life or actions.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In other ancient Near Eastern cultures, trees, including fig trees, often held symbolic meanings.

In many cases, they were associated with fertility and prosperity.

In the Hebrew tradition, the fig tree could symbolize security and peace (1 Kings 4:25), and its cursing here would have been a powerful and disturbing symbol for Jesus' audience, indicating an overturning of peace and blessing.

Scientific Perspectives

From a botanical perspective, the fig tree not having fruit out of season would be normal. The action of Jesus cursing the tree and its subsequent withering could be seen as a miraculous event, as the natural process does not account for such an immediate response to verbal command.

commentaries

Experts' commentaries on Mark 11:14 provide diverse views:

William Lane notes the context of Jesus' prophetic act, which symbolizes God's judgment against the temple authorities.
R.T.

France emphasizes that the cursing of the fig tree is a parabolic act, an external symbol of a spiritual reality.

Craig A.

Evans discusses the symbolic overlap between the fig tree and the temple, suggesting the tree's barrenness reflects the spiritual barrenness of the temple.

Ben Witherington III interprets the event as part of Mark's emphasis on the coming judgment on the temple and the end of its old sacrificial system.

Mark 11

Mark 11

What does Mark 11:14 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 11:14 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?