Cursing The Fig Tree

I would appreciate your thoughts on Mk. 11:12-14. This is the passage where Jesus becomes hungry and looks for fruit on the fig tree, but upon finding no fruit, curses it. Am I supposed to associate the fig tree with Israel?

Q. I would appreciate your thoughts on Mk. 11:12-14. This is the passage where Jesus becomes hungry and looks for fruit on the fig tree, but upon finding no fruit, curses it.

My premise is always that everything Jesus does and says is significant and teaches us something. I’m a little confused about why Jesus would 1. look for fruit on a tree that was out of season (the tree was doing what it was supposed to be doing 2. curse a tree (it didn’t have any mal-intent, and doesn’t it seem out of character for Jesus?) 3. pick only that tree to curse (since I’m assuming all fig trees would have no fruit at that time.

Am I supposed to associate the fig tree with Israel?

A. Mark 11:12-14 describes the Lord’s only negative miracle. Every other one made something better. This one made something worse, so you know it has to be important. Mark 11:1 says they were in Bethpage and Bethany. Bethpage means house of figs and Bethany means house of dates. Being a few days before Passover it was surprising that the tree was in leaf, because fig trees usually don’t get all their leaves until later in the spring. But since there were leaves there should have at least been signs of fruit.

When used figuratively the fig tree symbolizes Israel. Like the fig tree in leaf, Israel exhibited all the signs of life but had born no fruit. There were no figs in the house of figs. Cursing the tree symbolized the fact that Israel would be cursed for failing to bear the fruit of salvation for a hungry world.