Comment: At the end verse 26 is not in the ESV or some other translations. It is a thought expressed in a nearly identical way elsewhere in scripture (eg the Lord’s Prayer!). It certainly is a strong reminder to all of us!
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city.
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Comment: In Jeremiah 8: 13 it says “When I would gather them, declares the LORD, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.” Also in Hosea and Joel the nation of Israel is likened to a fig tree. It seems as if Jesus went across, out of His way to see and curse the fig tree because it wasn’t productive! On His return journey they see the result of His curse/judgement of the tree. I have little doubt that His followers got the point of this enacted parable. Israel was not productive! Jesus uses the opportunity to underline the power of prayer but ties it to being consistent with what we ask for. We cannot ask for forgiveness if we are not prepared to forgive! And maybe v26 was added to emphasize this truth!
‘Gentle Jesus meek and mild’ was the beginning of a children’s hymn which we often used to sing as I was growing up. The problem is that people see weak as a synonym for meek. Jesus certainly wasn’t and isn’t weak! And I offer as my proof what happened between the cursing and the observation of the cursed fig tree! Jesus here reminds me of many of the prophecies of Amos – where we see God in full flight in His dealing with injustice and evil! Fancy Jesus storming in, shouting true truths, and throwing His weight around in the midst of many business men, overthrowing their cash registers releasing their penned up animals declaring loudly and emphatically “Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” ‘Teaching and saying’ can be spoken in such a way that you imagine a weak Jesus shyly whispering His words, but that seems far from the truth to me! Here I see the Royal Presence of the Creator God become a Man speaking in His anger and strength!
Hebrews 12: 28b/29 -and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.
Prayer: I do not belittle Your chastisement or fail to realize how I deserve it O God! But I thank You Father that You treat me as Your child!
As I read it! 