What’s the teaching when hungry Jesus curses a fig tree to death 'cos it can’t b

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   ngurecoposted 11 years ago

   What’s the teaching when hungry Jesus curses a fig tree to death 'cos it can’t bear him fruits?
   
   Matthew 21:19

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2. 69

   JMcFarlandposted 11 years ago

   It teaches that god hates figs.  Seriously, though, it has to make you think.  If god exists, and that god created everything and knows everything and Jesus is god -  how did he not know that it wasn't fig season - and how can he get angry at a tree for doing exactly what he designed it to do?

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      pflorence2013posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      What one can't see won't hurt him.

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      Brandon Tartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Know what's worse - giving a daughter away.  Maybe i'll charge my daughter's boyfriend exorbitantly to see if he's serious.  JMcF, are you angry? Did a "xtian" hurt you? I won't. I wish we could talk.  Morality is not spiritual, it's scientific/cold.

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      JMcFarlandposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      many christians hurt me.  That's not why I'm not one, however.

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      renegadetoryposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      He would know it wasn't fig season because he was familiar with the area (being close to Jerusalem) and the tree was not doing what it should do, the figs come before the leaves do, so the tree should have produced fruit, but it did not.

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3. 60

   Brandon Tartposted 11 years ago

   There's reason to like JMcF's answer, as it does not pair well with his omnisciences unless you consider that the season for figs would indicate that the Jewish nation was by then, "able" to receive him.  In other words, not much had changed since the fig leaves were used to cover shamefulness.
   
   Adam and Eve, as the story reads, covered themselves with garments made from fig leaves to hide their nakedness.  The symbolism of nakedness there simply portrays their exposed disobedience.
   
   Not much had changed, as God made animal skins to cover them when they disobeyed.  The season for sin, as concerning Adam and Eve, is contrasted here by Jesus cursing something as he sees fit -- just as they saw fit to behave in undue season, as divine author, he took out a tree in mercy where He also had the divine right to have destroyed the nation.   
   
   Adam and Eve's animal skins were no doubt the first atoning sacrifice, a sacrifice that the Jews preferred to the Word of the Messiah, and his life of atoning knowledge, going so far as a nation to have him killed as an animal - Like the Lamb slain before the foundations of the world.  The Fig Tree's first reference is your primer to understanding this part of the NT. Biblical interpretation means that we have to trace things back historically to understand them from one context to another.
   
   They did not want faith, they wanted to keep on in the Law... Must have been miserable to have to live that neurotically...  think of Seinfeld on Steroids...
   
   Jews, like Adam and Eve, desired to have their Law unto themselves, and keep the Old Covenant because they loved, loved, loved their morality from Moses through the Law.  Jesus is called the New Adam in Romans, and this will also shed light onto the fig tree.  It was the day just before his death on the cross, and a symbolic way of saying what the future of Israel would be -- BAREN.
   
   Looks that way to this day.  Fruitless Fig Tree. 
   
   It's never a season to reject love.  So, cursed is the tree that will not bear fruit to the King.  There is no season to reject such a gift. 
   
   
   Although they are
   only breath, words
   which I command
   are immortal
   
   Sappho
   
   Yes, because words are and will always have come only from that which preceded all... LOGOS  -- and even your breath, Sapphos, makes dirt into dust and dirty souls who suffocate from saying too much, too soon while only living from the breath and the words that gave you yours.

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      JMcFarlandposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      you believe that the law of the old testament was moral?  Are you kidding me?  The reason the jews were continually punished was because the law was impossible to keep.  It's abhorrent.  Whens' the last time you sold your daughter - and for how much?

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      Brandon Tartposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, their is a moral law, judicial, punitive, social, and common cultural law.  The Law is not one to one. Codes  for x y and z.  Sure, there is moral law, and all else.  And, yes, every ounce is imp. to keep. I wasn't kidding/battling. How u been?

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      JMcFarlandposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      been okay...busy.  Tired.  The usual.  I can't consider the old law to be moral.  By definition, if a law is created by which people are punished for even failing to understand it correctly (when they aren't capable of understanding) it's immoral

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   renegadetoryposted 11 years ago

   To understand what the fig tree was doing, you must understand that where Jesus lived it was not the season for figs ( as stated in Scripture).  Jesus was attracted to this particular tree because it had leaves.  Why?  Fig trees bear fruit (the figs) before it produces leaves.  It was unusual that this tree already had leaves since it was not fig season, but when Jesus came up to the tree He saw it had produced no fruit so He cursed it.
   
   Why did He curse it? First of all because He is King (2 days prior He entered Jerusalem on a donkey and received His earthly coronation as King as the people shouted Hosanna) and has authority over His creation.  Secondly, because the fruitless fig tree with its leaves symbolized a pretense of empty religious activity, but lacking the true fruits of salvation.
   
   Jesus several times in the NT talks about fruit such as in Matthew chapter 7 (by their fruits you shall know them) and John 15:5-6 (he who abides in Christ bears much fruit and whoever does not abide in Him is withered and thrown into the fire).
   
   Essentially, Jesus damned (or cursed as it says in Scripture) the nation as fruitless, fitting since they rejected Him as their Lord and Saviour and had Him crucified.

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   getitriteposted 11 years ago

   Cursing a defenseless fig tree, that has no fruit because it is not in season, just shows how much of an ignorant abusive jerk Jesus was, but believers are way too blind to think for themselves, so anything that Jesus does is "perfect"   
   
   Is this really the behavior of a deity?  How utterly absurd!

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      renegadetoryposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Is it not just as ignorant to make judgements based on a passage in the Bible without historical (or geographical ) understanding of the context in which it was written?

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      getitriteposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      renegadetory
      Of course you are going to defend your ridiculous beliefs, while insulting anyone who disagrees with this nonsense.  Your bible was written by very ignorant primitive people. Too bad you can't see that.  You just proved my point.  Thanks

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