When we’re young, we’d sit under the wild tropical deciduous broad-leaf fig tree, taking shelter from the sweltering heat of the summer season.
The broad leaves cast a breezy shade in the humid, rainy, insect-infested terrain, as the tiny living beings sprang up in its peak.
The fig tree bears fruit, which we enjoyed as we sat under the leafy tree. The fig tree gives us immense pleasure in its season. It was different from that of the Mediterranean fig tree of Israel, which was mentioned several times in the Bible.
I can recall with gaiety the time when, after three days of my fasting prayer, I found a small fig tree bearing a few fruits, which I gulped down; the taste and joy were different. In the scripture, the fig tree is a prominent symbol of Israel’s spiritual health, national prosperity, and divine favor.
Under the fig tree:
Under the fig tree is often used as a metaphor for longing, meditation, and taking time out to be intimate with the living God. Nathanael, who was later known as Bartholomew, was stunned as he approached Jesus, who said, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. In that solitary place under the fig tree, in meditation, the innermost heart and sincere desire of Nathanael were known to Jesus.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then, Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1:47-50
The fruitless fig tree:
While not every fig tree often bears fruit, a fruit tree is to bear fruit so that it keeps feeding the surrounding community with its needs.
It came as a great shock, as you read, when Jesus cursed the fig tree near the city that did not bear fruit, as Jesus cleaned up the Temple right after the triumphal entry to Jerusalem. It is written:
Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves.
Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately, the tree withered. Matt. 21:18-20 Jesus shows authority over the creation. Matt. 21 The Lord controls over us, and we’re the humble stewards of everything through him.
The cursed fig tree:
With the cursing of the fig tree, the disciples were amazed at how the fig tree withered so quickly. Even the locals won’t understand what happened there. The servant of the living may have big titles, but faith is the inner core of following God.
At another instance, Jesus already saw Nathanael’s heart waiting for him with great faith and affection, although it may not have been known to Philip, he was known to Jesus even before they met. Faith connects us to the living God.
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matt. 21:21-22
Fruit-bearing fig tree:
A fruit tree with only leaves doesn’t serve its purpose. The priests in the Temple who did not maintain the sanctity and authority of the Lord they worshipped were not enough.
In the contemporary world, nominal Christians, with an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through faith, do not have an impact on the community. We did not bear fruit when we did not connect well with our owner.
In the parable of the fig tree, Luke 13:1-8, a man who had planted a fig tree had waited for three years seeking fruit on the tree. However, instead of cutting it down, he still waited for another year, displaying the grace of God. We are to bear fruit as a believer, as we cannot simply occupy space in the garden.
Take a solitary time out, in your ‘under the fig tree space’ to rekindle your thoughts, hope, and faith for the future, and its impact on you and your community.
Pruning the fig tree:
The fig tree must be rooted deeply in the ground to bear fruit. The owner dressed or prune the tree so that bear fruit. The tree, even in the wild, has its owner who is the creator God. in its place it is often under the care of the graceful God where the fig tree often grow much better in its natural habitat.
For Christians, the pruner or vinedressers is Jesus Christ, who in his grace intercedes on our behalf. He is the one who provides the necessary nourishment to help believers grow in him.
The fig tree in the Scripture often symbolizes the church, servant of God, and the individual. No one can simply rely on outward appearances, the post held in the community of believers or Kingdom people to produce inner spiritual fruit.
