It Wasn't the Season for Figs

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area.
He looked around at everything and since it was already late,
went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.
Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went over to see if he could find anything on it.
When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs.
And he said to it in reply, "May no one ever eat of your fruit again!"
And his disciples heard it.
They came to Jerusalem,
and on entering the temple area
he began to drive out those selling and buying there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves.
He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.
Then he taught them saying, "Is it not written:
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples?
But you have made it a den of thieves."
The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it
and were seeking a way to put him to death,
yet they feared him
because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
When evening came, they went out of the city.
Early in the morning, as they were walking along,
they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look!
The fig tree that you cursed has withered."
Jesus said to them in reply, "Have faith in God.
Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,'
and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen,
it shall be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance,
so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions."


For goodness sakes!  Did someone get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning or what?  First Jesus decides to have himself a nice tasty fig snack.  He goes up to the tree and finds no figs and He curses it!  But hey, it wasn't the right season for figs! Then, maybe because He was hungry he goes into the temple and throws out the money changers.  Who is this Jesus person? 

The two stories are related and you have to know just a little bit about fig trees.  A fig tree will put out its leaves first and then the fruit will appear.  So, from a distance, this tree looked like it should be loaded with some luscious figs for the taking.  You get to the tree and too bad, so sad, no fruit is found, well, it's not the season for figs.  Why then did Jesus curse the fig tree which a short time later was shown to have died?  It was because the tree was advertising that it had fruit when it had none.  The Temple also advertised to the world, "Here is God, here is holiness."   However, once you got into the temple you could smell the animals, you could see the sun glint off of the piles of coins of the money changers, you could see deals being made. So, like the fig tree, the temple was barren of what should have been there. Jesus, therefore, cleansed the temple to make what was advertised to the outside world a reality instead of what they were seeing now. 

We too must bear fruit.  We cannot fake being fruitful for the God of the Universe can neither lie or cover up a lie.  When Jesus wants you to be fruitful it would pay for you to be ready. 

Purgatory is a real place.  Pray for the poor souls there.