The Parable that Wasn't

In Mark’s gospel, chapter the eleventh, we read of—and I don’t think there is a name for this—a real life parable. That is, something historical that almost reads like a parable. And that something is the fascinating incident when Jesus curses the fig tree:

¹² On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. (Mark 11:12-14) 

Mark tells that it was not yet time for the figs. Indeed, the event occurs at the time of Passover, about six weeks before actual figs would have been expected. Mark knew this. And I think it is safe to say that Mark was not telling us this agricultural factoid because he was criticizing Jesus for being obtuse. Jesus, a man of the region, would have also known that it was was too early in the season for the picking of mature figs.

Something else is happening.

At this time of year the fig tree, though figless, would have been foliated in all its glory, so to speak, in whatever splendor fig trees achieve. And with the leaves there should have been a small edible fig precursor, the so-called taqsh, the food, appropriately enough, for the peasant, not the rich man.

The absence of any taqsh meant that Jesus would not be served. The master would go hungry, and this infertile tree was destined to bear no fruit, curse or no curse.

You don’t have to be Fellini to imagine the same event rendered, virtually unscathed, as a parable, with the object lesson being this: A man can arraign himself in all the trappings of the faith, but what good is that if he doesn’t even produce the seeds of good works? His faith looks alive, vital even, but the master will examine the situation closely, and when he ascertains the hopelessness for a harvest of fruit, the master will curse and destroy the useless, barren pretender.

Yikes.