Daily Devotional For Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Good morning Southside. The Lord is good and He is good all the time. We are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew. Today we come to Matthew 21:18–22: “In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, He was hungry, (19) and He noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then He said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ And immediately the fig tree withered up. (20) The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, ‘How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” (21) Then Jesus told them, ‘I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. (22) You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it” (NLT).
Strange passage don’t you think? Was Jesus hungry or “hangry”? Jesus looks for figs on a fig tree to eat but finds none. Then He cursed the fig tree? Why in light of what Mark 11:13 says, “He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if He could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit” (NLT). Why curse an innocent fig tree when it was not the season for figs? It’s not the fig tree's fault. So, why would Jesus curse it? Matthew shortens this story compared to Mark. Mark’s Gospel lets us know that the fig tree did not wither immediately but over the next 24 hours. Look at Mark 11:20, “The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up” (NLT). So, why did Jesus do this?
In order for us to understand this story, we have to see if there is another one in the Gospels that is similar and there is. There are two. The first is in Matthew 8:28-34– the story of the exorcism of the Gadarene demoniacs with their destruction of the swine. The second involves the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree in Luke 13:6-9. The point of both is unless Israel repents, like the fig tree it will perish. The Gerasene demonic repented, but not the demons in him. A fig tree that never produces figs is basically a dead fig tree. It is worthless and should be cut down. New Testament scholar Bruce B. Barton writes this:
“Fig trees were a popular source of inexpensive food in Israel. In March, the fig trees had small edible buds; in April came the large green leaves. Then in May, the buds would fall off and be replaced by the normal crop of figs. This incident occurred in April, and the green leaves should have indicated the presence of the edible buds that Jesus expected to find on the tree. This tree, however, though full of leaves, had no buds. Fig trees require three years from the time they are planted until they can bear fruit. The absence of buds indicated that the tree would not produce figs that year. The tree looked promising but offered no fruit” (Source; Bruce B. Barton, The Life Application Bible Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 416).
How do we know it is April? We can date the Passover Festival around Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus was crucified on Friday during Passover. So, why curse this fig tree? Jesus was teaching His disciples a lesson. He was angry at religion with no substance. Israel was fruitful in appearance only, but barren spiritually. From a distance, the fig tree looked great but when you got upon it, it was barren. The Temple looked beautiful from a distance but all the sacrifices of all the 250,000 lambs taking place during Passover week were empty and hollow acts of ritualism, not of a relationship that was repenting to God. The Temple, like the fig tree, was beautiful, but it was ready for destruction. We see in the Old Testament God comparing His people to barren fig trees also in Hosea 9:10 and Jeremiah 24:1-8.
Remember, this story comes on the heels of Jesus cleansing the Temple. But there is more to this story than just this. Jesus uses these to teach the eventual destruction of the sacrificial system in the Temple. There are other Scriptures in the Old Testament that picture Israel like a fig tree that produces no figs (see Micah 7:1-6 and Jeremiah 8:13). In 70 AD, Rome totally destroyed the Temple and the sacrificial system stopped. Matthew continues with words that give the disciple of Jesus the hope that God will enable them to do great things beyond their own abilities. Some scholars see Jesus’ words in verses 21-22 as a promise of God enabling disciples of Jesus with power to replace Judaism with Christianity or Christian discipleship. Later, the early church applied these teachings from Jesus as a reference to the total destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.
This should serve as a warning to all who call themselves Christians and/or disciples. If there is no fruit, then one appears like a fig tree with great leaves and you risk coming under the discipline of the Lord. The Apostle Paul warned young Timothy about associating with such false disciples in 2 Timothy 3:5-7. They have the appearance of godliness, but not its power.
Using His typical manner of using metaphors and symbols, Jesus wanted His disciples to know that God would help His disciples accomplish the mission He had given to them to do – make disciples. In verse 21, “mountain” may have been a reference to the Mount of Olives and the sea, would be a reference to the Dead Sea – which could be seen from the top of the Mount of Olives. Jesus was not referring to actual mountains such as Mt. Mitchell. He was referring to the mountain His disciples faced in spreading the Gospel against persecution and martyrdom.
Those prayers in actual faith God would move those mountains to make this possible. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him” (NLT). Maybe if the modern church had more prayers of faith to individually share the Gospel rather than preys of gossip, maybe God would reward us. In John 14:13-14, Jesus reminds us that such prayers must be made in His name – meaning – we ask or pray for what Jesus would.
Reflection Assignment: Would the Lord say your life bears the fruit of discipleship and making disciples? Would and should the Lord treat you as He did the fig tree? By all appearances, do you look like a good church member? By all appearances, do you look like a godly disciple? Since God does not judge by eternal appearances but by the heart ( look at 1 Sam. 16:7), how does He judge your heart and why?
Scripture To Meditate On: John 15:2, “He cuts off every branch of Mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I want to bear fruit. I do not want to be a barren and fruitless disciple. I understand that to bear fruit means I will make disciples. I commit today to that. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly