The Barren Fig Tree (Mark 11:12-14)

Source

Some light was shed on fig trees (which I knew absolutely nothing about) by an article by F.F Bruce in “Hard sayings of the Bible”:

“Was it not unreasonable to curse the tree for being fruitless when, as Mark expressly says, “it was not the season for figs”? The problem is most satisfactorily cleared up in a discussion called “The Barren Fig Tree” published many years ago by W. M. Christie, a Church of Scotland minister in Palestine under the British mandatory regime. He pointed out first the time of year at which the incident is said to have occurred (if, as is probable, Jesus was crucified on April 6th, A.D. 30, the incident occurred during the first days of April). “Now,” wrote Christie, “the facts connected with the fig tree are these. Toward the end of March the leaves begin to appear, and in about a week the foliage coating is complete. Coincident with [this], and sometimes even before, there appears quite a crop of small knobs, not the real figs, but a kind of early forerunner. They grow to the size of green almonds, in which condition they are eaten by peasants and others when hungry. When they come to their own indefinite maturity they drop off." These precursors of the true fig are called taqsh in Palestinian Arabic. Their appearance is a harbinger of the fully formed appearance of the true fig some six weeks later. So, as Mark says, the time for figs had not yet come. But if the leaves appear without any taqsh, that is a sign that there will be no figs. Since Jesus found “nothing but leaves” - leaves without any taqsh- he knew that “it was an absolutely hopeless, fruitless fig tree” and said as much.”

Above: taqsh (picture source)

When I read the above, I suddenly remembered the troubling, recurrent dream that has been bothering me on and off for the past 3 years – until I related it to my husband some weeks back. Somehow, an interpretation of that dream came very naturally to him; I had the peace that God was speaking to the both of us. 

In that dream, I would be pregnant – expecting a baby. The circumstances surrounding the dream always led me to understand that I had been admitted to the labor ward and would be in labor soon. However, laying my hand on my half-swollen belly, I would be never fail to be disturbed, anxious and in disbelief – because the baby never felt like he/she was fully grown and if birthed, could potentially be a severely under-developed baby. I always woke up before “labor” in the dream could begin - feeling to some extent, unsettled.

Hubby felt (with good reasons) that firstly, the dream was not a cautioning for my future pregnancies, but rather a warning from God. We both know that there is a certain vision/burden He has conceived in me for a certain ministry - since my earlier years in med school. However, we both are also aware of certain struggles I have been facing and not enduring too faithfully in the past few years – my attitude and struggles did impede my efforts to nourish the vision and prepare adequately for the birthing of the ministry. If I go on like this, I would be fruitless and under-prepared when the times reach their fulfillment and the assignment has to be taken on.

Secondly, this recurrent dream must then have been also God’s encouragement for me to forget what lies behind and buck up - because He has made me more than an over-comer in the tests/trials I am facing... To abide more faithfully in Jesus, drawing the sap of life from His Vine and growing. The time for figs has not yet come, but it will come. Let my leaves NOT appear without any taqsh anymore - a sign that there will be no figs. Rather, let the taqsh appear amidst my leaves – so that I will not disappoint the Lord.