The cursing of the fig tree was an acted parable. That barren tree, flaunting its pretentious foliage in the very face of Christ, was a symbol of the Jewish nation. The Saviour desired to make plain to His disciples the cause and the certainty of Israel's doom. For this purpose He invested the tree with moral qualities, and made it the expositor of divine truth. The Jews stood forth distinct from all other nations, professing 583 allegiance to God. They had been specially favored by Him, and they laid claim to righteousness above every other people. But they were corrupted by the love of the world and the greed of gain. They boasted of their knowledge, but they were ignorant of the requirements of God, and were full of hypocrisy. Like the barren tree, they spread their pretentious branches aloft, luxuriant in appearance, and beautiful to the eye, but they yielded "nothing but leaves." The Jewish religion, with its magnificent temple, its sacred altars, its mitered priests and impressive ceremonies, was indeed fair in outward appearance, but humility, love, and benevolence were lacking.

Forbandelsen af figentræet var en lignelse, der blev udført i handling. Det golde træ, der stillede sit pralende løv til skue lige over for Jesus, var et billede på jødefolket. Frelseren ønskede at give sine disciple et tydeligt billede på årsagen til og visheden om Israels fordømmelse. Af denne grund tildelte han træet moralske egenskaber og gjorde det til tolk for den guddommelige sandhed. Jøderne udskilte sig tydeligt fra alle andre folkeslag ved at hævde deres troskab mod Gud. De var blevet særligt udvalgt af ham, og de gjorde fordring på at være retfærdige frem for alle andre folk. Men de var blevet fordærvede ved deres kærlighed til verden og deres pengebegærlighed. De pralede af deres viden, men de var uvidende om Guds krav, og de var fulde af hykleri. Ligesom det golde træ spredte de deres pralende grene ud, overdådige at skue og skønne for øjet, men de ydede "ikke andet end blade". Den jødiske religion med sit pragtfulde tempel, sine hellige altre, sine hovedbind prydede præster og sine imponerende ceremonier var i sandhed skøn i det ydre, men der manglede ydmyghed, kærlighed og velvilje mod andre.