Jesus had come to the fig tree hungry, to find food. So He had come to Israel, hungering to find in them the fruits of righteousness. He had lavished on them His gifts, that they might bear fruit for the blessing of the world. Every opportunity and privilege had been granted them, and in return He sought their sympathy and co-operation in His work of grace. He longed to see in them self-sacrifice and compassion, zeal for God, and a deep yearning of soul for the salvation of their fellow men. Had they kept the law of God, they would have done the same unselfish work that Christ did. But love to God and man was eclipsed by pride and self-sufficiency. They brought ruin upon themselves by refusing to minister to others. The treasures of truth which God had committed to them, they did not give to the world. In the barren tree they might read both their sin and its punishment. Withered beneath the Saviour's curse, standing forth sere and blasted, dried up by the roots, the fig tree showed what the Jewish people would be when the grace of God was removed from them. Refusing to impart blessing, they would no longer receive it. "O Israel," the Lord says, "thou hast destroyed thyself." Hosea 13:9.

Jesus var kommet sulten hen til figentræet for at finde føde. Sådan var han også kommet til Israel, hungrende efter hos dem at finde retfærdighedens frugter. Han havde ødslet sine gaver på dem, for at de skulle bære frugt til velsignelse for verden. Enhver mulighed og ethvert fortrin var blevet skænket dem, og til gengæld søgte han at få dem til at deltage og medvirke i sit nådesværk. Han længtes efter at se dem opfyldt af selvopofrelse og medlidenhed, nidkærhed for Gud og en inderlig sjælens higen efter deres medmenneskers frelse. Hvis de havde holdt Guds lov, ville de have udrettet det samme uselviske arbejde som Kristus; men kærligheden til Gud og mennesker var fordunklet ved stolthed og selvtilfredshed. De bragte ødelæggelse over sig selv ved at nægte at tjene andre. De sandhedens skatte, som Gud havde overgivet dem, gav de ikke videre til verden. I det golde træ kunne de lære både om deres synd og dens straf. Visnet under Frelserens forbandelse viste figentræet, som det stod der, afsvedet og udtørret lige fra roden, hvad der ville blive af jødefolket, når Guds nåde blev taget fra dem. Fordi de nægtede at tage imod velsignelsen, ville de ikke mere få den. "Når ulykken kommer, Israel," siger Herren, "hvor mon du da finder hjælp?" Hos. 13,9.