The Gospel of Mark
The Fig Tree and the Temple: Mk 11,12-25
The fig tree: 11,12-14
We would expect Jesus to know that it was not the season for figs. Whatever the origins of this incident (I have not investigated), it is best to read these verses as a metaphor: lots of leaves and no fruit. That is was not the season means therefore that there was no repentance (as in 1,14-15).
Both Hosea and Jeremiah indicate how the fig tree like the vine was a symbol of the people of Israel. Hosea (Ho 9,15) indicates that God will drive the people out of his house. We can see a symbolic link between the fig tree and the temple.
The Temple: 11,15-19
Jesus' action in driving out the traders in the Temple is similar to the symbolic actions of the Old Testament prophets. Typically an action is performed (Is 20,1-2) and an explanation follows (Is 20,3-6).
Here, in verses 17, the explanation is a composite quotation from Isaiah and Jeremiah, a positive and a negative. The positive quotation from the last part of Isaiah (written when the people belonged to the Persian Empire) looks forward to the final gathering together of the people at the end of time. Jeremiah by contrast is giving his prophecy just as the Babylonians were encroaching on Jerusalem. In chapter 7, the prophet criticises those who place their reliance simply on the presence of the Temple (Jer 7,4).
Verse 18 gives the first reaction of the leaders since Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. This picks up on the plotting which began in 3,6. It echoes Jesus'own prediction of his rejection in 8,31.
The Jerusalem crowd by contrast is reacting just as the Galilean crowd did earlier (1,22)
Return now for the third part of this scene.
The Fig Tree and Prayer: 11,20-25
The tree in verses 20-21 is not just fruitless (11,14) but thoroughly dead as Peter stressed (verse 21). Just as the Temple itself is dead and will be destroyed (13,2). Yet there is hope for a more fruitful tree to take its place, the fulfilment of the prophecy of restoration of Ezekiel (Ezk 47,1-12).
This leads to Jesus' teaching in verses 20 to 25. This is built up of catch words around faith or believe (verses 22-23 and 24), prayer (verses 24 & 25) and forgiveness (verse 25).
In verse 23, Jesus refers to "this mountain" which could indicate Temple Mount. It is meant to be the house of prayer for all nations as Jesus proclaimed earlier (11,17b)
Verse 24 then connects faith and prayer: prayer requires as unconditional openness to God in faith. It is best shown by Jesus himself (1,35).
The traditional posture for prayer is standing: Solomon (1 Kings 8,22) or the Pharisee (Lk 18,11) and even the publican (Lk 18,13). Western Christianity has become too accustomed to kneeling.
Prayer though also involves our neighbour, hence the further link to forgiveness in verse 25. Echoes here of course of the Lord's Prayer (Mt 6,12).
11,26 is normally omitted because it is not found in the best manuscripts. It may well have been added seeking to highlight the point of verse 25 with more echoes of the Lord's Prayer: "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
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