177. The Curse of the Fig Tree and a Word on This Occasion. Mt. 21:18–20; Mk. 11:12–14

In the morning as they were returning from Bethany, the Lord Jesus became hungry. Seeing from a distance a fig tree covered with leaves, he went to it to see whether he could find anything on it. But when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it: “Never again shall anyone eat fruit from you,” and his disciples heard it. And the fig tree withered at once.

When the disciples saw this, they were amazed and said: “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” But the Lord Jesus said to them in reply: “Truly, I say to you: if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Rise up and throw yourself into the sea,’ it will happen. And everything that you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”