Holy Tuesday: Figs and Faith

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. ²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. ²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Mathew 21:18-22 NIV)

After turning over the money changers’ tables, Jesus returned to Bethany, to Lazarus’s home, where he was loved and respected. Early in the morning the next day, Holy Tuesday, he’s walking. He’s returning to Jerusalem, where chief leaders are plotting against him, and he’s hungry. This is the same Jesus who would die on the Cross in just a few days. Yet he’s walking to return to where he’s destined to die. He’s still very much human and still very much committed to his painful future assignment. That is the man an unsuspecting fig tree was about to encounter.

Yes, he was the Savior, but he was also flesh and blood—a hungry and tired man, and hungry and tired are a dangerous combination. “Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered” (Matthew 21:19 NIV). The fig tree’s life was over—immediately—because Jesus had spoken the word in faith (and probably with a bit of irritation because he was hungry).  

Even in his tired state, he taught us a great lesson. Don’t get in the way of a tired and hungry man’s food? No, that wasn’t the lesson, although it’s still true. The lesson was this. When we speak, we must speak in faith to see results. There is power in our mouths, and faith is voice-activated. If we believe and speak what we believe, we will have what we have said.

The disciples were amazed, but Jesus demonstrated patience and explained, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:21-22 NIV). Undoubtedly, the disciples were dumbfounded again, trying to push past their amazement and understand what Jesus said. How can we uproot a mountain and have it go into the sea? Will a tree obey our words? We’re not you, Jesus. It’s easy to identify with the disciples. It seemed unfathomable. We, too, would have stood there scratching our heads in wonder. Yet Joshua told the sun to stand still, and it did—even before Jesus’ example of faith (Joshua 10:13). In this season of the Resurrection, miracles, and remembrance of Holy Week, what situation do you need to speak to in faith? What mountain do you need to command to move? If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer, in Jesus’ name (Matthew 21:22).

Lenita Reeves

Lenita is the senior pastor of Action Chapel Baltimore and Action Chapel North Carolina churches. She is a podcaster, the author of nine books, and an international speaker on a mission to communicate with passion, propel people into their purpose, and teach transformative truth across the globe. Lenita is the founder of PurposeHouse Publishing, PrayerWatch with Pastor Lenita, and creator of the Purpose/full Institute, which helps people discover and hone their divine purpose. She is a former Accenture consultant with college teaching experience, professional instructional design experience, a member of the RAINN speaker’s bureau, and a trained counselor. Lenita is also a Christian International/Bishop Hamon authorized prophetic instructor. She has traveled the globe as a keynote conference speaker in the United States, London, Jamaica, Ghana, Uganda, Haiti, and Kenya. She has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech, a Master of Arts in Dance Education from Ohio State, and an MBA from the University of Maryland, College Park. Sign up to connect, receive more blog posts, and updates on courses, books, and events.