The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up… Matthew 21:6-10

…In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. Matthew 21:18,19

Devotion:

Even the lowest level government officials of first-century Rome would enter a city in full equestrian splendor, accompanied by a cadre of soldiers, and preceded by a noisy, trumpet-blaring advance team. The residents cowered in fear; some might even cheer, seeking to gain favor.

Contrast that with the image of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey—with no advance team—being received by an adoring crowd who spread palm fronds and lay their cloaks on the ground in front of him. With cries of “Hosanna,” they gave voice to the hope that Jesus was the long-awaited coming King—the Messiah—and implored him to save them. 

Palm fronds were clear and familiar symbols of victory and royalty, and later of martyrdom. We lean into that symbolism every year on Palm Sunday when children parade to the front of the church carrying palm leaves. 

Returning to Jerusalem the morning after his entrance, from Bethany where he was staying, Jesus did something we find puzzling. He walks up to a fig tree—which, according to Mark, wasn’t even in season—and finding only leaves, he curses it with withering finality, “May you never bear fruit again!” Never. This is way more than an I’m-still-ticked-off-at-the-moneychangers-so-I-am-taking-it-out-on-you kind of curse. That must have been one bad fig tree. 

It was bad, worse than we will ever know. From Genesis 3:7, we recall Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves after eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They sought to hide their nakedness and their sin from God and each other. 

Symbolically, the fig tree represents the works-based righteousness that lives in the pharisaical heart of every way we try to cover up and make ourselves right before God—all our busyness, all our religious posturing, all our personal image management, and all our self-righteous efforts to force others into compliance. Jesus makes it crystal clear. The way of works will never bear fruit again. It won’t bear fruit for Israel. It won’t bear fruit for the pharisees. And it won’t bear fruit for us. 

We now move into Holy Week. In a few short days, we will be shown the only thing that does set us right with God in the climax of the Paschal mystery—Christ’s sacrifice conquers death once and for all, and we rise with him into eternal life. As we contemplate the brutal reality of Jesus’ final week, our sad part in the story, and the price he was willing to pay to remove the curse, we rest in humble gratitude. We lay down our palm fronds and our cloaks—and yes, our fig leaves—to join in the cry, “Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 

PRAYER

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We know in Christ Jesus you were reconciling us to yourself, not counting our sins against us. Transform our hearts and minds that we may be able to know, with all the saints, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep your love is, and that we may become ever better ambassadors of your love. 

Skip McKinstry
Crossings Spiritual Formation Team

Skip McKinstry is an artist, graphic designer, long-time CareSeries facilitator, and part of Crossings' nascent spiritual formation team. 

Artwork: “Palm Frond and Withered Fig Leaf” by Skip McKinstry, the artist who created the collection of art featured in our 2023 Lent devotions.

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