Augustine Sokolovski
The first day of Holy Week is called "Holy Monday." The commemoration of the Lord's Passion on the Cross is accompanied by two main themes. These are the betrayal and sale of Joseph by his brothers into Egypt in the Old Testament account of the Book of Genesis, and the curse of the barren fig tree by the Lord Jesus on the eve of His Passion on the Cross in the Gospel.
The story of the fig tree is told in chapter 21 of the Gospel of Matthew, whose 84th passage, verses 18 to 43, is read at Monday matins. The story of the fig tree is found at the very beginning of this long reading and occupies only five verses, from 18 to 22 (Mt 21:18-22). Moreover, the heart of the narrative consists of a single quotation. Seeing a fig tree by the roadside, Jesus approached it and found nothing but leaves. He said to it, "May it never bear fruit again!" "And immediately the fig tree withered away," the Gospel says (Matthew 21:18). It turns out that the story is extremely brief. But it is very difficult to interpret. Throughout the Christian history of humanity, many commentators have addressed this subject.
Of course, the Gospel narrative contains direct moral instructions addressed to everyone. If a person does not bear the fruits of virtue, she or he will be identified with the barren fig tree. The word of divine curse will be pronounced on anyone who does not keep the commandments.
But the story of the fig tree is also found in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 11:12-24). Mark says that "there was nothing on the fig tree except leaves, for it was not yet the time for figs to grow" (11). It turns out that the Lord cursed the fig tree for its lack of fruit, even though the time for fruit had not yet come. Jesus was the son of a carpenter (Matthew 13:55), a man of the people, and grew up in Palestine, so he simply could not have been ignorant of such simple things as the time for figs to bear fruit. This means that, in addition to direct moral instruction, the story also has a completely different, mysterious and profound theological and prophetic significance, linked to the mystery of our salvation.
"I believe in the Lord Jesus, who came down from heaven for us men and for our salvation, and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate," proclaims the Creed. In the Orthodox understanding, the Creed is not only a doctrinal document, but a very important prayer and liturgical praise. The Father of the Church, Saint Ambrose of Milan (339-397), wrote that when a Christian is afraid, he should read the Orthodox Creed aloud. Christian dogmas give strength, they give life. This is why Orthodox Christians invoke the Cross in their prayers, addressing it as a person.
According to the Scriptures, the Lord Jesus is King, High Priest, and Prophet. Like the great prophets of the Old Testament, by His words, and, very importantly, by His gestures and actions, He indicated what, by God's mysterious predestination, was to happen.
The Lord Jesus had no sin in Him and was not to die. By going to the Cross, He took upon Himself the biblical curse, which was not directed at Him, but applied to all those hanging on the tree. "Cursed before God is he who hangs on a tree," writes Deuteronomy (Deut. 21:23). In the Epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul repeats these words, applying them to Jesus (Gal. 3:13). The Old Testament, through the mouth of Moses, and the New Testament, through the words of Paul, referred to the Crucifixion of the Lord and the Wood of the Holy Cross. The Lord was crucified "for us men and for our salvation," says the Creed. He did it voluntarily. It was done once and for all.
According to the Scriptures, the Lord's suffering was voluntary. This is what Scripture, the faith of the Church, and dogma say. Therefore, to correctly understand the saving mystery of our deliverance, accomplished by the Lord, it is necessary to carefully overcome all fatalism in the understanding of this Christian dogma. To save man, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself became a fig tree - a blooming fig tree, full of life and strength.
The enemies of the Lord in the Gospel tried to stop His Messiahship. Indeed, in the pages of the Gospel, we read that long before the triumphant entry into the Holy City, the Jews sought to stone the Lord (John 10:31) and attempted to throw him from the mountaintop (Luke 4:29). This happened several times. They feared the Kingdom he proclaimed. Demanding signs and wonders, they sought to destroy him even before, like the fig tree in the Gospel (cf. Mk 11:13), he could bear fruit, that is, enter Jerusalem and begin his Kingdom. This is another important aspect of the prophecy in the story of the innocent tree.
The Lord entered Jerusalem on a donkey's colt as King and Messiah, welcomed by the People of Israel. This is the great joy of God, the fruit of the labors and deeds of Jesus, and a blessing for all people.
The curse of humanity fell upon Jesus. As the Fathers of the Church said: "The Lord took upon himself all that is ours, healed us and glorified us, but leaving nothing for himself; in return he gave us all that was his.” The Lord Jesus himself made himself a fig tree that accepted the curse so that we might all share in the life-giving fruits of his Passion, his Body and Blood in the Holy Mysteries and his Resurrection. Blessed is the Fig Tree of the Cross.