The Bible's Withering Fig Tree; What's going on here?

Question

Did the tree that Jesus cursed wither immediately or overnight? (Matthew 21:19 and Mark 11:14,20)

*Immediately* (Matthew 21:19) - "Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, "No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered.

*Overnight* (Mark 11:14,20) - "He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening. . .20As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up."

Is this a clear example of man imbuing magic into an ordinary man? Matthew and Mark both claimed to be there and see the same event. Who is lying?

Again, I ask: What's going on here?

The Bible is supposed to be the word of god. If god's word has been collected and put into a book, how can a Christian scramble around and justify this discrepancy? Make LOGICAL sense... don't just try and guess what might've happened, so that your religion doesn't look absolutely ridiculous.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Apparently the God Hates F*** people got it all wrong. God hates figs!

Answer 2

Two different descriptions of the same event. Have you ever asked two people that have been together all day what they did? You will get two different answers that are both completely accurate. Mark doesn't say that it happened over night, he only says that they saw it in the morning. Ever think that the point Mark was trying to make was that it was STILL withered in the morning proving what Christ said to be true? I have a black thumb and kill plants all the time, but they have an amazing ability to bounce back when given what they need. Perhaps Mark was pointing out that the tree hadn't recovered by morning. How long did you have to look to find that one? Do you really think that that weak of a point would make someone question the truth of the Bible?

Answer 3

What is going on here is humanity, sorry we are all human and perceive and notice things a bit differently than the human beside us.

What more than likely happened, as I was not there, is that one of the apostles wrote that he saw the tree dry up as they were standing there. Another apostle did not notice that the tree dried up until the next day.

We all have our attention diverted to different things going on simutaneously, there is nothing sinister or strange to find that two humans viewed or witnessed the same event and came away with two different perceptions of what happened, but both agreed that the tree withered up and died. The only matter up in the air is when each of them noticed that it happened.

Answer 4

Maybe Luke has the most authentic version and the other dudes twisted it around? It could be a famous parable that Jesus once repeated and Mark & Matt transposed Jesus into the parable?

From Luke 13

And he told them this parable: "There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, 'For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?' He said to him in reply, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.'"

Answer 5

It would have stayed withered overnight. This doesn't necessarily contradict.

The weird thing about this is that supposedly perfect Jesus is showing some very human emotions, and taking them out on an innocent tree.

Answer 6

Of all Jesus' teachings, i've got observed that this one is the main misunderstood. with a view to appreciate it, you may desire to be attentive to with reference to the fruiting cycle of the Sycamore Fig tree, it somewhat is the form of fig Jesus cursed. remember, this tale surpassed off in basic terms ahead of Passover. presently till now that area of the twelve months rolls around in the midsection East, the Sycamore Fig places out leaves and small, fit to be eaten fruit-like knobs that are actually not real figs. generally, the unfavourable and visitors could %. and consume those "pre-figs;" in fact, they are nonetheless eaten right now. Later, the bigger ones that we predict of of as figs emerge from a diverse area of the tree. yet right here is the clincher: if a Sycamore Fig would not have those "pre-figs" alongside with the 1st leaves, then it won't produce ANY real figs later in the season. consequently, the tree is not any stable, by using fact it produces no fruit. And a tree that produces no fruit is barely stable for burning. while Jesus cursed the fig tree, He became into demonstrating an unstated parable to the Jewish people who have been rejecting Him. The fig tree is an historic image of the land of Israel, and as a consequence the Jewish people. yet while their Messiah looked, the rustic as an entire lacked the end results of repentance (Matthew 3:8) -- the "pre-figs" -- and so as that they rejected Him. (by using fact of this Jesus later stated at Matt. 21:40 3 that "consequently I say to you, the dominion of God would be taken from you and given to a rustic bearing the end results of it" -- which ability the Gentiles, who could submit to the fruit of repentance and faith in the path of the tip of the Church Age.) So, by utilising cursing the tree, Jesus became into symbolically condemning the Jewish people by using fact of their loss of repentance for his or her sins, which will desire to have lead them to joyfully settle for Him as Messiah -- producing the "later figs," or real fruit of religion. yet it quite is to not say that God will constantly conceal His face from the Jewish people, as He did while they rejected Him (Isaiah fifty 9:2; Ezekiel 39:23, 24 & 29; & Micah 3:4). sooner or later, in basic terms ahead of the commencing up of the Tribulation, there'll start up an surprising nationwide, non secular regeneration of the Jewish people, and God will returned call them His people.

Answer 7

Clearly Jesus wasn't much of an environmentalist.

I think that Matthew probably heard about the story from Mark who heard about it from John who claimed in Revelations that Jesus would return before his death, then died.

Answer 8

Jesus is showing His anger at religion without substance.

Answer 9

probably both .. they probably saw it immediately and the next morning to ..