The Poor Fig Tree

Matthew 21:14-22
14) And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15) But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant; 16) and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, `Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast brought perfect praise'?" 17) And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. 18) In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry. 19) And seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once. 20) When the disciples saw it they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?" 21) And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and never doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will be done. 22) And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

Moral: Hunger takes away a man’s reason. Even Jesus, the epitome of mercy cursed the fig tree that was unable to satisfy his hunger; rather than commanding it to bear fruit at once.