“Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;
“And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.” (Doctrine and Covenants 78: 17–18)
In The Chosen, Jesus explains the destruction of the fig tree (and its leaves) as a symbolic lesson to his disciples, connecting it to the spiritual state of Israel, specifically its leaders and the Temple.
Here's how Jesus, in line with the narrative presented in The Chosen (and based on biblical interpretations of the event), explains the fig tree incident:
Symbol of Fruitlessness: The fig tree with its abundant leaves but no fruit, despite the appearance of health, represents those who outwardly seem religious but lack genuine spiritual fruit (righteousness, justice, faith, good works).
Connecting to the Temple: Jesus links the fig tree's barrenness to the state of the Temple in Jerusalem, emphasizing the corruption and lack of true spiritual devotion within its walls and amongst the religious leaders. Just as the Temple should be a place of prayer for all nations but has become a "den of robbers" (den of robbers), the fig tree's leaves represent an outward show without inner substance.
Prophetic Judgment: The fig tree's withering serves as a prophetic act, foreshadowing the coming judgment on Israel and the destruction of the Temple due to their spiritual barrenness and rejection of Jesus' message.
Individual Application: The lesson extends beyond the Jewish nation and applies to individuals as well. Bearing spiritual fruit is essential for all who claim to follow God. Those who only have outward appearances of religiosity but no real change of heart will face judgment.
In short, in The Chosen, the fig leaf incident becomes a powerful object lesson from Jesus, serving as a symbolic representation of a deceptive appearance of faith without the accompanying fruit of genuine spiritual life.
There’s the key! In the Lord’s own words, charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God! Brothers and sisters, we can do this! Our confidence can truly wax strong in the presence of God, right now!
