The Fig Tree Cursed

The Jewish leadership — the priests, the scribes, the Pharisees, and the Sanhedrin — have all rejected Jesus, despite all the myriad proofs He has given. Under them, the worship of God, as given in the OT, has been twisted to their own personal ends. The Temple has been turned into a money-making religious scheme. The fig tree in this passage is not just a tree, and its cursing is not just the irritation of a hungry man. Rather, this story represents God's final curse on Israel. It is Israel who, despite looking fair to the outward eyes, has no real spiritual fruit and is cursed by God, being removed from the privilege of being God's nation and having opportunity to bring forth the rightful worship due to God alone.