Darklighter

Hmmmm.... perhaps it is. Now, spitting on the ground, making a 'clay' and then rubbing that saliva/dirt compound on someones eyes? THAT is insane. Couldn't Jesus have performed the miracle without the theatrics? Did he HAVE to rub mud in the guys eyes?

On the fig tree though, I've heard the story applied to Christians who call themselves such, but don't bear the "fruitage" of having God's spirit. Strange symbology, regardless.

Didymus' take on it is very interesting, however.

No Robots

Now, who hasn't tried to start a car, failed, and screamed, "Fuck you, you useless piece of shit!"--and hoped that it disintegrated into a pile of rust and smoking rubber? Human, all too human.

Solo

Yeah, except in the analogy to the fig tree who would scream abuse at the car knowing it had the engine removed ?

No Robots

Did he know? Did he forget? Did he not give a rat's ass, and just wanted a goddam fig?

Lógos Sokratikós

It was a goddam parable, get over it.

figuer

My last name (my user name being its short form), means "fig tree".

The story was unnerving to me when I was a Christian. I took it as some sort of direct prophecy pertaining my destiny or something.

No Robots

Oh, it is, my friend, it is.

Solo

The mishap is called lapsus memoriae and it happens to all humans. Most laugh it off. To those humans who discover they are gods (or god's elect), and would not give up their phantasms, however, such miscues are extremely aggravating. I have a hunch Mark knew the desert temptations but left them out when he heard the story of Satan creeping up on Jesus by the fig tree in Jerusalem.

Jiri

No Robots

Who knows? Maybe he did laugh it off... later. Some pretty good discussion.

zorq

If people are so eager to believe that the fig tree is symbolic of the Jews, or Isreal, or the Torah, without any evidence, is it not possible that the fig tree was simply something else? If it is true that the Greeks and Romans believed that the fig tree symbolized femininity then isn't it possible that the bible writers believed this too and meant for it to be a more literal symbol.

I propose that the fig tree was symbolic of an actual woman. Jesus was horny and walked a long way to meet a beautiful woman, but she rejected him because she already had a man. The jealous and petulant Jesus then cursed her to never have sex with any man again. We later find out that she dies.

My interpretation is just as likely as any other "symbolic" interpretation of the bible. In fact the bible transcribers would have a really hard time dealing with this portion of the Jesus story and would have good reason to hide the true events behind this "fig tree" nonsense. But then again, my jealous vindictive Jesus fits rather well with the OT god.