Monday, August 21: “Curse vs. Woe”

“Curse vs. Woe”

Mark 11: 14 “[Jesus] said to [the fig tree], ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again!’”

Lest we misunderstand, let’s be clear: Although Jesus cursed the fig tree, in His life on earth He never once cursed a fellow human being, no matter how much they might have deserved it. On the contrary, He instructed us to bless those who curse us (Luke 6: 28). Jesus occasionally pronounced woes upon individuals or even entire cities (Matthew 11: 21, Luke 6: 24-26, 11: 42-52), but such pronouncing of woe is a warning, not a condemnation. Further, consider the context of the cursing of the fig tree: the cleansing of the Temple (another warning), faith, and instructions to forgive. Cursing occurs only at the Final Judgement, and even then, belongs only to the Son of Man, reigning as King (Matthew 25: 31-46).