The Fig Tree Says Hell No.

My truth is – I don’t know as he is not alive to ask – but I do believe he would stand up against governments and institutions.

There is a problem with Jesus being the example that many seem to hang their beliefs on.

If we start with Leprosy – a chronic, progressive bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. It primarily affects the nerves of the extremities, the skin, the lining of the nose, and the upper respiratory tract.  It’s thought that leprosy spreads through contact with the mucosal secretions of a person with the infection. This usually occurs when a person with leprosy sneezes or coughs. Sound familiar?

“When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.”~Matthew 8:1-3

But was he wearing a mask?

The practice of washing and being clean were well known to the Jewish people of the time which is why the Jesus Birth story starts immediately revealing the contempt of the writers for the leaders of the day.  The birth being announced to shepherds of a saviour being born in a manger was completely against the first century Jewish tradition – shepherds were the outcast of society and animals were not clean. The concept of Baptism in the day was for washing of the body. It was not for the saving of your soul, which has become the tradition of today.

There is a strange fact to notice in the bible. Jesus doesn’t care about hygiene or cleanliness. He cares about righteousness and repeatedly calls out the leaders of the day especially in Matthew 23 when Jesus notes that the Pharisees do not practice what they preach. They love to tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders. They do all their deeds to be seen by others – the original virtue signallers.

A lot of the time in the bible there are these hidden Easter eggs much like the ones that occur in Disney movies.  We may not always see them the first time through but after digging deeper and paying better attention we see them like this story:

“Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.”~Matthew 21:18-19

Is this a story about Jesus being hungry and in a bad mood? No. This is another example where Jesus takes a stand against the establishment.

A couple details about this passage: Jesus is on his way back to the city. At the center of the city is the temple, like in most towns.  The fig tree in first century Jewish culture was a symbol of Jewish spiritual leadership and authority.

Are you with me so far?

Jesus is on his way into the city to the temple where he is going to essentially declare that the temple is irrelevant and on the way in curses a fig tree which is a symbol of Jewish religious establishment. Cursing a fig tree could get you killed because if you go around cursing the symbol of the religious establishment the religious establishment isn’t going to like it.  In a loaded religious, social and political gesture he declares that the whole system is going down because it is turned against God.

So would Jesus wear a mask? Maybe – but he would also willingly die of COVID.

Would he tell you to wear a mask because the Caesar of the day said so? Probably not – but he would be kind.