Understanding the Written Word of God

[odhiambo]

Sometimes when reading the Bible, I have difficulties understanding what is meant. I thought to start this thread through which I and others with the same problem of course, can share these difficulties as and when we encounter them and hope that others will help us iron them out.
Thank you all.

[odhiambo]

Fully believing in the inerrancy of the Bible, how do we explain Matthew 12: 40
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”
We know that Jesus died on Good Friday and arose on Easter Sunday.
I never really thought about the relationship of the prophet Jonah and Jesus until yesterday.
I have sent the same question to our parish but thought to ask it here as well where i am sure to get a faster reply.

[Patricia]

Interesting, I will wait for an answer to that query.

[martin]

Many events in the old testament prefigured events in the new testament.
Here is the Haydock commentary on Matthew 12: 40

In the whale's belly. [4] The word signifies a great fish, and was not perhaps that which we commonly call a whale. In the prophet Jonas, it is called, a great fish. — Three days and three nights; not three whole days and three nights, but part of three natural days, from which, in common computation, the nights used not to be separated.

We have an instance of this, Esther iv. 16, where the Jews were ordered to fast with her three days, and three nights: and yet (C. v, v. 1) Esther, after part of three days, went to the king. — In the heart of the earth: by which is signified, Christ's descent into hell; as S. Paul says (Ephes. iv. 9.) that he descended into the inferior parts of the earth, and this cannot be understood of the grave only.

 — Jesus Christ expired on the cross about the ninth hour, or 3 p.m. when the general and supernatural darkness that covered the earth, may be counted for the first night, and the light which again appeared, for the term of the first day. V. — As Jonas was a sign to the Ninivites, so is Christ to the Jews; for as he by the prodigy of remaining so long in the fish's belly, and afterwards coming forth alive, gave such authority to his preaching, that the Ninivites were converted; so Christ, by his death and resurrection on the third day, shall shew that he is the true Christ, and this generation shall acknowledge him for the Messias.

[odhiambo]

Thank you martin.

[odhiambo]

The Gospel Reading of last Friday was that According to Saint Mark 11:11-26.
The following is the text from  The Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible.

"And he entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it. And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; and he would not allow any one to carry anything through the temple. And he taught, and said to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers." And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and sought a way to destroy him; for they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city. As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, "Master, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered." And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

[odhiambo]

After reading it, I wondered to myself why Jesus cursed the fig tree. Trees are surely not to blame for not bearing fruit, besides, the Evangelist makes it very clear that “it was not the season for figs”. Why then the curse?
Well, I turned to Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary:  Martin, you quoted from this earlier. It only answered the question partially.
Here is an excerpt:

"Christ knew there was no fruit upon it, and that it was not the season, or a season for figs. See Matthew xxi. 19, what instruction he designed to give his disciples by what he said and did to the fig-tree. (Witham) --- Jesus Christ here curses the barren tree, on account of his disciples, who were present; for as he every where gave instances of his most beneficent will, it was proper he should also give them proofs of his justice and severity. Hence his principal motive for cursing the fig-tree was, not on account of any hunger he then experienced; for it is not probable that Christ should experience so great hunger, and at so early an hour, as these words seem to indicate. (Ven. Bede)"

So Jesus wanted to pass on some message to His disciples. What massage? The commentary does not explain and one is left still searching for answers.
I think I eventually found an answer which I was happy with in another Commentary. Will hang on to it for now in case there are more than one explanations.
How do others understand and explain Jesus cursing of the Fig Tree?

[Patricia]

I have always wondered about the cursed fig tree too. To be cursed by God is a terrible thing, to be forsaken by God. How wonderful to be loved by God and to be forgiven constantly during our lifetime.
Why did Jesus answer the way He did?
Why did He say

And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

Why didn't He just explain why He cursed the fig tree?

[odhiambo]

I have always wondered about the cursed fig tree too. To be cursed by God is a terrible thing, to be forsaken by God. How wonderful to be loved by God and to be forgiven constantly during our lifetime.
Why did Jesus answer the way He did?
Why did He say

And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

Why didn't He just explain why He cursed the fig tree?

That was His way and though we do not understand why we believe that His way is best. Sometimes He spoke literally but other times it was metaphors, analogies, etc. Even the Apostles at times asked for explanations 

[Shin]

I remember a saint relating the mountain to sin.

'According to the Gospel, the person who is simply a man of faith can remove the mountain of his sin through the practice of the virtues (cf. Matt. 17:20), thus freeing himself from his former attachment to the restless gyration of sensible things. If he has the capacity to be a disciple he receives fragments of the loaves of spiritual knowledge from the hands of the Logos and feeds thousands of people (cf. Matt. 14:19-20), demonstrating by his action how the power of the Logos is increased and multiplied by the practice of the virtues. If he also has the strength to be an apostle he cures every disease and infirmity: he casts out demons (cf. Matt. 10:8; Luke 10:17), that is, he banishes the activity of the passions; he heals the sick, through hope restoring a state of devotion to those who have lost it, and through his teaching about judgment stiffening the resolve of those who have been softened by sloth. For, since he has been commanded "to tread on serpents and scorpions" (Luke 10:19), he destroys the beginning and end of sin.'

St. Maximos the Confessor

[odhiambo]

I remember a saint relating the mountain to sin.

'According to the Gospel, the person who is simply a man of faith can remove the mountain of his sin through the practice of the virtues (cf. Matt. 17:20), thus freeing himself from his former attachment to the restless gyration of sensible things. If he has the capacity to be a disciple he receives fragments of the loaves of spiritual knowledge from the hands of the Logos and feeds thousands of people (cf. Matt. 14:19-20), demonstrating by his action how the power of the Logos is increased and multiplied by the practice of the virtues. If he also has the strength to be an apostle he cures every disease and infirmity: he casts out demons (cf. Matt. 10:8; Luke 10:17), that is, he banishes the activity of the passions; he heals the sick, through hope restoring a state of devotion to those who have lost it, and through his teaching about judgment stiffening the resolve of those who have been softened by sloth. For, since he has been commanded "to tread on serpents and scorpions" (Luke 10:19), he destroys the beginning and end of sin.'

St. Maximos the Confessor

I pray the Lord will one day inspire me so I can understand these things. Some reasonings are just too convulated for me to comprehend; too complex for the likes of me.

[Patricia]

The Saints help us understand better. 

[odhiambo]

This is how I have understood the incident where Jesus curses the fig tree.
References :
1:The Collegeville Bible Commentary.
2: Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament Review

Refer to the following Biblical quotations:
"When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.
Hosea 9: 10

I wanted to gather my people, as a farmer gathers a harvest; but they are like a vine with no grapes, like a fig tree with no figs; even the leaves have withered. Therefore, I have allowed outsiders to take over the land.

2: Jeremiah 8: 13

According to Collegeville Bible Commentary, the fig tree was a common Old Testament image for Israel. So Jesus cursing the fig tree was, symbolically, to show His unhappiness with the Jewish people; why? because of their “not bearing the fruit of repentance”. At the same time, the withering and death of the tree was a foreshadow of the catastrophe that was to befall Jerusalem  for the crucifixion of the Messiah.

[Patricia]

Thats very interesting!

[pebbles]

I don't understand everything about the bible.  But I learned that in time, my questions will be answered.  Not that I asked the question...but when I don't understand... I thought, maybe there's a profound meaning to it so I'm not seeing it yet.  Or maybe it's not yet time for me to know.

Your question on the fig trees...funny enough,... it was explained by the priest who presided our first Friday mass at work.  You would wonder why would Jesus curse a fig tree just because it doesn't have fruits, right?  It's not the tree's fault.  The priest explained that with fig trees, depending on the leaves it show, it will tell if it has fruits or not.  And so basically, the fig tree had leaves that shows it's supposed to bear figs...but when Jesus looked, there wasn't any.  It's the same for us.  It is not enough for us to "look" holy...we should bear the fruit of holiness.  We are not to just cloak ourselves with the word "Christian"... we are to live it. To be a witness to it.  And so, that's what will happen...we project to others we are Christians, but Jesus who truly knows us, ... if we are not true to such a belief...well, we'll be cursed. 

Was that any help at all? 

[odhiambo]

I guess that is one way of looking at it.
I rather like the commentaries given above from the Collegeville Bible Commentary and the
 Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament Review.