11:12–14 With this passage we have the beginning of another example of Mark’s sandwiching of two stories together in order to relate them to each other. In this case, Mark begins the story of the barren fig tree in 11:12–14, interrupting it to relate Jesus’ cleansing of the temple in 11:15–19, and completing the fig tree story in 11:20–26. This means that the incident of the fig tree both interprets the cleansing of the temple and is interpreted by the latter incident. Jesus’ disappointment with the fig tree is like his disappointment with Israel and the temple, her chief shrine. His judgment pronounced upon the tree is like the threat of God’s judgment soon to fall upon the city of Jerusalem, which Jesus’ words and actions in verses 15–19 prefigure.

The cursing of the tree (v. 14) is kno…