◎Jade Tablet - 06 - 16
◎Vertical Path of Youth - 16
◎Causing a Fig Tree to Wither and Die with Supernatural Power
Jesus withered and killed a fig tree with supernatural power, performing something akin to a curse. This is a scene that would prompt questioning, even for those who are not members of the Jewish religious establishment.
“18 Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!”
Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”
21 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done. 22 All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
23 When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”“
Quoted from World English Bible Matthew 21
Jesus did not explain the good or evil of his ultra-powerful motivation, but asserted that if one believes without doubt, things will be instantly realized with supernatural power. However, one would like to ask what his thoughts are regarding the good or evil of motivation.
Continuation.
“24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.” 27 They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.”
He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 28 But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went. 30 He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.“
Quoted from above book.
This is similar to the ancient Chinese Taoist story of Wei Boyang, who tested his disciples by telling them to drink poison.
Furthermore, Bodhidharma stated, "Those who see the Dharma in things themselves, without relying on the teacher's teachings, are called sharp-witted. Those who obtain answers by following the teacher's teachings are called dull-witted."
Similarly, Shakyamuni described a horse that runs at the shadow of the whip as having superior faculties, and a horse that does not run unless struck by the whip as having inferior faculties.
Jesus's way of explaining this might be considered somewhat unkind from a modern sensibility, but in reality, I believe it is very kind to seekers of the Way.
Continuation.
“33 “Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country. 34 When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit. 35 The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them the same way. 37 But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him. 40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”
41 They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruit in its season.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘The stone which the builders rejected
was made the head of the corner.
This was from the Lord.
It is marvelous in our eyes’?✡
43 “Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.” Quoted from above book.
This is not about those who rest on their laurels of rights, etc. It means that the people of God were once the people of God, but they are not necessarily the people of God forever.
Therefore, in Judaism and Christianity, there is a tradition that the stone rejected by people is placed in the northeast, and after many years, it becomes the foundation of God's indestructible temple.
This is a prophecy that Japan, which was once a northeastern frontier of the world, will become the center of the world.
By the way, I think it was a bit much for Jesus to wither the fig tree.
To do it with supernatural power without using a saw is the practice of a seeker of the Vertical Path.
