Cursing the Fig Tree

I've been spending some time this week with Jesus in his last week on Earth.  I was struck by something.  I was reading about Him cursing the fig tree and I don't think I've ever seen that passage before.  (Matthew 21:18-22).  He went to the fig tree and was hungry, but it had no fruit, so He cursed it!  Now many Bible scholars say this didn't show a temperamental side of Jesus.  Perhaps not, but it was encouraging to me nonetheless.  You see, I tend to forget that Jesus was 100% God AND 100% man.  It's the man part I struggle with.  He faced every temptation I do (in this case, hunger) and didn't sin!!  How amazing is that?  He wanted to do the will of His Father more than anything.  So much so that He asked if the cup (of death) could pass from Him!  But the key to that request was "not my will, but yours be done" meaning the will of God the Father.  

This has me thinking in so many directions it's hard to collect my thoughts enough to write them.  How many times has something unnerved me so badly that I wanted to curse it?  How many times have I actually cursed something? Too many to count, to be sure.  Although I know the passage isn't referring to Jesus just cursing something because His want isn't met, it encourages me to know that God understands me when I feel this way.  

You see, it's very hard for me to see God as loving.  Judgemental, yes.  Sovereign, yes.  Holy, certainly.  But loving, compassionate, gentle - those things are characteristics that I'm still learning about.  But to see this human quality in Him in this scene from His last days on Earth really teaches me that He really does understand!  After all, He created me in His image.  Which means, He understands every emotion I feel.  What a relief!  I can take my emotions to Him and leave them there.  How refreshing.  

Be encouraged, girlfriends and guy-friends!