The Rev. Joe Nassal, priest at Precious Blood Center in Liberty: The context provides a clue. At this point in the Gospel, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem to complete his mission. The cross looms large. He ...

During Lent, one of our Scripture readings at church was the strange little story in the Gospel of Mark about Jesus cursing a fig tree because he didn't find anything there to eat. On the surface, it ...

The context provides a clue. At this point in the Gospel, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem to complete his mission. The cross looms large. He is hungry and sees a fig tree in the distance that is “covered ...

And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found ...

Today’s Gospel gives us insights into how the evangelists crafted their narratives about Jesus. The short reading from Mark reveals his style and vision for how his audience should understand Jesus.

In Luke 13, Jesus tells a parable about a barren fig tree. The tree is planted in a vineyard, which sounds weird, but fig trees were often used as trellises in vineyards. The owner is unhappy because ...

Slip under the shade of a fig tree with me and listen to the unusual way Jesus told one of his future disciples that exciting days were just ahead. “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus told Nathanael in ...

Voices of Faith offers perspectives from religion columnists. This week’s question: What explains Jesus’ impatience with the fig tree? A parable on leadership The Rev. Joe Nassal, priest at Precious ...