Back from a great Christmas weekend, I want to continue with the theme of Christ’s lordship over all things. This is a common theme we see in the Epistles. We are told that Christ was raised above all kings and thrones and powers and dominions and that all earthly kingdoms were placed under his feet. That is, in essence, what the accounts in Matthew and Mark are all about. The importance of this concept is not something that can be overlooked, and it is not something that is only relevant to an ancient community under empirical oppression.

There is another aspect of this account that is equally important if we are going to see the whole picture the authors were painting. If we are looking at it through the lens of the Christian Roman citizen, then we cannot ignore Christ’s statement about the mountain.

The “seven hills of Rome” were seven peaks upon which sat the palaces of the Empire’s rulers. Six circled the borders of the city of Rome, with the seventh - Palatine Hill - sitting square in the middle. Palatine Hill was, as pointed out earlier, the location of the Ficus Ruminalis and the “birthplace of Rome”. So when Christ states that “if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen,” the mountain he is referring to is Palatine Hill.

So when Christ says to his disciples that “if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive,” what he is really saying is that they have the power to topple Rome. He was showing that God had dominion over Rome, and if they asked for Rome to be cast into the sea that God would do so.

So you see, this account wasn’t just the record of some random miracle. It was a message of hope to a people oppressed by a tyrannical empire. Need I remind you what kind of a ruler Nero was?

The thing that bothers me so much is that however horrible Nero may have been, I cannot ignore the fact that we are enslaved and oppressed today by something much worse.

Every day I open my eyes to a world that suffocates anyone who tries to break free. I read my friend’s blog about their struggles with suicide and the paralyzing fear they wrestle with. I talk to another friend who clearly feels the world is tearing them down, no matter how positive they remain. I look at the faces of my friends and see the scars and weathered lines from their fights against the lies of society that are so deeply ingrained within them. Death and destruction are running rampant in our generation, and some days I just don’t know if I can win.

I think perhaps that is why the symbolism of Christ rebuking the fig tree resonates so strongly with me.

It gives me hope.

The frustrating part is that I can’t find a targumic parallel. We have no clearly defined oppressor. The empire that beats down upon us is too ambiguous; the icons of its reign too numerous. I thought of Christ rebuking an ATM, and the ATM busting into flames. Same with a bank, or a movie theater or a television… the problem is the same. They are not as precise and clear as the image of the fig tree.

Nonetheless, we have the truth of history to encourage us.

Whatever may be beating you down - from loneliness to the lies of the consumerist culture, family curses to the American dream - Christ can burn it to the ground. Rome crumbled, despite the prevailing cultural belief that it was the final empire that would rule for the remainder of creation.

This too shall pass, but you cannot do it on your own. Go to your friends, your family, your community. We can only prevail when we unite in love and a fervent pursuit of Christ.

I’ll be back with more tomorrow. In the meantime, rebuke an ATM.