Today we have the strange incident of the fig tree. Jesus was leaving Bethany for nearby Jerusalem and was hungry. He went up to a fig tree looking for fruit to eat, even though it was not the time of year for figs. Jesus then cursed the tree. Why curse a tree for not having what it could not have at that time? In the evening on their way back, the disciples saw the fig tree all withered. The fig tree without fruit represents those people among the Jews who rejected Jesus. When he came to them looking for faith in his message, he found nothing. They had closed their minds and withered up. There was a total failure on the part of many people to see the presence and power of God working through Jesus. So Jesus urges his own disciples to develop real faith, a real trust and insight into God's presence all round them, to see God in all the people and situations of their lives. To those with true faith, Jesus says, just anything is possible. It is an essential condition for prayer. Let us pray today for that kind of faith. A faith that produces much fruit. A faith that generates harmony and togetherness especially during this time of Lent.