leaves. Since the tree has leaves but no figs it means that it will produce no fruit. The note in verse 13 that it was not the season for figs means that Jesus cannot have expected really to find any ripe figs with which to satisfy his hunger, and that his word in verse 14 is not an impulsive act of pique. Rather, the tree’s leaves promise fruit, but the absence of green fruit means that the tree’s appearance is deceptive. It is this that Jesus uses as a symbol for the temple: it has the appearance