“The fig tree withered at once”
Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. 'May you never bear fruit again!' He said. And immediately the tree withered. (Matthew 21:18–19 BSB)
What it sounds like today
Jesus losing his temper at a tree: his only destructive miracle, and it looks petty.
The cultural key
The fig tree was a standing symbol of Israel: 'like the first fruit on the fig tree I saw your fathers' (Hosea 9:10); 'no figs on the fig tree' as judgment (Jeremiah 8:13; Micah 7:1). A fig tree in full leaf advertises fruit, since early figs form with the leaves, so leaves without fruit is false advertising. Mark brackets this scene around the temple cleansing (cursed on the way in, found withered on the way out), marking the two events as one statement.
Recovered meaning
An enacted prophecy, in the tradition of Jeremiah smashing pots: the temple establishment is all leaves, impressive foliage without fruit, and its verdict has been pronounced. The tree is a visual aid, not a tantrum.