Mark 11:1-25 includes the curious incident of the fig tree. Jesus entered the city, inspected the temple area and left.
He saw a fig tree with a lot of foliage, and inspected it for fruit. There was none, so he cursed it. Later, after clearing the temple area of the money lenders (think tourist trap sales bazaar) the tree was found to be withered from the roots.
Now, is this the case of Jesus showing a hot temper?
Or is this something else?
The best explanation is to look at the context of the fig tree cursing. It is sandwiched around the temple visit and purification story. The two are related. Jesus looked carefully at both. He was disappointed by both, for their lack of fruit. He passed sentence on both.
The fig tree is a sort of parable for the people at worship, or the institution of worship at that time. It appeared to be all leaves (activity) and no fruit (prayer – v. 17, forgiveness – v. 25)
Fresh Read 
I’ve also heard it taught that the cursing of the fig tree was a direct attack on some specific misperception that folks of the time had about the Messiah and that it symbolically repudiated that erroneous belief…ever heard that one?
know any more about it?
I suppose they mean that the fig tree rerpesented Israel’s non-responsiveness to Christ, and thus their rejection. This would be the way Dispensational writers would speak of it.
Yet, is Israel rejected? What of Romans 9-11? We hold that there is a New Covenant, not based on the Law.
I understand that point, but I take it more generally, in that religion (of Israel, or the church or whomever) is measured by fruitfulness.