Why Does Jesus Curse the Fig Tree?

red breba fig from Lebanon

Today's gospel (Mark 11) has one of those confusing events that always make me scratch my head? Jesus is walking along the road with the apostles and he's hungry. He sees a fig tree growing by the wayside and goes over to look for figs but the tree has none because, as the gospel tells us, "it was not the time for figs." Jesus curses the tree and the next day when He and apostles are returning to Jerusalem, Peter observes that the tree has withered and died.

Now, I think the immediate reaction of many Catholics hearing that today is, "That's not fair. Why should the fig tree be expected to have figs out of season?"