Matthew 21:19, commentary and pictures

Hungry on the way from Bethany to Jerusalem, he came to a fig tree whose leaves promised fruit, searched it thoroughly from top to bottom, and finding nothing but leaves, not even buds, doomed it to permanent fruitlessness so that it withered almost at once to its roots. The barren tree was impenitent Israel in that generation, a richly favored and outwardly religious nation that consumed privileges without producing what was sought. Its luxuriant leaves were mere profession and outward display — ceremonies, temple service, pride and formalism — concealing the absence of the fruit he hungered for, which is love to God and man shown in self-sacrifice, compassion, mercy, truth and unselfish service. Its withering was its self-chosen ruin, grace withdrawn and left to perish in Jerusalem's destruction, and it stands as an acted parable for every professing church and person to the end of time. Profession with great light brings greater responsibility, so those who bear leaves only are registered as cumberers of the ground, and a life that through long probation produces nothing may at last hear the irrevocable sentence that no fruit grow on it henceforward forever.

Words and Occasion

On the way from Bethany to Jerusalem, being hungry, he came to a fig tree standing in the way. He searched it thoroughly from topmost branch to lowest bough, and its promising, luxuriant leaves gave reason to expect fruit. Yet he found nothing thereon but leaves only, not even buds or blossoms.

He pronounced permanent fruitlessness upon it, that no fruit grow on it henceforward forever. The sentence was spoken with mournful reluctance, yet under the curse of an offended God the tree withered almost immediately, to its roots. It became a seared, withered, blasted tree, left as a symbol of judgment.

The withering is a significant acted parable and object lesson revealing true condition and retribution. It was given for all times and for all nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples, that everyone should heed. It belongs with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which foreshadows his future coming in glory. It shows the Son of God come to draw all men unto him, whose coming brings not peace but a sword, calling his followers to walk in the light of his example and maintain truth in purity at any cost of labor, trial and suffering.

His hunger represented soul-hunger for the fruit his people ought to have supplied to satisfy those he pledged his life to save by grace and righteousness. His diligent search is the earnest seeking with which he still comes to every professed follower looking for fruit to reward his search. That earnestness was seen in his unremitting labors on earth for the hope of Israel, in solemn warnings and gracious invitations, in anxious work to convince the people he was their Redeemer, in making himself of no reputation and taking the form of a servant to become the ladder and the Way by which they may climb to heaven. It was also seen in his sorrow and disappointment that so few responded to all done in their behalf, a disappointment shared by those who labor with him and partake in his sufferings to draw souls.

Israel's Failure and Doom

The withered tree stood for impenitent Israel, the Jewish nation and kingdom in the generation when he was in their midst. It pictured a people once chosen and richly favored who had failed to do the work appointed them and bore continually less fruit until they failed to carry out his plans. Clothed with leaves, it stood out in proud superiority as a religious nation, making profession without practice. Like a fruitless tree unfit for the orchard, a people created and redeemed to bear fruit for his glory and the good of others had become all outward promise and pretension.

Its luxuriant, pretentious leaves were outward religious display concealing the absence of what he sought. They were abundant outward evidences of religious life — ceremonies, traditions, a rich temple with mitered priests officiating in morning and evening sacrifices, and instrumental music. Gorgeous apparel, fine singing, forms and fine clothing could not take the place of holiness and unselfishness. Beneath the show lay hypocrisy, pride, love of the world, vain-glory and selfishness, with lack of humility, love and benevolence. The nation proudly claimed goodness and virtue it might have had but had forfeited, for the promises belong only to willing obedience in walking in the way of his appointment.

He came to it seeking the fruits of righteousness — self-sacrifice, compassion, goodness, mercy, truth, sympathy and love, with zeal for God and concern for the salvation of others. Though given every opportunity and privilege to show the way of life, they were consumers but not producers, withholding entrusted blessings and truth from the world and refusing to minister to others. Their failure was a failure to understand his mission and receive heaven's light, with love for God and fellow men eclipsed by pride and self-sufficiency. Had they kept his law they would have done the same unselfish work he did.

Its blighting was the retribution and ruin they brought upon themselves. Grace withdrawn, they were given up as joined to idols and left to perish in the destruction of Jerusalem. The blighted tree was a sign pointing to Jerusalem's doom, revealing its true condition and certain downfall. The curse displayed the destruction determined by those who failed to profit from heaven's blessings after every advantage, and formal, selfish, boastful profession with leaves but no good works to bless others received its sentence.

That rejecting generation was especially guilty, and though the people lived on for forty years after, they were already spiritually dead. Warning, expostulation, forbearance and patience through judgments and blessings given and withdrawn were about to close, leaving them responsible for their own destruction. By contrast the Gentiles were like trees not covered and leafless, making no pretension to knowledge of God, because their time of fruit-bearing was not yet.

The same fruitlessness marked its leaders, Pharisees and hypocrites, whose outward religious forms lacked holiness. Their careful observance of customs and avoidance of ritual pollution concealed souls defiled by iniquity, with malice shown even in treating an attempt to kill as justifiable. Their fruit was briers and thorns, cloaking iniquity and especially licentiousness under profession of godliness, while professing to have come out from the world as repositories of his law. Flaunting outward profession in the very face of the Almighty while cherishing impure thoughts, unholy imaginings, unsanctified desires and base passions, they bore fruit hateful to heaven and exulted over by Satan.

Leaves and Fruit Defined

Leaves without fruit mean a profession of religion and faith that has the appearance of life but no living godliness. It is a show of godliness, with outward duties and religious activity, yet without inward victory and heart-holiness. Lives under that profession may appear connected with God while showing no evidence that Christ is in them and they are in Christ. Such profession is worthless to Christ, and its barrenness when He looks for fruit brings His curse upon individuals and churches who know truth in theory but do not experience its power or do the work given them.

The fruit He seeks is genuine spirituality and holiness shown in unselfish service. It is piety, self-denial, self-sacrifice, compassion, and zeal to save others from unbelief and ruin, shown in goodness, mercy, truth, sympathy and love. These are the principles of heaven and the fruits of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control — with righteousness that feeds His sheep and blesses others. Forms, ceremonies, gorgeous apparel, fine singing, fine clothing, instrumental music and outward display cannot take their place nor call forth heaven's approval, for even the poorest congregation without music or outward show offers a sweet oblation when Christ is formed within as the hope of glory and His joy is in the soul. True faith therefore bears fruit in good works, deeds of mercy and sincere devotion, serving others in the world rather than withdrawing from it, while prayer and teaching of Bible truth are not accepted service when first love is lost and the heart is blind and hard.

Empty pretense is hateful to Him. Profession of serving God and outward appearance of godliness without the fruits of service is vain, for leaves without repentance, faith and obedience, with merely waiting, praying or claiming godliness while living for self instead of helping others, do not meet what He expects in obedience, righteousness, mercy, unselfish service and love. An open sinner is in a more favorable condition before God, less guilty and with more hope, than a professing Christian who bears no fruit to His glory.

A tree was created to bear fruit, and a fruitless tree is unfit for the orchard. Likewise people were created and redeemed to bear fruit for His glory and the good of others, not to remain all outward promise and pretension while lacking good works. God is not pleased when they fail to fulfill the purpose for which they were created, but through the help He provides fallen beings can do what He expects, walking and working and living by faith in the Son of God. The granted time of probation is the opportunity to bear that fruit rather than remain barren.

Warning to Professed Churches

The withered tree stands as a warning to every Christian church to the end of earth's history and in every age. A church may be covered with outward signs of religion, with boastful forms and pretentious observance for leaves, yet bear no fruit of true humility, penitence, repentance and faith or the graces of the Spirit. In their place are pride, formalism, vainglory, selfishness and oppression, and when such a church refuses the light given it and fails to meet the conditions of the promises and live up to its privileges and duties, its vital godliness withers. The fruit sought is piety, self-denial, self-sacrifice, compassion for others and zeal for God to save souls from unbelief and ruin, and outward display without it brings condemnation.

It illustrates the fate of ministers and people who neglect their God-given work and mission. Though professing His name they produce no useful service, like leafy trees taking up ground and shading trees that could bear fruit, and outward appearance without the required fruit brings loss and risks judgment. The warning is especially urgent when little time remains and much work is still to be done. Disappointment at results is no excuse for indifference or giving up doing good for others.

The same condition is found in those who for years have spread their roots far while bearing no fruit for Christ and working to destroy the influence of the messages given to His servants, for mere profession of righteousness does not meet the needs of the world nor fulfill God's will for the human family. It is found in false shepherds and churches that look prosperous but remain in unbelief, reject light, and do not nourish the flock with pure provender, their impressive appearance worthless without good fruit under His close and critical search. It is brought about when commercial enterprises for gain enter His institutions, working counter to the purpose for which they were established, detracting from the influence desired to attend the work and resulting in spiritual loss. Still He searches His institutions for fruit, which is the virtue revealed in the lives of His workers that tells in the saving of the soul unto eternal life, and those who stand as teachers of the gospel are commanded to feed His sheep so its saving power shall be represented in all places.

The curse for fruitlessness threatened the church at Battle Creek, because although important institutions were planted among them they brought forth no fruit and those in responsible positions were not circumspect lest their influence be on the wrong side, yielding to worldly influence rather than the Spirit. The same sentence of permanent fruitlessness can fall on members who remain unfruitful after a season of special spiritual opportunity such as a camp-meeting, marking them for death rather than life and to be dreaded and avoided. Its neglect is seen in trampling on God's law and treating His covenant with His commandment-keeping people as worthless, in disregard for the Sabbath sign while exalting a rival sabbath. It is seen in failing to recognize the signs of the times and neglecting the light and privileges given, including the message of Christ's coming, for without responsive faith and obedience destruction is brought upon self.

Those who walk in the way of the commandments in truth and integrity will be like a flourishing fig tree, full of fruit. They reveal to the world that they are under His rule and dependent upon Him for temporal and spiritual victories. With His presence and favor His people are safe although they may suffer persecution for truth's sake, and His goodness and the riches of His grace are their protection and salvation.

Accountability in Judgment

The withered tree shows that display without yield invites judgment, for its leaves gave reason to expect fruit yet none was found, and it withered to its roots under the sentence that it would never bear fruit again. It stood for a people given truth to share with the world who produced nothing in return, and the same lesson reaches everyone, since profession, advantages, privileges and great light bring greater responsibility to live by the light received. Religion without practice is vain, and impressive appearance and profession are worthless without good fruit, for His search for fruit is close and critical. Those who bear leaves only presume too much upon mercy while neglecting warnings, privileges and holy trust, and for that presumption they are cursed like the tree. The warning falls especially on false shepherds and prosperous-looking churches that do not nourish the flock or bear spiritual fruit.

The cursing is God's judgment upon professed children of truth who bear no fruit, though they are not vile and basely corrupt. They are registered as cumberers of the ground because they do not put to use the talents entrusted to them. They make self supreme and labor only for selfish interests, are not rich toward God, profess to serve Christ yet bring no souls to Him, withhold both the means lent them and themselves, and occupy an irresponsible position toward His work and cause. That irresponsible position places them on the left hand.

It is His sentence upon fruitless professors in the last days who please self and serve the world, the flesh and the devil while keeping a form of worship. No form of worship or religious service can supply the want of reconciliation with God, for only regenerating grace enables men and women to abide in Christ and work His works. Those determined to do as they please despise and reject His counsels against their own souls, endanger the church by their influence, and deride those who bear testimony against them. He then gives them up to their own lusts and idols and receives none of their service. He works through His ministers as He worked through Moses, ratifying in heaven their judgments and decisions to be produced at the last great day, and He pronounces upon the fruitless the same words as upon the barren tree, that no fruit grow henceforth forever. Their condemnation is irrevocable, though they bear the name of Christian and go through a form of service whose true state is known to none but God who searches all things.

As the tree withered, so a person who rejects offered mercy, disregards present privileges and warnings, and continues in disobedience becomes spiritually blighted and faces righteous judgment. The leafy but fruitless tree represents professed followers who appear active but bear no spiritual fruit, and the warning is that the fruitless will be condemned as useless. A life spared through years of probation but producing nothing may hear the Master's sentence that no fruit grow henceforward forever, so the life should be changed while there is still time.

Leaves without fruit represent a life that appears active but produces no unselfish good works, and the withered tree warns that such a fruitless life will be exposed when judgment examines its record and probation ends. True fruit includes self-denial for others, giving up self-gratification, and bearing responsibilities from principle for God's glory. Such acts can erase the record standing against a person's name.

Call to Fruitful Living

To live the law is to do unselfish work for others as Christ did in ministering to those around Him, for no one can live that law without ministering to others. Those who live for self are like the tree with leaves but no fruit, making every pretension while fruitless, with love for God and fellow men eclipsed by pride and self-sufficiency and determined to walk in a selfish way. Such empty pretense of serving God without fruits of service is vain and hateful to Him, and an open sinner is less guilty and has more hope than one who professes to serve God but bears no fruit to His glory. The tree stands as a warning to every nation, family, and individual never to be forgotten, because refusal to minister to others brings ruin upon self as when the favored nation that had every opportunity was given up as joined to idols and left to perish.

The half-converted on whom Christ looks in vain for faithful service are as a tree whose boughs hang upon the side of truth while its roots are firmly bedded in the earth and strike out into the barren soil of the world. What is necessary is thorough conversion to follow and obey, not a submission born of circumstances or terror as with terrified Israel when the power of the Infinite was revealed, but deep and heartfelt repentance and renunciation of sin. A show of religious life without practical godliness, and a profession of sanctification without humble, meek, lowly devotion truly given to God, is empty like that pretentious tree searched and found to have only leaves.

Disappointment at the results of effort is no excuse for becoming indifferent or giving up doing good for others. True faith bears fruit in good works, deeds of mercy and sincere devotion to God, using God-given opportunities to imitate Christ through unselfish deeds and serving others in the world rather than withdrawing from it. Formal, selfish, boastful, or hypocritical religion has leaves of outward devotion but blesses no one, representing hypocrisy, selfishness, pride, and abuse of sacred privileges, and its withering shows the judgment facing such profession. Human eyes may not distinguish genuine devotion from its counterfeit, but God sees beneath appearances and reveals character under trial as He searches His followers for this fruit.

Fruit instead of leaves only comes when the Master seeking fruit is not disappointed, for outward appearance is not enough without cultivated powers put to work to lead others to truth. Young men must appreciate the intellectual faculties God has given and cultivate them with utmost care, since exercise strengthens, enlarges and expands the mind, and heart-culture kept with it keeps character well balanced. The means of improvement are within reach of all, and resolute purpose sanctified by the grace of Christ accomplishes wonders. That fruit is doing all in power with Jesus and holy angels to save souls, win minds to investigate truth, and sow the seed of truth beside all waters.

In contrast to cursed barrenness, those who cherish grace grow spiritually and bear fruit, receiving commendation and blessing rather than the curse pronounced on the tree. A life destitute of fruit like the tree is the life of one who neglects to feed the hunger of the soul with Scripture, leaving the soul weak and strengthless and unable to do the will of God. The cure is to seek the Lord most earnestly while reading His rich promises and applying them, so that instead of remaining a barren consumer of comfort from human beings one becomes a provider.

The lesson reaches children whose lives show leaves but no fruit, not even buds or blossoms, where God looks for fruit and finds none. What is required is wholehearted submission to God and willingness to give up every sinful pleasure and wrong. It reached Emma, whose life had amounted to nothing fruitful though she could do good works and become useful, and unless she leave self behind, dedicate herself to God and live to bless others, no good works will follow her when her life ends and her memory will soon perish. It likewise warns some of the human helpers and resources raised up for His people who defraud the Lord, for God is an inexhaustible fountain of wisdom and strength who from age to age raises up such agencies by His appointed means, and these God-given agencies will not prove fraudulent if they themselves do not defraud Him.

The fruitless tree with its withering is a rebuke and warning to formalists and boasting hypocrites whose lives deny their profession, representing people who profess to serve God and belong to the church but bear no fruit in life to God's glory. Its leaves represent pretentious outward profession and show of religion without the work of grace in the heart, concealing lives without Christlike character, godly fruit, and inward victory over sin while remaining inactive, worldly, and unfruitful. Unless they repent, their place as His people will be taken away, for such formalism and hypocrisy bring rebuke and judgment. The call is to repent of lukewarmness and reform while walking in light before it is too late, showing faith through fruitful lives, lest the tree's doom fall.