Jesus Curses the Fig Tree and It WithersBible World
21:20Matthew 21:20
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
The disciples were astonished at how quickly the fig tree dried up after Jesus spoke its doom. Leafy yet fruitless, the tree pictured unrepentant Israel making a show of devotion while lacking humility, love and mercy to others. Its sudden withering was a living sentence declaring the certainty of the nation's ruin when grace was withdrawn because it refused to bless and serve the world. The same withered tree stands as a lasting warning to churches and professed believers in every age that profession without fruitful living is worthless. Christ looks for the fruit of true godliness in goodness, sympathy, self-sacrifice and unselfish service, and a fruitless profession that hides sin is more guilty before God than open sin and will likewise be exposed in judgment.
Sudden Withering and Israel
The disciples marveled at how soon the fig tree withered away, astonished that it dried up almost immediately after Jesus pronounced judgment upon it. Their amazement marked how quickly the sentence took effect after Christ declared it would bear no fruit.
The tree stood covered with promising, pretentious leaves yet bore no fruit, and it represented impenitent Israel. Its leafy appearance without fruit showed the nation's outward profession of devotion while lacking humility, love, and benevolence.
Its sudden withering was an acted parable and sentence showing the certainty of Israel's doom and the downfall of the Jewish nation and of Jerusalem. That ruin came when God's grace was removed because the people refused to share their blessings and serve others. The blighting of the tree pointed to Jerusalem's doom.
The speedy withering was Christ's judgment on the Jewish nation in the generation that rejected Him while He was in their midst. It came after warning, reproof, blessing given and withdrawn, forbearance and patience upon that nation as a moral, thinking, living agent cursed of God for fruitlessness. Though the Jews lived on for forty years after the curse, they were already dead. The nation, once chosen, had failed to carry out God's plans and bore little fruit, continually less, until the barren tree under Christ's curse represented its condition. By contrast the uncovered, leafless trees representing the Gentiles made no pretension to the knowledge of God, and their time of fruit-bearing was not yet.
The account belongs with Christ riding into Jerusalem and with His weeping over Jerusalem. It shows the Son of God came to this world to draw all men unto Him, yet He came not to send peace but a sword. His followers must walk in the light of His glorious example without questioning the cost in labor and trial and suffering, for each one has a work to maintain the truth in its purity and to push the triumphs of His cross and extend His kingdom.
Warning Against Fruitless Profession
The withering came almost immediately after judgment was pronounced, to the astonishment of the disciples who asked how soon it had withered away. That sudden ruin stands as a warning to people in every age against professing faith without practicing it. It serves as a lasting warning to Christian churches, for profession without fruitful living is worthless in Christ's sight.
The barren tree with its pretentious branches and leaves but no fruit represents a professing church without living godliness. It represents professed Christians who appear godly but bear no fruit, especially those who have great light, opportunities, and privileges yet remain fruitless and fall under the same curse. It warns those who claim to be Christians but remain in unbelief and reject light, whose impressive religious appearance cannot hide spiritual barrenness from the God who searches for good fruit. It also means churches that are fast becoming like the world, fruitless despite their show. Churches that bear no fruit resemble the Jews in Christ's day, for trampling on God's law makes their covenant with Him void and brings self-destruction.
The leaves picture outward religious show set against sincere faith that bears fruit in good works and unselfish deeds. They mean outward display such as beautiful music and splendid decorations, and formal worship without repentance and faith. Such hollow pretense and hypocrisy are hateful to Christ. Outward claims of godliness without good works, and without goodness, sympathy, and love showing that Christ is formed within, cannot conceal lives marked by sin or escape judgment.
With personal application, leaves of profession without fruit describe people who claim great spiritual light and display a form of godliness yet have no inward victory over sin and no fruit of Christlike character. Like leaves concealing barrenness, their profession masks pride and selfishness and an unchanged, sinful character that cannot stand God's test. In some this is seen in pride, selfishness, irritability, discontent, unkindness, and criticism under a profession that conceals the unchanged heart and brings the same doom as the tree.
People were created and redeemed to bear good works for God's glory and the good of others, and their time of probation is the opportunity to do so with what God gives them. God is not pleased when His human agencies utterly fail to fulfill the purposes for which they were created. Christ looks for that fruit of a life shaped by Him, so believers should examine their lives and make matters right before God.
The fruit He seeks is true godliness shown in unselfish mercy, benevolence, love, and works of righteousness. It is piety, self-denial, self-sacrifice, compassion, zeal for God, and a deep desire to save others from unbelief and ruin. It is goodness, sympathy, and love rather than religious display. Genuine service to God means living Christ's merciful, unselfish life and helping others, with worship joined to repentance and faith and claims to obey joined to obedience.
One who professes to serve God but bears no fruit to His glory is in a worse and more guilty condition before God than an open sinner. Professing truth without its power in the life brings God's curse, and without thorough work in individuals and the church the same judgment will fall. As the Lord caused the fig tree to wither and exposed it, so He will expose and judge pretentious hypocrites.
The disciples were astonished at how quickly the fig tree dried up after Jesus spoke its doom. Leafy yet fruitless, the tree pictured unrepentant Israel making a show of devotion while lacking humility, love and mercy to others. Its sudden withering was a living sentence declaring the certainty of the nation's ruin when grace was withdrawn because it refused to bless and serve the world. The same withered tree stands as a lasting warning to churches and professed believers in every age that profession without fruitful living is worthless. Christ looks for the fruit of true godliness in goodness, sympathy, self-sacrifice and unselfish service, and a fruitless profession that hides sin is more guilty before God than open sin and will likewise be exposed in judgment.
Sudden Withering and Israel
The disciples marveled at how soon the fig tree withered away, astonished that it dried up almost immediately after Jesus pronounced judgment upon it. Their amazement marked how quickly the sentence took effect after Christ declared it would bear no fruit.
The tree stood covered with promising, pretentious leaves yet bore no fruit, and it represented impenitent Israel. Its leafy appearance without fruit showed the nation's outward profession of devotion while lacking humility, love, and benevolence.
Its sudden withering was an acted parable and sentence showing the certainty of Israel's doom and the downfall of the Jewish nation and of Jerusalem. That ruin came when God's grace was removed because the people refused to share their blessings and serve others. The blighting of the tree pointed to Jerusalem's doom.
The speedy withering was Christ's judgment on the Jewish nation in the generation that rejected Him while He was in their midst. It came after warning, reproof, blessing given and withdrawn, forbearance and patience upon that nation as a moral, thinking, living agent cursed of God for fruitlessness. Though the Jews lived on for forty years after the curse, they were already dead. The nation, once chosen, had failed to carry out God's plans and bore little fruit, continually less, until the barren tree under Christ's curse represented its condition. By contrast the uncovered, leafless trees representing the Gentiles made no pretension to the knowledge of God, and their time of fruit-bearing was not yet.
The account belongs with Christ riding into Jerusalem and with His weeping over Jerusalem. It shows the Son of God came to this world to draw all men unto Him, yet He came not to send peace but a sword. His followers must walk in the light of His glorious example without questioning the cost in labor and trial and suffering, for each one has a work to maintain the truth in its purity and to push the triumphs of His cross and extend His kingdom.
Warning Against Fruitless Profession
The withering came almost immediately after judgment was pronounced, to the astonishment of the disciples who asked how soon it had withered away. That sudden ruin stands as a warning to people in every age against professing faith without practicing it. It serves as a lasting warning to Christian churches, for profession without fruitful living is worthless in Christ's sight.
The barren tree with its pretentious branches and leaves but no fruit represents a professing church without living godliness. It represents professed Christians who appear godly but bear no fruit, especially those who have great light, opportunities, and privileges yet remain fruitless and fall under the same curse. It warns those who claim to be Christians but remain in unbelief and reject light, whose impressive religious appearance cannot hide spiritual barrenness from the God who searches for good fruit. It also means churches that are fast becoming like the world, fruitless despite their show. Churches that bear no fruit resemble the Jews in Christ's day, for trampling on God's law makes their covenant with Him void and brings self-destruction.
The leaves picture outward religious show set against sincere faith that bears fruit in good works and unselfish deeds. They mean outward display such as beautiful music and splendid decorations, and formal worship without repentance and faith. Such hollow pretense and hypocrisy are hateful to Christ. Outward claims of godliness without good works, and without goodness, sympathy, and love showing that Christ is formed within, cannot conceal lives marked by sin or escape judgment.
With personal application, leaves of profession without fruit describe people who claim great spiritual light and display a form of godliness yet have no inward victory over sin and no fruit of Christlike character. Like leaves concealing barrenness, their profession masks pride and selfishness and an unchanged, sinful character that cannot stand God's test. In some this is seen in pride, selfishness, irritability, discontent, unkindness, and criticism under a profession that conceals the unchanged heart and brings the same doom as the tree.
People were created and redeemed to bear good works for God's glory and the good of others, and their time of probation is the opportunity to do so with what God gives them. God is not pleased when His human agencies utterly fail to fulfill the purposes for which they were created. Christ looks for that fruit of a life shaped by Him, so believers should examine their lives and make matters right before God.
The fruit He seeks is true godliness shown in unselfish mercy, benevolence, love, and works of righteousness. It is piety, self-denial, self-sacrifice, compassion, zeal for God, and a deep desire to save others from unbelief and ruin. It is goodness, sympathy, and love rather than religious display. Genuine service to God means living Christ's merciful, unselfish life and helping others, with worship joined to repentance and faith and claims to obey joined to obedience.
One who professes to serve God but bears no fruit to His glory is in a worse and more guilty condition before God than an open sinner. Professing truth without its power in the life brings God's curse, and without thorough work in individuals and the church the same judgment will fall. As the Lord caused the fig tree to wither and exposed it, so He will expose and judge pretentious hypocrites.