(12) And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: (13) And seeing a fig tree afar off; having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves: for the time of figs was not yet. (14) And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever; and his disciples heard it. (15) And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves: (16) And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. (17) And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. (18) And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him; for they feared him, because all the people were astonished at his doctrine. (19) And when even was come, he went out of the city. (20) And in the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. (21) And Peter calling to remembrance, saith unto him, Master, behold the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. (22) And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. (23) For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. (24) Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (25) And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (26) But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Every incident in this passage is interesting, and I beg the Reader's attention to it. And first, we are told that our LORD was hungry. Reader! never forget it, for it is among the most precious points of our holy faith, that the SON of GOD when he took into union with himself, our nature, took the whole of that nature in all the sinless infirmities of our nature, and was truly and properly Man as well as GOD. For had he not been so, he would not have suited for the purposes of redemption. An angel's nature would not have done; for how would he then have felt as man, and known as man, what his people know and feel? JESUS hungered, wept, groaned, bled, died. And hence in those very feelings, knows the feelings of his people, in all these, and every other case. See Hebrews 2:1. throughout.
The next thing to be noticed in this sweet passage, is the barren fig tree, and the LORD's condemning it to everlasting barrenness. But from the first view of the subject, we may well suppose that somewhat more than a mere fig tree is meant by it. No doubt the Jewish nation is referred to, which like this fig tree, had great shew of religion, as this tree had leaves; but not an atom of fruit; yea; nationally considered, they rejected the LORD of life and glory. But the similitude reached to every other mere professor of the Gospel; in every age of the Church, void of the fruit of CHRIST's righteousness. And all such, front an awful representation in the present day, deceiving by the appearance of large full leaves of a profession without fruit; and its the end will be found dried up from the roots, with the curse of a broken law falling everlastingly upon then, untaken away by CHRIST. Our LORD's observations to his in upon the occasion, are most sweet and precious. Faith in GOD; that is, in the rich mercies of GOD in CHRIST, and the faithfulness of JEHOVAH's covenant promises in him, will remove all sin, and all difficulties; as it Mount Olivet, which stood far front the sea, was carried at once into it. Indeed, what cannot faith, which is the gift of GOD in CHRIST, accomplish! See Hebrews 11:1. See Matthew 21:18, etc. For the observation of CHRIST's driving the buyers and sellers out of the temple, see John 2:14.