From Matthew 21:18-22 / The Withered Tree

If one only looks at the outward here, and fails to recognize the symbolic in what is being done, the passage will either be lost on us, or we will fall into the trap of imagining that Jesus is all about giving us power to move mountains.

In regard to the latter, we must note that no Apostle, nor did Jesus ever for that fact – move any mountains. Obviously that is not His point. We have a similar problem with many who take the account of Peter walking on the water as a picture of great faith to be emulated in doing the miraculous. It is not. We note for instance that Peter never walked on water again. Nor did any other disciple. Nor did Jesus! These events must all be seen through different eyes. The Scripture is not aimed at making us miracle workers, but at living out the wonder of being Christ’s.

That said, in the account before us – note first: We must see this as a token of the shameless greed of the religious leadership in Israel and Israel’s spiritual condition.

Christ has come to His own. He comes looking for the fruit of what He has poured into them over the centuries – genuine righteousness and faith toward God. And He finds it empty.

In both Jer. 8 and Micah 7, the absence of figs in Israel is a token of its being unfruitful in the Lord, and of judgment. So Micah declares, foreseeing the Babylonian captivity well in advance: “Woe is me! For I have become as when the summer fruit has been gathered, as when the grapes have been gleaned: there is no cluster to eat, no first-ripe fig that my soul desires. ² The godly has perished from the earth, and there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. ³ Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together.”

And Jeremiah, referring to the same proclaims: “Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among the fallen; when I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the Lord. ¹³ When I would gather them, declares the Lord, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.”

The Son of man has come looking for what is His, and it is absent.

Bishop Lightfoot notes that such trees produced fruit, some of which took 3 years to grow. For such a tree to be utterly without fruit showed that some were not willing to wait, but wanted to have all they could no matter how out of order. They stripped it bare. They took all they could while they could and rendered it useless to any others.

And Mark reminds us that it was not the season for figs. Yet this is what God does, He comes looking at our lives, which by our “leaves” (our profession of faith) ought to be bearing fruit. Our “leaves”, our profession of being Christ’s, testifies to our association with fruitfulness. We claim to be joined to God through Jesus in the Holy Spirit. But when He finds nothing supernatural about us, that we manifest nothing of His supernatural fruit in the character of Christ – we are cursed.

Note well then that it is no light thing to take the name of Jesus – the name of “Christian” upon ourselves.

James 4:5. He yearns to see what the Spirit’s influence is bringing forth in us.

So “Christian” how has it been the past year? Let me ask as old Richard Baxter did when examining those in his flock each year: Have you grown in love? In joy? In peace? How about in patience, kindness, uprightness, faith/faithfulness, gentleness or self-control? What fruit will you have to accompany your profession of being His if He comes looking for it today? Being out of season (I’m having a bad day) will be no excuse.

In less than a generation, Israel would be subject to its greatest destruction yet, because of its unfruitfulness. What a warning.

Note second: As per Blomberg which mountain “this” is in the passage is the key.

They were on their way to Mt. Zion. And by faith in Christ and the Gospel, the entire Judaic system was about to be overthrown and cast in the sea as it were. And all that is necessary to such ends will be theirs by prayerfully looking to The Father.

The Disciples would have thought it impossible that the Judaism of their day could be overthrown. In truth, they wouldn’t even have a category for such a thought. After all the centuries of battles, struggles, exile, return and survival, could the Gospel really be powerful enough to take away Temple worship and all it embodied?

Indeed, it will be on the very next Pentecost, soon coming, that the glory of the Lord will leave the Holy of Holies, and find His new lodging in the Temple built without hands – in the body of Believers.

And in 70 C.E., the Temple will in fact be no more. Through faith in the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Jews and the Gentiles alike, that “mountain” would indeed be thrown into the sea.

Believing Christ, and in trusting obedience to His call and command – nothing is impossible. Nothing. No sin which cannot be overcome. No trial which cannot be redeemed for our good and His glory. No temptation which cannot be resisted. No Satanic plot which cannot be thwarted. No grave, which will not be forced to yield up the resurrected bodied the saints on the great day. As we pray and trust Him – even death itself will be overcome.

Hallelujah!