LECTURE LXX. SENTENCE ON THE BARREN FIG TREE. MARK Xi. 12—14. 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 any thing 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 for ever. And his disciples heard it. When we read these words, we feel assured that the sentence on the fig tree must have had some peculiar and significant meaning. Something lies below the surface, for which we must seek: something even beyond the first and immediate effect of this curse, the strengthening the faith of the disciples when they saw the sentence fulfilled. The fig tree was an emblem of Jerusalem: represented the condition of the Jewish nation. 'The time of gathering figs. If this season had been over, the finding no fruit would not have proved the barrenness of the tree; it might have been gathered. He found nothing but leaves, and this was a proof that the tree was barren, for the time of figs was not yet; they had not been gathered. See Bloomfield, Recensio Critica. If the tree had been a blighted and withered stem, it would have shown its state to every eye that looked upon it. No one would have gone up to see if haply he might find any thing thereon. In that case it would have resembled the heathen nations, to whom no revelation had beeen made, who were "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." But the Lord saw before him a fig tree having leaves: bearing the usual signs of fruitfulness. Such was Jerusalem. It differed at that time from every other city of the world, in making its boast of the true and living God, and resting on the law which he had revealed. Isaiah had long since described its privileges. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: and he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine-press therein and he looked that it should bring forth grapes." 3 The people, moreover, prided themselves in this culture; professed to "know God;" claimed him as their father and their guardian. And through the law given by Moses they had acquaintance with the divine will, and possessed the outward means of righteousness and holiness. These were to them, what the leaves are to the tree; where they exist, we look for fruit. 66 But the Lord, when he approached the fig-tree, found no fruit thereon. And so when he 66 unto his own," the Jewish people, when he entered 2 So St. Paul describes the heathen, Eph. ii. 12. 3 Isa. v. 1, 2. John viii. 41. A A came 7 6 the city of Jerusalem, did he find fruit thereon? He found leaves indeed, he found the people saying, "We be Abraham's children, and were never in bondage to any man.” 5 But he did not find them doing the works of Abraham, and so proving themselves his children. He found the people saying, "We have one Father, even God." But he found no knowledge of God, no obedience to his will, no love of his word. He found the Pharisees professing, "We are Moses' disciples." But they did not search the books of Moses, to see whether he testified of Jesus, and foretold the " prophet like unto himself whom God should raise up from among their brethren." 8 He found the teachers of the law precise in trifles, and neglecting the "weightier matters," truth, and justice, and charity. He found them jealous of their privileges as holding "the key of knowledge," but neither using it themselves, nor suffering it to be used by others. He found them. wearing “a sad countenance," and making a show of repentance and humiliation; whilst all within was pride and self-complacency. He found them ostentatious in alms-giving, and "for a pretence making long prayers;" whilst they were "devouring widows' houses," and and enriching themselves by the gifts which were offered to their treasury. Therefore he found leaves only: he found that cloak of hypocrisy, -that outward show of righteousness-which increased condemnation, because it took away the plea of ignorance. Therefore the heavy sentence: Henceforth no fruit John viii. 33-41. 7 John ix. 28. 6 Ib. 41-47. shall grow on thee for ever. To the same purport as he afterwards said, in his parable of the rebellious husbandmen; "The Lord will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others:"9 so now; other trees of the Lord's planting should "take root downward and bear fruit upward;" but henceforth no fruit grow on thee for ever. Thou shalt become a blighted tree; showing by thy lofty stem and wide-spread branches, that thou hadst once been planted on a very fruitful hill, as a tree in which the owner of the vineyard took pleasure: but hast now been struck by a blast from heaven, and thy strength and beauty is gone from thee. 66 Could there be a juster emblem of Jerusalem, soon to be laid waste and desolate; one stone not left upon another?" Could there be a more fit type of the Jewish nation, who should" abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice," and be scattered to the four winds of heaven? 1 2 The sentence was passed upon the nation: the nation which God had formed for his own, that it might show forth his praise; but which had not fulfilled the purpose for which it was formed, and was therefore to be cast off, as the potter breaks up the vessel which does not answer his design.3 Still there was "a remnant according to the election of grace " which the sentence did not reach; and in which the Father should be glorified, for they should bring forth much fruit. There was the band of five 9 Ch. xii. 9. Isa. xliii. 21. Rom. xi. 5. 1 Hosea iii. 4. 3 Jerem. xviii. 1-6. hundred brethren to whom the Lord appeared after his resurrection. There was the glorious company of the apostles, and the noble army of martyrs, who did not reject, but "received" the Son of God, and being themselves converted by his grace, conveyed the glad tidings of salvation throughout the world. There were the congregations of Christians at Jerusalem, and throughout Judea, who put to shame the unbelief of their countrymen, whilst they suffered from their persecution. These all "bore fruit unto holiness, and the end, everlasting life." Sad indeed is the sentence, if ever determined in the counsels of God against any soul, Henceforth no fruit grow on thee. And we learn from this example what is most dangerous, most likely to draw down such a sentence, and prove unpardonable in the sight of God. First, neglect of the means of grace. The fig-tree which proved barren had the advantages of soil, and sun, and rain; yet the Lord came, and found no fruit thereon. The inhabitants of this country have the privileges which once the Jews possessed, and more also they are dedicated to God in their infancy are brought up in the knowledge of God through Jesus Christ whom he hath sent have the Scriptures to instruct them, and ministers to guide and warn them: and if the Lord comes seeking fruit on these trees of his vineyard, and find none;—what can be expected but the sentence, "Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?" 5 "The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, Luke xiii. 7. |