ACC ~ Matthew 21 v18 - 27

OVERVIEW:

Isn’t there something absurd about Jesus literally cursing a tree for not bearing fruit out of season? Everything in Scripture is to be understood either in its literal sense, in its figurative sense or in some combination of these. The lesson figuratively conveyed by this symbolic prophetic action was that it is now time to produce fruit. It is time to end the period of Israel’s preparation (AUGUSTINE). When such things are done, whether to places, plants or animals, we do better not to be overly curious about the divine will. Do not inquire too far into whether it was just that the fig tree withered, or you will lose perspective. This sort of question is trifling. Just behold the miracle and admire and glorify its worker (CHRYSOSTOM). Jesus took no delight in the withering of a tree; he acted this way to produce awe in the disciples, that they should not fail Christ when he is hungry, and that you might hope to be in the coming season of fruit rather than to be in the preparatory season of leaves (AUGUSTINE). Israel had not produced the fruit of righteousness. Even infants delighted in Christ’s coming (INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW).

21:18 | As Jesus Returned to Jerusalem

HE WAS HUNGRY

CHRYSOSTOM: How could he who is truly God be hungry in the morning? He is found in human form, so this flesh has ordinary human feelings. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 67.1. [1]

[1] PG 58:633; NPNF 1 10:410.

21:19 | May No Fruit Ever Come from You Again

THE FIG TREE WITHERED

CHRYSOSTOM: It was not his will to exhibit his anger upon men. Rather upon the plant he furnished the proof of his might in taking vengeance. But when such things are done, whether to places, or to plants, or to brutes, do not be overly curious about the divine will. Do not say, “Was it just that the fig tree withered?” especially if it was not yet the time of figs. This sort of question is the utmost trifling. [1] Just behold the miracle and admire and glorify the worker of it. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 67.1. [2]

[1] Mark 11:13 points out that it was not yet time for the figs to be mature. Chrysostom notes the apparent contradiction with respect to the observation made in Matthew and resolves it by accusing the disciples of inconsistency in asking whether the fig tree had borne fruit out of season. In fact the episode, easy to interpret allegorically (see the following excerpts from Augustine and the Incomplete Work on Matthew), presents difficulties in the literal sense: Why would Jesus punish the tree if it were natural to have fruit out of season?

[2] PG 58:633-34; NPNF 1 10:410.

NOTHING BUT LEAVES

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: “And seeing a fig tree alongside the path, he approached it and found nothing on it except leaves.” The fig tree represents the synagogue, for the great many seeds dwelling within one rind of the fig tree is like the great many faithful men living in the one house of the synagogue, as it is written: “God who causes them to dwell single-mindedly in one house.” [1] Observe how the leaves of the fig tree are formed to resemble human hands. The greenness of its leaves is like the mere appearance of holiness among men who are full of religious words but lack the fruit of good works. The sentient tree then [is] the religious person who professes to be a man of God but fails to perform works of righteousness. [He] is like a leafy tree which bears no fruit, concerning whom the apostle prophesied: “In the last days there will be lovers of self, lusting after money, arrogant, prideful, disobedient to their elders, preferring their own will over the will of God, having the appearance of piety but denying its power.” [2] … The path along which the fig tree was discovered represents the world. Christ was unable to find any fruit among the Jews because they had been living alongside the world, which is to say that they had been living according to the world. The world is the common path along which everyone travels who has ever been born, as we indicated in our treatment of the parable of the sower. The faithful man, then, the sentient tree, will never be able to bear the fruits of righteousness if he lives in proximity to the world. HOMILY 39. [3]

[1] Cf. Ps 68:7 (67:7 LXX).

[2] 2 Tim 3:1-5.

[3] PG 56:844-45.

THE FAILURE TO PRODUCE FRUIT

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: It was not because Christ cursed it that the tree produced no fruit; instead, because the tree first produced no fruit, Christ cursed it to ensure that it would produce no leaves. Likewise, it wasn’t because God abandoned them that the Jews squandered his righteousness; rather, because they failed to produce the fruits of righteousness, God abandoned them to ensure that they would not have the appearance or reputation of righteousness. Just as it would have been better had there never been a tree at all than for there to have been a tree which produced no fruit according to its kind, so also would it have been better had there never been a man of God than for there to have been a man of God who did not live in accordance with God. If those who are not yours in the first place fail to obey you, you suffer nothing. You will suffer severely, however, if the one who belongs to you despises you and serves another instead. In this way, God’s wrath was not kindled nearly as much by the fact that people who were strangers to him openly served the devil as it was by the sight of his own possession doing the devil’s will. HOMILY 39. [1]

[1] PG 56:846.

21:20-21 | If You Have Faith and Do Not Doubt

A FIGURATIVE, PROPHETIC ACT

AUGUSTINE: Now in order to convey this truth [1] the Lord acted prophetically. By this I mean that in reference to the fig tree, it was not his will merely to exhibit a miracle but rather through this sign to convey an intimation of that which was to come. He often taught and persuaded us by such means. So even when our wills resist, he persuades us and brings us to faith.

We first ask how was it the tree’s fault that it had no fruit? Even if it had no fruit in its proper season, its season of mature fruit, still the tree would bear no fault. For the tree is without sense and reason, so it could not be blamed. But to this perplexity is added another, which we read in the narrative of the other Evangelist who expressly mentions this: “It was not the time for that fruit.” [2] For this was the time when the fig tree was just shooting forth its tender leaves, which come, as we know, long before the fruit. This sequence has a spiritual meaning. The time for fruit was soon coming with the day of the Lord’s Passion, which was at hand. And so to make this clear, the Evangelist, to his credit, notes that “the time of figs was not yet.” So then, if it was only a miracle that was being demonstrated and not something to be prophetically prefigured, it would have been much more worthy of the clemency and mercy of the Lord if he had found a withered tree and restored it to life. This would seem more in accord with his healing of the sick, cleansing lepers and raising the dead.

But to the contrary, as though against the ordinary rule of his charity, he found a green tree, not yet bearing fruit, even before its fruit-bearing season but still awaiting the hope of fruit, and what does he do? He withers it straight away! This is a prophetic anticipation of things soon to come, by which he in effect says to us: “I have no delight in the withering away of this tree. By doing so I want to convey to you that I am not acting absurdly but for a lesson you might take more seriously. It is not this literal tree that I have cursed. It is not on an insensible tree that I have inflicted punishment. Rather, I have made you fear, whoever you are who considers this matter, that you should not fail Christ when he is hungry and that you might hope to be in the coming season of fruit than to be in the preparatory season of leaves.” …

Therefore, beloved, I must tell you and teach you according to my poor abilities that which the Lord has given me for your benefit. I must convey to you what you may hold as a rule in the interpretation of all Scripture. Everything that is said or done is to be understood either in its literal signification, or else it signifies something figuratively; or it may contain both of these at once, both its own literal interpretation and a figurative signification also… .

Thus Christ, wishing to convey this lesson to us, wanted us to produce fruit and in this way set forth for us a figurative fiction which is not a deceiving fiction but a fiction worthy of praise. SERMON 89.3-6. [3]

[1] The truth referred to has generally to do with the destiny of the covenant people, about which Augustine had been previously speaking. More specifically it is the truth that now is the time for fruit bearing for Israel.

[2] Mk 11:13.

[3] PL 38:555-58; NPNF 1 6:389-91* (Sermon 39).

LET THE DEVIL BE CAST INTO THE SEA

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: Jesus is referring here to an invisible mountain, one which produces fruitless trees, a rocky and rough place where there are steep cliffs, caves and overhanging crags, not fit for human habitation but only for beasts. There are no level fields in it for resting peacefully, but the ground is rising or falling away because, among those who stand against the devil, some rise and some fall. The devil is called a mountain, not because of the height of his worthiness, like the holy angels, but because of the size of his prideful ego; not on account of the constancy of his virtue but on account of his immovable and incorrigible malice. Remove this mountain from the midst of the saints, where there is faith, hope and charity, where there are fields of peace and beautiful fountains of doctrine, where meadows abound with the dew of grace, where holy birds adorn a perpetual springtime with their songs. “And be cast into the sea.” That is, into this world, where the water is brackish and worthless, which is to say that the people are evil and add nothing to the glory of God; even the sweet rivers of every spiritual grace which flows into them are unable to purify them. Instead, their brackishness spoils the sweetness of the rivers of grace flowing into the sea of this world, where there are perilous battles between conflicting spirits and where the powerful always rule. HOMILY 39. [1]

[1] PG 56:846.

21:22 | Whatever You Ask in Prayer

YOU WILL RECEIVE, IF YOU HAVE FAITH

CHRYSOSTOM: That you might learn that it was for the disciples’ sakes that this was done, that he might train them in confidence, listen to what he said afterward: “You also shall do greater things, if you are willing to believe and to be confident in prayer.” [1] All this was done for their sakes, that they might not be afraid and tremble at plots against them. He repeated this to enable them to cleave to prayer and faith. For you shall not only do this, but you shall also remove mountains; and many more things you shall do, being confident in faith and prayer. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 67.2. [2]

[1] Jn 14:12.

[2] PG 58:634; NPNF 1 10:410.

FAITH NURTURES GOOD WORKS

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: “And whatever you ask in prayer with faith, you will receive.” God gives the grace of faith, but humanity nourishes and strengthens it. Faith then causes one to abstain from evil and to do good works. The more you abstain from evil and follow the good, the stronger you will make your faith. The less you abstain from evil, however, and the more you neglect good works, the weaker your faith will become. HOMILY 39. [1]

[1] PG 56:846-47.

21:23 | Who Gave You This Authority?

THE PHARISEES CONFRONT JESUS

HILARY OF POITIERS: Prior to this, the Pharisees had seen many things more worthy to be called great miracles, but now they were deeply troubled and asked Jesus to identify the authority by which he performed these works. The great mystery of the future is included in the consequences of present deeds. They felt the urge for special questioning, then, because the prefiguration of every danger was made known in this event. The Lord replied that he would tell them by what authority he did these works if only they would also reply to his question about whether they considered John the Baptist to have come from heaven or from man. They hesitated while pondering the dangers of responding. If they confessed John to have come from heaven, they would be convicted by that very confession for not believing in the authority of a heavenly witness. They were afraid to say that he was merely from man, however, because of the large crowd of people who believed John to be a prophet. So they answered that they did not know (they did in fact know him to be from heaven) because they feared that they might be convinced by the truth of their own confession. But they told the truth about themselves, even though it was their intention to deceive; it was only through their infidelity that they did not know John the Baptist to be from heaven. And they could not have known that John the Baptist was from man, because he was not. ON MATTHEW 21.10. [1]

[1] SC 258:134-36.

21:24-25 | From Where Did John’s Baptism Come?

A DARKENED WILL

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: Knowing their irreformable evil, the Lord asked them an entirely rhetorical question, not that they might understand it and respond but that they should be hindered from interrogating him further, for he had commanded, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs,” [1] and it was not fitting that what the Lord commanded should be violated. But it would have profited them nothing, even if he had answered directly, since a darkened will cannot discern what is of the light. What good is it to show something beautiful to a blind man? Spiritual blindness consists of an evil heart, and evil people are not able to understand the mystery of devotion any more than the blind can gaze upon the splendor of the light. When a stealthy hunter sees a place to dig a trap, he also raises a net adjacent to it so that wherever the prey he is seeking to capture attempts to flee, it will either be caught in the net or fall into the pit. Likewise, the Lord set a trap for the chief priests and elders by means of his simple question, in such a way that if they professed John to have come from heaven, he would be able to ask them, “Why, then, did you not believe him?” But if they replied that John was of the world, they would thereby have run into the danger of being stoned to death by the people, as though fleeing into a hunter’s trap. It was proper that the Lord teach his interrogator and weaken his tempter in whatever way he could and confound the cleverness of his reproach with rational arguments, while not making known the truth of his own mystery. The Lord did virtually the same thing elsewhere to the devil, who had cited against him a scriptural text without understanding it: “For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will hold you in their hands, lest your foot stumble on a rock.’ ” [2] The Lord did not respond, “That is not what this Scripture means.” Rather, he left the devil ignorant of the true meaning of the text and instead refuted him with another, clearer passage from Scripture in order to confound the devil’s arrogance without revealing the prophetic mystery. HOMILY 39. [3]

[1] Mt 7:6.

[2] Mt 4:5-6; Ps 91:11-12 (90:11-12 LXX).

[3] PG 56:848.

21:26-27 | We Do Not Know

LIARS WILL LIE TO THEMSELVES

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: “They answered Jesus, saying, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’ ” He did not say, “Neither do I know.” It was as if he had said, “You know the truth because you are men, but you deny it because you are evil; I know it because I am God, but I will not tell you because you are unworthy.” Liars will lie to themselves if they have no one to deceive. Similarly truth will keep itself pure if it finds no one to save. HOMILY 39. [1]

[1] PG 56:848.

NEITHER WILL I TELL YOU

JEROME: In answering Jesus that they did not know, the chief priests and elders lied. Consequently it would have been appropriate for the Lord to respond by saying, “Neither do I know.” The truth cannot lie, however, so he replied instead, “Neither will I tell you.” By this he shows both that they knew the answer but were unwilling to say it and that he also knows the answer but will not speak it because they remained silent. Immediately, then, he tells a parable designed to convince them of their own sinfulness and of the necessity that the kingdom of God be transferred to the Gentiles. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 3.21.27. [1]

[1] CCL 77:193.