_THE SECOND CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE._
A.D. 30.
THE country between Bethany and Jerusalem, as has been observed in the
previous Chapter, abounded in gardens of fig-trees, from which fact
indeed Bethphage, or the “House of Figs,” derived its name.
Early in the morning after the Triumphal Entry the Saviour set out
once more for the Holy City, where, as the inspection of the previous
evening had too clearly testified, a second vindication of the sanctity
of His Father’s house was needed. Being a hungred, probably after a
night of fasting, and perceiving _afar ♦off_ (♦Mk. xi. 13) a fig-tree
standing alone _by the way side_ (Mtt. xxi. 19), which presented an
unusual show of leaves for the season, He went up to it to see _if
haply[456] He might find fruit thereon_ (Mk. xi. 13), but on reaching
it found nothing but leaves. Though at this early period of the year
neither leaves nor fruit were to be _expected_ on a fig-tree, this
tree by its ample foliage appeared to give promise of the fruit,
which ordinarily appears before the leaves[457]. But a nearer approach
proved that this promise it fulfilled only in appearance, and in the
hearing of His disciples the Holy One laid upon it the doom of utter
barrenness, saying, _Let no man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever_,
and straightway it was dried up (Mtt. xxi. 19), and withered.
Passing onwards to Jerusalem, He entered the Temple. The nefarious
scene He had rebuked at the first Passover of His public ministry
was still enacted. The evil practices which had called forth that
first display of holy zeal for the honour of His Father’s house had
by degrees returned. The fruit, the reality of righteousness, which He
had come seeking then and sought in vain, He found not now. As before,
therefore, so on this occasion, He drove forth the intruders, the
buyers, the sellers, and the money-changers, upset their tables, and
poured forth their unholy gains, and declared in words of conscious
authority that His House was not for thievish traffic, but for prayer
and praise (Mk. xi. 17; Mtt. xxi. 13).
Having thus once more vindicated the sanctity of the Temple, He
commenced teaching in its courts, and speedily gathered around Him many
eager to listen, and astonished at His doctrine (Mk. xi. 18). But works
of mercy were now to follow words of power. Those who needed His help
sought Him in the Temple itself. The blind and the lame (Mtt. xxi. 14)
came to Him, and experienced the effects of the healing word. The
marvels that He wrought (Mtt. xxi. 15) moved the youngest pilgrims at
the festival, and children’s voices cried _Hosanna to the Son of David_.
This was more than the chief priests and scribes could endure. Eager as
they were to put Him to death, they dared not lift a hand or show open
violence, for the whole multitude _hung upon Him_ to hear His words
(Lk. xix. 48). In a tone of expostulation, however, they ventured to
enquire whether He heard what these children were saying, to which He
replied by asking whether they had never read the words of the Psalmist,
_Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise_
(Ps. viii. 2); with which rebuke He left them, and when even was come
returned to Bethany (Mk. xi. 19; Mtt. xxi. 17).
As He proceeded towards Jerusalem on the following day, the Apostles
observed with surprise how rapidly the tree doomed the day before had
withered away. The late hour at which they left the City the preceding
evening had probably prevented their noticing it before, and now the
Saviour took occasion by it to teach them a lesson respecting the
nature and power of Faith (Mtt. xxi. 20–22; Mk. xi. 20–25).
On entering the Temple and recommencing His gracious work of teaching
those assembled there, He was interrupted by the arrival of a formal
deputation from the Sanhedrin, which had resolved to discredit Him if
possible with the people (Mtt. xxi. 23; Lk. xx. 1).
They began by enquiring by what authority He acted as He was doing, and
from whom He had received it (Mk. xi. 28). This question the Holy One
met by another. Two years before[458] they had sent a deputation to the
Baptist (Jn. i. 26), and he had borne a public and emphatic testimony
to His Messianic claims. The prophetic character of John was generally
admitted (Mtt. xxi. 26), and his bold rebuke of Herod had endeared
him to the hearts of many――_Whence, then, was his baptism, from heaven
or from men?_ The question filled his hearers with embarrassment. If
they replied that his was a divine commission, they exposed themselves
to the obvious rejoinder, why had they not received his testimony
respecting the Messiah? If they said of men, they would expose
themselves to popular indignation (Mk. xi. 31, 32). Accordingly they
preferred to own that they could not tell, whereupon He also declined
to answer the question they had put to Him respecting His mission
(Mtt. xxi. 27; Lk. xx. 8).
Though thus repulsed, His enemies do not appear to have left the
Temple-courts, and were condemned to listen to still more humiliating
language. In the parables of the _Two Sons_ (Mtt. xxi. 28–32), and the
_Wicked Husbandmen_ (Mtt. xxi. 33–44; Mk. xii. 1–11; Lk. xx. 9–18), the
Redeemer set forth with the utmost distinctness their neglect of their
high vocation, the guilt of that outrage which they already meditated
against Him in their hearts, their speedy rejection, and the bestowal
of the privileges they had abused on other nations.
The drift of these parables the Pharisees and chief priests clearly
discerned, and sought earnestly to lay hands upon Him (Mk. xii. 12;
Lk. xx. 19), but feared to do so openly because of the multitude, who
all regarded Him as a Prophet (Mtt. xxi. 46). Undeterred, however, by
these manifestations of intended violence He warned them solemnly, for
the last time, in the Parable of the _Marriage of the King’s Son_ (Mtt.
xxii. 1–14), that a day was at hand when the kingdom of God would be
taken away from the Jewish people who had despised its privileges, and
be bestowed upon the Gentiles[459].