The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 333

But the confusion of a market was most distracting to the spirit of devotion. (2) It was unjust to the Gentiles, This traffic seems to have been carried on in the court of the Gentiles. The Jews still reserved their own court in decorum. The prophecy from which our Lord quoted says that God's house" shall be called a house of prayer for all people" (Isa. lvi, 7), '!'hue the rights of the Gentiles were scornfully outraged. (3) It imported dishonest dealing. 'l'he keen eye of Christ detected wrong-dealing. It was not only trade, it was cheating that dishonoured the temple. II. THE CLEANSING. I. An act of holy indignation. Jesus was angry ; he could be angry; sometimes he was" moved with indignation." It is no sign of sanctity to be unmoved at the sight of what dishonours God and wrongs our fellow-men. There is a guilty complacency, a culpable silence, a sinful calm. 2. An act of Divine authority. It was his Father's house that Christ was cleansing. He spoke and acted as the messenger of God even to those who did not know that he was the Son of God. Christ has power and authority. 3, An act of righteousness. He used force, but of course, if he had met with resistance, the merely physical power he put forth would soon have been overborne, Why, then, did he succeed? Because he had an ally in the breast of every man whom he opposed; the consciences of the traders fought with Jesus against their guilty traffic. He who fights for the right has mighty unseen allies. Do not we need a temple-cleansing? The trade spirit desecrates religious work. Finance takes too prominent a pl3:ce in the Church. It is possible to crush the spirit of private worship in low, unworthy ways of providing the means of public worship. We want the scourge of small cords to drive out the worldly methods of Christian work.-W. F. A. Ver, 19.-Thefru.itlessji,g tree. We may wonder how Jesus could have hungered during the short walk over the Mount of Olives from Bethany, if he had just left the hospitable roof of Martha. Had she taken his mild rebuke too literally when she was busying herself in providing a bountiful table on a former occasion? Or may we not think with more probability that Jesus, who was an early riser, had left the house before breakfast? If so, this would have been a trial to Martha ; but it would have shown her and all the disciples how eager he was to be about his Father's business. Yet he is a man, and the fresh morning air on the hills awakens the natural appetite of hunger. A few verses back it is said that Jesus had need of an ass and its colt (ver, 3). Here we see that he had need of a few wild figs-commonest of wayside fruit, so real was his human nature, so perfect the lowliness of his earthly state. I. THE CONDITION OF THE TREE, 1. It had promise. This was a forward tree as far as leaves were concerned. Earlier than others of the same species in putting forth its foliage, it gave promise of an early supply of fruit, because the figs appear before the leaves. It is dangerous to make great pretensions. To stand out from our brother men with some claim to exceptional honour is to raise expectations of exceptional worth. We should do well to avoid taking such a position unless we are sure we can sustain it without disappointing the hopes we raise. 2. It was not true to its promise. This was the unhappy thing about the tree. If it had been like the backward trees, nothing would have been expected of it. But by giving a sign which in the course of nature should follow the putting forth of fruit, it made a false pretension. Possibly the vigour of the foliage absorbed the sap which should have helped the fruit-buds. Great attention to display directly injures the cultivation of really worthy qualities. Religious ostentation is generally barren, 11. THl!J DOOM OF THE TREE. It is to wither. The fig tree is only valued for the sake of its figs. If these are wanting, the tree is worthless. Its luxuriance of leaves is worse than useless, because it prevents other plants from growing where the fruitless branches overshadow the ground. I. What is fruitless is worthless. (1) The nation, Here was typified the miserable state of Israel. The splendid temple, with its gold so dazzling that no one could look steadily at it when the sun shone on it, was in full view of Jesus as he passed the fruitless fig tree. There on the opposite hill were the signs of the unbounded claims and pride of Israel. Yet what had come out of them all? (2) The Church. A Church exists for the glory of God and the good of men. U It beal's no such fruit, though it may flourish numerically and financially, it is quite worthless. (3) The ind.ivi4ual man or woman. God cares absolutely nothing for our ¥4'l'TIDJW-D, ?;  338 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [ea, xu. ~-46,