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THE KING’S BUSINESS
saving, and this was a miracle of destruc tion. They were miracles of salvation and ‘this a miracle of judgment. But the dif ference is more apparent than real; for this was really a miracle of blessing in that it was an acted parable that gave to His dis ciples a wholesome lesson. Our Lord’s purpose in the blasting of the fig tree was not merely to express His displeasure at the fig tree; it was rather to teach a lesson to those of whom that fig tree was a type (cf. Luke 13:6-9; Matt. 21:33-34). Note the connection of the parable which is found in verses 33-43 with the miracle which we are studying. See also Isaiah 5 :4-7. The great lesson which our Lord wished His disciples to learn by the blasting of the fig tree was that leaves alone (i. e. in the fig tree the promise of fruit) were not enough; there must be actual fruit, or the one who makes a professidn which he does not fulfill by fruit bearing will be destroyed (cf. ch. 7:19). It is a solemn lesson espe cially in these days when there is so much empty profession, leaves only leaves! Sunday, March 28. Matt. 21:23-27. The Jewish rulers could not deny the excellence of the work which our Lord was doing, so they sought shelter in the eccle siastic’s usual last resort, “By what author ity doest thou these things; who gave thee this authority?” How common it is today on the part of certain men of power in the churches to try to stop men from doing a work that is clearly of God, and greatly blessed by Him, by asking the one who does it where he got his authority. The fact that a man is doing a work that God blesses is authority enough, but it is not authority enough in the eyes of these self-sufficient ecclesiastical martinets. But our Lord put His opposers to utter confusion, He says to them in effect, “What right have you to ask by what authority I do these things? Prove your own authority by proving your spiritual discernment. Tell me regarding the baptism of John, whence was it, from heaven or from men?” Certainly, if they
just the same today (Heb. 13:8). Oh, suf fering one, come to Him. He will pity and He will heal. Friday, March 26. Matt. 21:15-17. The chief priests and scribes “were sore displeased.” Of course, they were. Such men are always displeased when anyone gets any praise but themselves, and they are never happy when good is done unless their own hands do it. The blessing upon the work in the church around the corner is a reflection upon themselves and cannot be tolerated, the offending party must be destroyed (Luke 19:47). Alas! this spirit is not dead yet, and alas! again most of us have something of it in ourselves. It is a thoroughly bad leaven; it murdered Christ; envy lies at the root of it (cf. John 11:47- 50, 57; 12:19; Acts 4:16-18). But while the priests were sore displeased at the children’s praise, Jesus was greatly pleased with it. He said it was most Scriptural, and He is pleased today when children’s voices raise their sweet, pure hosannas to Him. At the close of the busy, weary, try ing day, He returns to the rest of the dear home in Bethany. Saturday, March 27. Matt. 21:18-22. In these verses two facts about our Lord come out very vividly, (1) That He was a real man, “He hungered”, (v. 18). (2) . That He was God; the fig tree immediately withered away under His Word and con demnation. It seems strange at first thought that He should be hungered upon leaving Bethany, for Bethany was the place where the family who were abundantly able to supply His need and who especially loved Him lived (John 12:1, 2). The explana tion of His hunger seems to be that in His eagerness to get to the work that called Him to Jerusalem, He could not wait for the preparation of the morning meal (cf. Mark 1:35), The miracle recorded here differs from the other miracles of our Lord in that they were miracles of healing and
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