Matthew § 84

(de Cons. Ev. ii. 68.) It must be considered that Mark relates the wonder of the disciples at the withering of the tree, and the answer of the Lord concerning faith, to have been not on the day following the cursing of the tree, but on the third day after; and that on the second day Mark relates the casting of the merchants out of the Temple, which he had omitted on the first day. On the second day then he says that He went forth out of the city in the evening, and that as they passed by in the morning, the disciples then saw that the fig tree was withered. But Matthew speaks as though all this had been done on the day following. This must be so taken as that when Matthew, having related that the fig tree was dried up, adds immediately, omitting all the events of the second day, And when the disciples saw if, they marvelled, he yet meant that it was on another day that they marvelled. For the tree must be supposed to have withered at the time it was cursed, not at the time they saw it. For they did not see it withering, but when it was withered, and by that they understood that it had withered immediately upon the Lord's words.

The miracles of healing fall into the same pattern. This is sometimes obscured for us by the somewhat magical view we tend to take of ordinary medicine. The doctors themselves do not take this view. The magic is not in the medicine but in the patient's body. What the doctor does is to stimulate Nature's functions in the body, or to remove hindrances. In a sense, though we speak for convenience of healing a cut, every cut heals itself; no dressing will make skin grow over a cut on a corpse. That same mysterious energy which we call gravitational when it steers the planets and biochemical when it heals a body is the efficient cause of all recoveries, and if God exists, that energy, directly or indirectly, is His. All who are cured are cured by Him, the healer within. But once He did it visibly, a Man meeting a man. Where He does not work within in this mode, the organism dies. Hence Christ's one miracle of destruction is also in harmony with God's wholesale activity. His bodily hand held out in symbolic wrath blasted a single fig tree; but no tree died that year in Palestine, or any year, or in any land, or even ever will, save because He has done something, or (more likely) ceased to do something, to it.

(ord.) The Creator does no wrong to the owner, but His creature at His will is converted to the profit of others.

Herein also we find proof of the Lord's goodness; where He was minded to show forth an instance of the salvation procured by His means, He exerted the power of His might on the persons of men; by healing their present sicknesses, encouraging them to hope for the future, and to look for the healing of their soul. But now when He would exhibit a type of His judgments on the rebellious, He represents the future by the destruction of a tree; Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever.

And that is compared to a fig tree, because the Apostles being the first believers out of Israel, like green figs shall in the glory, and the time, of their resurrection, be before the rest.

(Verse 19) And seeing a fig tree by the road, he went to it and found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, 'May no fruit ever come from you again!' And immediately the fig tree withered. And when he saw a certain tree (which we understand to be the Synagogue and assembly of the Jews) by the road, for it had the Law and therefore it was by the road, because it did not believe in the way, he came to it, standing namely and immobile, and not having the feet of the Gospel: and he found nothing in it, except leaves alone, the noise of promises, Pharisaic traditions, and the ostentation of the Law, and the ornaments of words without any fruits of truth. And another evangelist says: For the time had not yet come (Mark 10:13); either because the time of the salvation of Israel had not yet come, since the Gentile people had not yet entered, or because the time of faith had passed, because, coming to him first, and rejected, it had passed to the nations. And he said to him: May no fruit ever be born from you, either forever or for eternity: for both αἰὼν (( Al. αἰῶνα)) in Greek means. And the little bed was dried up, which did not have the food that the hungry Lord desired. Likewise, the leaves withered, so that only the trunk remained, and with the branches broken, the root revived. If it wishes to believe in the last times, may the shoot of faith sprout, and may the Scripture be fulfilled, saying: 'There is hope for a tree.' (Job 14:7).

The Lord about to suffer among the nations, and to take upon Him the offence of the Cross, sought to strengthen the minds of His disciples by a previous miracle; whence it follows, And seeing a fig-tree by the wayside, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only.

For ever, (in sempiternum,) or, To the end of the world, (in sæculum,) for the Greek word αἰῶγ signifies both.

The tree which He saw by the wayside we understand as the synagogue, which was nigh to the way inasmuch as it had the Law, but yet believed not on the way, that is, on Christ.

Also the fig in respect of the multitude of seeds under one skin is as it were an assembly of the faithful. But He finds nothing on it but leaves only, that is, pharisaical traditions, an outward show of the Law without the fruits of truth.

"And seeing a fig tree." But why did he work this miracle on a fig tree rather than another? Because it is a very moist tree. Hence that it immediately dried up was a most evident miracle. And it signifies Judea for two reasons: both because the fig tree produces early figs, which ripen more quickly, and these were the apostles, who were the greatest. Likewise, this fruit has many seeds under one skin, just as under one law there were many. And this tree was by the wayside, i.e., Christ, because it was in expectation, and did not wish to come to the way: for he is the way; John 14:6: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life;" and Isa 36:21: "This is the way, walk ye in it." He came to it. In Mark it says that he came to see if perhaps he should find anything. But what is this? For then it was not the season for figs. It must be said that sometimes Scripture presents something, not because it is so, but on account of some effect: hence he did not come to seek, but he came because of the suspicion of the disciples; hence he came to perform a miracle. He came to it, when he visited Judea. Luke 1:78: "The Orient from on high hath visited us." It has leaves, namely, legal observances; but no fruit. So some have a certain appearance of honesty, although they are interiorly evil and perverse. There follows the curse: "and he saith to it: may no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever." It seems that he acted unjustly, because it was not the season for figs. Likewise, it seems that he inflicted injury on the owner. But see that, just as the Lord's words are a certain figure, so are his deeds. Sometimes the Lord wishes to manifest his teaching, and then he manifests it in men; sometimes his punitive power, and then he manifests it in other things. Hence he exercised his power there, to show that Judea would be barren, as it says in Rom 11. So sometimes it happens that some who are interiorly evil, but outwardly flourishing, are dried up by the Lord lest they corrupt others. 2 Tim 3:8: "Men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith; but they shall proceed no farther." Luke 13:7: "Behold, for these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down." There follows the effect: "and immediately the fig tree withered away." Ps 21:16: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd," because in the time of the disciples Judaism withered, and afterwards the legal observances dried up as the Gospel grew. "And they became abominable; the fruitful land was turned into a salt marsh, by reason of the wickedness of them that dwelt therein," Ps 106:34.

(Quæst. Ev. i. 29.) Or, this is to be said by each servant of God in his own case respecting the mountain of pride, to cast it from him. Or, because by Jews the Gospel was preached, the Lord Himself, who is called the mount, is by the Jews cast among the Gentiles as into a sea.

Instead of looking at books and pictures about the New Testament I looked at the New Testament. There I found an account, not in the least of a person with his hair parted in the middle or his hands clasped in appeal, but of an extraordinary being with lips of thunder and acts of lurid decision, flinging down tables, casting out devils, passing with the wild secrecy of the wind from mountain isolation to a sort of dreadful demagogy; a being who often acted like an angry god--and always like a god. Christ had even a literary style of his own, not to be found, I think, elsewhere; it consists of an almost furious use of the a fortiori. His "how much more" is piled one upon another like castle upon castle in the clouds. The diction used about Christ has been, and perhaps wisely, sweet and submissive. But the diction used by Christ is quite curiously gigantesque; it is full of camels leaping through needles and mountains hurled into the sea. Morally it is equally terrific; he called himself a sword of slaughter, and told men to buy swords if they sold their coats for them. That he used other even wilder words on the side of non-resistance greatly increases the mystery; but it also, if anything, rather increases the violence. We cannot even explain it by calling such a being insane; for insanity is usually along one consistent channel. The maniac is generally a monomaniac. Here we must remember the difficult definition of Christianity already given; Christianity is a superhuman paradox whereby two opposite passions may blaze beside each other. The one explanation of the Gospel language that does explain it, is that it is the survey of one who from some supernatural height beholds some more startling synthesis.

(Verse 21, 22.) And Jesus answered and said to them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen. And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. The dogs of the Gentiles bark against us in their volumes, which they have left as a memorial of their own impiety, asserting that the apostles did not have faith because they were not able to move mountains. To which we will respond, many signs were done by the Lord, according to the testimony of St. John the Evangelist, which were written down, the world could not contain them all (John 21:25). Not that the world could not contain the books, which it can, even though they are many, in one small chest or bookcase; but rather that the magnitude of the signs cannot be borne by miracles and unbelief. Therefore, we believe that the apostles did these things, but they were not written down so as not to give greater occasion to unbelievers to contradict. Otherwise, let us ask them whether they believe in these signs that are written about or not. And when we see them as unbelievers, we will consequently prove that they will not believe in greater things if they do not believe in smaller things. This is against them. But let us understand the devil, who is called corrupt mountain by the prophet, as we have said before, proud and boasting against his Creator. And when it possesses the soul of a man and is rooted in it, it can be transferred by the apostles and those who are similar to the apostles into the sea, that is, into salty, turbulent, and bitter places that have no sweetness of God. And it is read in the Psalms: We will not fear when the earth is troubled, and the mountains are carried into the heart of the sea (Ps. XLV, 2).

The Gentile dogs bark against us, affirming that the Apostles had not faith, because they were not able to remove mountains. To whom we answer, that many wonders were done by the Lord which are not written; and therefore we believe the Apostles to have done some not written; and that they were therefore not written, that the unbelieving might not have in them larger room for cavilling. For let us ask them, do they believe the miracles which are written, or do they not? And when they look incredulous, we can then establish that they who believe not the lesser would not have believed the greater.

And that thou mightest learn, that for their sakes this was done, that He might train them to feel confidence, hear what He saith afterwards. But what saith He? "Ye also shall do greater things, if ye are willing to believe and to be confident in prayer." Seest thou that all is done for their sake, so that they might not be afraid and tremble at plots against them? Wherefore He saith this a second time also, to make them cleave to prayer and faith. For not this only shall ye do, but also shall remove mountains; and many more things shall ye do, being confident in faith and prayer.

Or; Into the sea, that is, into the world where the waters are salt, i. e. the people are wicked.

That is, nigh to the world; for if a man lives nigh to the world, he cannot preserve in himself the fruit of righteousness.

And he avenges his exclusion from the elect by more cruel treatment of the reprobate.

Great is the promise which Christ makes to His disciples, the ability to move mountains, if only we are not ambiguous in faith, that is, we do not hesitate. Whatever we ask, unhesitantly believing in God's power, we shall receive. One might ask, "And if I ask for something unprofitable, and foolishly believe that God will give me this, will I indeed receive this unprofitable thing? How is it that God is said to love mankind if He would fulfill my unprofitable request?" Listen then. First, when you hear "faith," you should understand that it means not "foolish faith" but "true faith"; and when you hear "prayer," understand it to mean that prayer which asks for things profitable, such as the Lord gave to us when He said, "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one," and petitions of similar nature. Then consider the words "doubt not," [literally, "be ye not divided," me diakrithete]. For how could a man who is united with God as one and not divided or separated from Him, how could that man ask for something unprofitable? So if you are undivided and inseparable from God, then you will ask for and receive things which are profitable for you.

"And Jesus answering" etc. Here he satisfies them. And first by showing the power of faith: hence he says "amen I say to you." Above he presented the same teaching, but here he explains it; hence he says "if you shall have faith, and stagger not;" because faith must be firm without hesitation; James 1:6: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." "Not only shall you do what is done to the fig tree:" for he himself through faith dwells in man, and works in man; therefore, as he himself does, so also does he in whom he dwells. "If you shall say to this mountain, take up and cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done." Some say that this never happened. Jerome says that the apostles did many things that are not written. Likewise, if it is not read as done by them, it is read as done by other apostolic men, as Gregory narrates of a certain one, as was said above. Likewise, the Lord did not say that it would happen, but that it could, if need arose; but the need did not present itself. Spiritually, by the mountain we understand the devil. Hence if you shall say to the devil, cast thyself into the sea, i.e., into hell, it shall be so. Or into the sea, i.e., into evil men. Or by the sea, pride. Ps 89:2: "Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed; from eternity and to eternity thou art God." Hence if you shall say to the proud man, take up, from the just, and cast thyself into the sea, i.e., into evil men. Or by the mountain, Christ; hence if you shall say to this mountain, i.e., to Christ, take thyself up, namely, from the Jews, and cast thyself into the sea, i.e., into the Gentiles, who are a sea by reason of their turbulence. Acts 13:46: "Because you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the Gentiles."

My mother's death was the occasion of what some (but not I) might regard as my first religious experience. When her case was pronounced hopeless I remembered what I had been taught; that prayers offered in faith would be granted. I accordingly set myself to produce by will-power a firm belief that my prayers for her recovery would be successful; and, as I thought, I achieved it. When nevertheless she died I shifted my ground and worked myself into a belief that there was to be a miracle. The interesting thing is that my disappointment produced no results beyond itself. The thing hadn't worked, but I was used to things not working, and I thought no more about it. I think the truth is that the belief into which I had hypnotised myself was itself too irreligious for its failure to cause any religious revolution. I had approached God, or my idea of God, without love, without awe, even without fear. He was, in my mental picture of this miracle, to appear neither as Saviour nor as Judge, but merely as a magician; and when He had done what was required of Him I supposed He would simply--well, go away. It never crossed my mind that the tremendous contact which I solicited should have any consequences beyond restoring the status quo. I imagine that a "faith" of this kind is often generated in children and that its disappointment is of no religious importance; just as the things believed in, if they could happen and be only as the child pictures them, would be of no religious importance either.

The door of the Giver is opened to the petitions of faith, even as He said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask, not being doubtful, ye shall receive." In the house of God faith giveth her commands like a mistress of wealth and a ruler of possessions. The mystery of faith is a wonderful and exalted thing, and no man is able to fathom its mystery; and it is so great that it is a place of habitation for God.

But whenever we are not heard when we pray, it is either because we ask something adverse to the means of our salvation; or because the perverseness of those for whom we ask hinders its being granted to them; or because the performance of our request is put off to a future time, that our desires may wax stronger, and so may have more perfect capacity for the joys they seek after.

Likewise, he touches upon the power of faith with respect to prayer: "for all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer believing, you shall receive;" above (2:7): "Ask, and you shall receive."