18 Now in the morning , when He was returning to the city , He became hungry . 19 Seeing a lone fig tree by the road , He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only ; and He said to it, "No longer shall there ever e be any fruit from you." And at once the fig tree withered . 20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked , "How did the fig tree wither all at once ?" 21 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 . 22 "And all things you ask in prayer , believing , you will receive ."
23 When He entered the temple , the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching , and said , "By what authority are You doing these things , and who gave You this authority ?" 24 Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one thing , which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things . 25 "The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men ?" And they began reasoning among themselves , saying , "If we say , 'From heaven ,' He will say to us, 'Then why e did you not believe him?' 26 "But if we say , 'From men ,' we fear the people ; for they all regard John as a prophet ." 27 And answering Jesus , they said , "We do not know ." He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things .
28 "But what do you think ? A man had two sons , and he came to the first and said , 'Son , go work today in the vineyard .' 29 "And he answered , 'I will not'; but afterward he regretted it and went . 30 "The man came to the second and said the same thing ; and he answered , 'I will , sir '; but he did not go . 31 "Which of the two did the will of his father ?" They said , "The first ." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 "For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.
33 "Listen to another parable . There was a landowner who PLANTED A VINEYARD AND PUT A WALL AROUND IT AND DUG A WINE PRESS IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER , and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey . 34 "When the harvest time approached , he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce . 35 "The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one , and killed another e , and stoned a third . 36 "Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first ; and they did the same thing to them. 37 "But afterward he sent his son to them, saying , 'They will respect my son .' 38 "But when the vine-growers saw the son , they said among themselves , 'This is the heir ; come , let us kill him and seize his inheritance .' 39 "They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 "Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes , what will he do to those vine-growers ?" 41 They said to Him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end , and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons ." 42 Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures , ' THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED , THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE Lord , AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES '? 43 "Therefore e I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people , producing the fruit of it. 44 "And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces ; but on whomever e it falls , it will scatter him like dust ." 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables , they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people , because they considered Him to be a prophet .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 21:18-46
Commentary on Matthew 21:18-22
(Read Matthew 21:18-22)
This cursing of the barren fig-tree represents the state of hypocrites in general, and so teaches us that Christ looks for the power of religion in those who profess it, and the savour of it from those that have the show of it. His just expectations from flourishing professors are often disappointed; he comes to many, seeking fruit, and finds leaves only. A false profession commonly withers in this world, and it is the effect of Christ's curse. The fig-tree that had no fruit, soon lost its leaves. This represents the state of the nation and people of the Jews in particular. Our Lord Jesus found among them nothing but leaves. And after they rejected Christ, blindness and hardness grew upon them, till they were undone, and their place and nation rooted up. The Lord was righteous in it. Let us greatly fear the doom denounced on the barren fig-tree.
Commentary on Matthew 21:23-27
(Read Matthew 21:23-27)
As our Lord now openly appeared as the Messiah, the chief priests and scribes were much offended, especially because he exposed and removed the abuses they encouraged. Our Lord asked what they thought of John's ministry and baptism. Many are more afraid of the shame of lying than of the sin, and therefore scruple not to speak what they know to be false, as to their own thoughts, affections, and intentions, or their remembering and forgetting. Our Lord refused to answer their inquiry. It is best to shun needless disputes with wicked opposers.
Commentary on Matthew 21:28-32
(Read Matthew 21:28-32)
Parables which give reproof, speak plainly to the offenders, and judge them out of their own mouths. The parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, is to show that those who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed by those who knew it, and owned it. The whole human race are like children whom the Lord has brought up, but they have rebelled against him, only some are more plausible in their disobedience than others. And it often happens, that the daring rebel is brought to repentance and becomes the Lord's servant, while the formalist grows hardened in pride and enmity.
Commentary on Matthew 21:33-46
(Read Matthew 21:33-46)
This parable plainly sets forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation; and what is spoken to convict them, is spoken to caution all that enjoy the privileges of the outward church. As men treat God's people, they would treat Christ himself, if he were with them. How can we, if faithful to his cause, expect a favourable reception from a wicked world, or from ungodly professors of Christianity! And let us ask ourselves, whether we who have the vineyard and all its advantages, render fruits in due season, as a people, as a family, or as separate persons. Our Saviour, in his question, declares that the Lord of the vineyard will come, and when he comes he will surely destroy the wicked. The chief priests and the elders were the builders, and they would not admit his doctrine or laws; they threw him aside as a despised stone. But he who was rejected by the Jews, was embraced by the Gentiles. Christ knows who will bring forth gospel fruits in the use of gospel means. The unbelief of sinners will be their ruin. But God has many ways of restraining the remainders of wrath, as he has of making that which breaks out redound to his praise. May Christ become more and more precious to our souls, as the firm Foundation and Cornerstone of his church. May we be willing to follow him, though despised and hated for his sake.