1742 | Matthew 21:16
the chil dren shout ing in the tem ple courts,“ Ho sanna to the Son of Da vid,” m they were in dig nant. n
16“ Do you hear what these chil dren are say ing?” they asked him.“ Yes,” re plied Jesus,“ have you never read,
“‘ From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ a?” o
17 And he left them and went out of the city to Beth any, p where he spent the night.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree
21:18-22pp— Mk 11:12-14,20-24
18 Early in the morn ing, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hun gry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found noth ing on it ex cept leaves. Then he said to it,“ May you never bear fruit again!” Im me di ately the tree with ered. q
20 When the dis ci ples saw this, they were amazed.“ How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus re plied,“ Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, r not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this moun tain,‘ Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you be lieve, you will re ceive what ever you ask for s in prayer.”
21:15 m ver 9; Mt 9:27 n Lk 19:39
21:16 o Ps 8:2
21:17 p Mt 26:6; Mk 11:1; Lk 24:50; Jn 11:1, 18; 12:1
21:19 q Isa 34:4; Jer 8:13
21:21 r Mt 17:20; Lk 17:6; 1Co 13:2; Jas 1:6
21:22 s Mt 7:7 21:23 t Ac 4:7; 7:27
21:26 u Mt 11:9; Mk 6:20
21:28 v ver 33; Mt 20:1
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
21:23-27pp— Mk 11:27-33; Lk 20:1-8
23 Jesus en tered the tem ple courts, and, while he was teach ing, the chief priests and the el ders of the peo ple came to him.“ By what au thor ity t are you do ing these things?” they asked.“ And who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus re plied,“ I will also ask you one ques tion. If you an swer me, I will tell you by what au thor ity I am do ing these things. 25 John’ s bap tism— where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of hu man or i gin?”
They dis cussed it among them selves and said,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ he will ask,‘ Then why didn’ t you be lieve him?’ 26 But if we say,‘ Of hu man or i gin’— we are afraid of the peo ple, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” u
27 So they an swered Jesus,“ We don’ t know.”
Then he said,“ Nei ther will I tell you by what author ity I am do ing these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28“ What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said,‘ Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ v a 16 Psalm 8:2( see Septuagint)
Greek inscription prohibiting Gentiles from entering the inner courtyard of the temple.
Todd Bolen / www. BiblePlaces, taken at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum
21:17 Bethany. Just slightly farther down the road from Bethphage( see note on v. 1), away from Jerusalem. 21:18 – 22 Jesus appears to work this rare miracle of destruction solely because he was hungry and the tree had no fruit. Mark 11:13 explains that“ it was not the season for figs,” suggesting we should look for a less obvious explanation of the action. Sitting under one’ s own fig tree became a common OT image of the Israelite enjoying freedom and prosperity in the land( e. g., 1 Kgs 4:25; 2 Kgs 18:31; Isa 36:16; Mic 4:4; Zech 3:10). In this context of judgment on Israel, the“ withered” fig tree most likely stands for the nation’ s coming destruction. Mark 11:12 – 14,20 – 25 spreads the action over a two-day period, but even if the fig tree did not shrivel up the instant Jesus cursed it( Matt 21:19), a tree withering that quickly could still be said to have withered“ immediately.”
21:21 this mountain. Refers either to the Mount of Olives or to Mount Zion( the temple mount), depending on where Jesus was on the road between Bethany and Jerusalem. If he is pointing to the Mount of Olives, he may have Zech 14:4 in mind, in which the Messiah stands on the mountain and it splits in two. If, as may be more likely, he is pointing to the temple mount, then he is anticipating the destruction of the temple and its sacrificial system. 21:22 whatever you ask for in prayer. Must be understood in context. Jesus is not offering a“ blank check” for those with enough faith but is promising that those with faith will see the end of this age and the coming of the next one. 21:23 – 27 The temple authorities( see note on 16:21) would naturally ask Jesus by what authority he had initiated such a demonstration in Jerusalem. In good rabbinic fashion, he counters their question with another. Recognizing the popularity of John the Baptist with the people in general, Jesus ties his origin to John’ s. But the authorities recognize his ploy and refuse to answer Jesus’ question, pretending not to know. So Jesus refuses to answer them. 21:28 – 32 The Parable of the Two Sons. This little parable resembles the lost son( Luke 15:11 – 32) in miniature. One son starts out refusing to obey his father and go to work for him but finally complies. The other one says he will work but does not. Only the first son actually“ did what his father wanted”( Matt 21:31). Performance takes priority over promise. The“ tax collectors”( v. 31; see notes on 9:9,11) and“ prostitutes”( v. 31) are like the first son; the temple authorities( v. 23) were like the second. The phrase“ entering the kingdom of God ahead of you”( v. 31) leaves the door open for these religious leaders to come in, but at this point in Matthew’ s account they remain outside.