494
The Desire of Ages
would see Him no more until He should come again in glory. Then,
too late for their salvation, they would acknowledge Him. These words
Jesus spoke with sadness and with singular power. The Roman officers
were silenced and subdued. Their hearts, though strangers to divine
influence, were moved as they had never been moved before. In the
calm, solemn face of Jesus they read love, benevolence, and quiet
dignity. They were stirred by a sympathy they could not understand.
Instead of arresting Jesus, they were more inclined to pay Him homage.
Turning upon the priests and rulers, they charged them with creating
the disturbance. These leaders, chagrined and defeated, turned to the
people with their complaints, and disputed angrily among themselves.
Meanwhile Jesus passed unnoticed to the temple. All was quiet
there, for the scene upon Olivet had called away the people. For a short
time Jesus remained at the temple, looking upon it with sorrowful eyes.
Then He withdrew with His disciples, and returned to Bethany. When
the people sought for Him to place Him on the throne, He was not to
be found.
The entire night Jesus spent in prayer, and in the morning He came
again to the temple. On the way He passed a fig orchard. He was
hungry, “and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply
He might find anything thereon: and when He came to it, He found
nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.”
It was not the season for ripe figs, except in certain localities; and
on the highlands about Jerusalem it might truly be said, “The time of
figs was not yet.” But in the orchard to which Jesus came, one tree
appeared to be in advance of all the others. It was already covered
with leaves. It is the nature of the fig tree that before the leaves open,
the growing fruit appears. Therefore this tree in full leaf gave promise
of well-developed fruit. But its appearance was deceptive. Upon
searching its branches, from the lowest bough to the topmost twig,
Jesus found “nothing but leaves.” It was a mass of pretentious foliage,
nothing more.
[582]
Christ uttered against it a withering curse. “No man eat fruit of
thee hereafter forever,” He said. The next morning, as the Saviour and
His disciples were again on their way to the city, the blasted branches
and drooping leaves attracted their attention. “Master,” said Peter,
“behold, the fig tree which Thou cursedst is withered away.”