17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. 18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. (Matthew 21:17-19 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Our blessed Saviour having driven the buyers and sellers out of the temple, lodges not that night in Jerusalem, but withdraws to Bethany, a place of retirement from the noise and tumult of the city.
Where, note, Our Lord’s love of solitude and retiredness. How delightful it is to a good man, to dwell sometimes within himself, to take the wings of a dove, and fly away, and be at rest. Yet the next morning our Lord returns to the city: he knew when to be solitary and when to be sociable; when to be alone, and when to converse in company.
In his passage to the city, he espied a fig-tree; and being an hungry (to show the truth of his humanity) he goes to the fig-tree, and finds it full of leaves, but without any fruit. Displeased with this disappointment, he curses the tree which had deceived his expectations. This action of our Saviour, in cursing the barren fig-tree was typical; an emblem of the destruction of Jerusalem in general, and of every person in particular, that satisfies himself with a withered profession, bearing leaves only, but no fruit. As this fig-tree was, so are they, nigh unto cursing.
Learn thence, That such as content themselves with a fruitless profession of religion, are in great danger of having God’s blasting added to their barrenness.