only true religion of the age, and
condescendingly invited all the world to come and partake of its rich
ripe fruit; when in truth it was but an unnatural growth of leaves, with
no fruit of the season, nor even an edible bulb held over from earlier
years, for such as it had of former fruitage was dried to worthlessness
and made repulsive in its worm-eaten decay. The religion of Israel had
degenerated into an artificial religionism, which in pretentious show
and empty profession outclassed the abominations of heathendom. As
already pointed out in these pages, the fig tree was a favorite type in
rabbinical representation of the Jewish race, and the Lord had before
adopted the symbolism in the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree, that
worthless growth which did but cumber the ground.[1084]

SECOND CLEARING OF THE TEMPLE.[1085]

Within the temple grounds Jesus was filled with indignation at the scene
of tumult and desecration which the place presented. Three years before,
at Passover time, He had been wrought up to a high state of righteous
anger by a similar exhibition of sordid chaffering within the sacred
precincts, and had driven out the sheep and oxen and forcibly expelled
the traders and the money-changers and all who were using His Father's
house as a house of merchandize.[1086] That was near the beginning of
His public labor, and the vigorous action was among the first of His
works to attract general attention; now, within four days of the cross,
He cleared the courts again by casting out all "them that sold and
bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and
the seats of them that sold doves"; nor would He suffer any to carry
their buckets and baskets through the enclosure, as many were in the
habit of doing, and so making the way a common thoroughfare. "Is it not
written," He demanded of them in wrath, "My house shall be called of all
nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves." On
the former occasion, before He had declared or even confessed His
Messiahship, He had designated the temple as "My Father's house"; now
that He had openly avowed Himself to be the Christ, He called it "My
house." The expressions are in a sense synonymous; He and the Father
were and are one in possession and dominion. The means by which the
later expulsion was accomplished are not stated; but it is plain that
none could withstand His authoritative command; He acted in the strength
of righteo