The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. Luke
In the letter the fig-tree represents the synagogue of the Jews, which God planted through Moses ; to which Christ came by the Incarnation, to cultivate it by His preaching. Christ, therefore, is the keeper of the vine, that is, of the synagogue, to whom God said, “ Cut it down, for now for three years in which Thou hast preached to it, I have looked for the fruit of faith and good works, and I find none, from the unbelief, perverseness, and malice of the Jews.” Christ intercedes for it, that the Father would allow Him to tend it by His preaching for one year more, or, at least, for half an one ; and then, if it gave no fruit, it might be cut down. So it came to pass : for the Jews, in the fourth year of Christ's preaching, at the Passover, adding sin to sin, and becoming more and more perverse, crucified Him ; so that, a few years after, Titus was sent by God as His avenger, and took Jerusalem, and destroyed all Judaea. What remains are additions belonging to the finish of the parable, which it is unnecessary to apply to what is signified by it.
S. Ambrose observes, that the fig-tree is an apt symbol of the Synagogue : first, because it was a tree with abundance of leaves, but which disappointed its owner in his hope of fruit. Secondly, while the doctors of the Synagogue were fruitless of good works and boasted only of words like redundant leaves, the vain shadow of the law flourished exuberantly, but the false hope of the expected produce deceived the prayers of the people.
Secondly, as the fig puts out a green, that is an immature, fig (grossum) instead of blossoms, which soon falls, and then produces a savoury and solid fruit, so the Synagogue firstly put forth the Jews, like green and evanescent fruit, and then, through Christ, gave Christians, like mature and savoury figs. So Pliny, vii. 7, “Figs are produced late, if the green fruit, when exceeding the size of a bean, are taken away, for then are produced figs that ripen later.”
Tropologically. The fig is any individual person, especially a believer ; the gardener is Christ, the Apostles, and the like ; the Lord is God the Father, or the Holy Trinity. Our own Salmeron (tom. vii., tract 21), gives various reasons and analogies, why the faithful are compared to a fig. 1. The fig produces sweet fruit, which seems to be purses of honey and sugar, and the righteous produce the like. 2. As the fig tree increases little in height but is always short, so the righteous cast themselves down, and humble themselves . 3. The fig, instead of blossoms, gives fruit, and that twice; namely, the early ripe in the summer, and in the autumn the later—for the fig bears twice a year, as the righteous is ever plentifully putting forth the fruit of good works. 4. As the fig makes a shade with its ample leaves, so the righteous defends and protects others by his charity. 5. The fig is never grafted into another tree, because of its exceeding sweetness, which cannot leave it. So the righteous rests in no man, but in God alone and his own conscience. 6. The fig tree, if stripped of its bark, gives no fruit, but withers away ; and the righteous, unless protected by the bark of honest conversation, modesty, and outward decency, will bring no fruit with his neighbours . 7. The fig has medical properties, and heals diseases, as
Isaiah healed Hezekiah by means of a fig (Isa. xxxviii. 21). Pliny also says that the fig alone, of trees, has medical virtues. So the righteous, because he is perfect and mature in virtue, ministers to the infirmities of others, by teaching, advising, and living holily. He adds that lopping and pruning it remedies its too great luxuriousness ; as the righteous by circumcising and cutting off the desire of honour above, and the appetites of the senses below, by meditations on death and burial, is rendered fruitful in virtue and good works, and converts many of his neighbours to God.
Behold these three years I come seeking fruit. This alludes to the nature of the fig tree, which sometimes gives fruit in its third year. If not then, it commonly does not give it at all.
Symbolically , these three years, according to Euthymius, signify the three policies or political status of the Jews, under the Judges, Kings, and the High Priests, namely the Maccabees. St Ambrose says “ He came to Abraham, He came to Moses, He came to Mary;
that is, He came in circumcision, He came in the Law, He came in the body. We acknowledge His Advent from His benefits to us.
In the first, Purification ; in the second, Sanctification ; in the third, Justification — Circumcision purified, the Law sanctified, Grace justified— one in all, and all in one ; no one can be cleansed but one who fears God : no one deserves to receive the Law but one who is purified from sin : no one comes to Grace but he who knows the Law.” So also St Cyril : “ God sought the nature of the human race before the Law, under the Law, and under Grace by waiting, admonishing, visiting; but some are not corrected by the natural law, nor taught by precept, nor converted by miracle.”
Tropologically, these three years, says Theophylact, are the three ages of man— childhood ; full manhood ; and old age. For every one ought at all times to bring forth the fruits of virtue to God, as is fitting and proportionate to every age. God, who would have no age of man idle, requires these of every one.
And He, namely, the dresser of the Vine, Christ and the Apostles, answering said unto him, Christ and the Apostles, says the Interlineator , knowing that some of the Jews could be saved, pray God to delay the avenging of the Lord’s cross, that is, the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus.
And if it bear fruit. Understand, “ It shall be well, it shall be safe, and it shall be saved.” It is an aposiopesis. The Arabic adds, “For it has brought forth fruit.” The Synagogue formerly gave fruit under Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and others.
And if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down . As God cut down the Jews by the Romans.
Mystically, S. Augustine (De Verb. Dom.) says : “ He who intercedes is all holy ; who, within the Church, prays for those who are without.” To dig about the conscience is to teach humility and patience, and to engraft on the mind the consideration of heaven and heavenly things, lest, as S. Ambrose says, the heap overwhelm the root of earthly wisdom and of earthly desires and hide it from view.
And dung it. This is, as S. Ambrose says, the feeling of humility , and S. Augustine (De Verb. Dom.) : “Dung is filth, but it causes fruitfulness . The filth of the vine-dresser is the grief of the sinner.”
And S. Gregory, “ Dung is the sins of the flesh, from which the mind is roused to good works.”
Ver. 10. — And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a festival on which the Jews came to the synagogue to hear the Law and its interpretation, as Christians on the Lord’s day come together to hear mass and the sermon. Christ chose this time and place for the following miracle, that it might be public, and that He might confute and instruct the Pharisees, when speaking against it on account of the Sabbath.
Ver. 11. — And behold there was a woman . “ The spirit of infirmity , that is, an infirmity sent by the evil one,” says de Lyra, Euthymius, “ The devil of weakness not suffering her to live.” The Arabic reads, “With whom was a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, and she was bowed together and was not able to stand up by any means.” This infirmity was a curving and bending of the whole body, so that the woman was compelled always to walk bent and stooping. Observe that diseases are often sent by the devils, through the permission of God, for sins or other reasons. Ver. 16 shows the cause of this infirmity, " This daughter of Abraham , whom Satan hath bound.” Thus the devil afflicted Job with various diseases, chap. ii. The same is seen in Ps. lxxviii. 49, and Matt ix. 23. The devil, therefore, made this woman crooked and bent, to compel her always to look down upon the earth.
Eighteen years . It was, therefore, an inveterate and incurable disease, and as such could not be healed by the physicians.
And was bowed together. Looking towards the ground, (cernua) crooked, with her head and back bent downwards — nay, she was less able even than a beast to look up at the sun and heavens, but must always look down at the rocks and the earth. For at the creation (Gen. i.)
Os homini sublime dedit, coelumque
tueri
Jussit, et erectos ad sidera tollere
vultus, —
“ God gave to man a lofty countenance,
And to regard the heavens commanded
him.
Bade him to lift his form erect, and gaze
Upon the starry host,” — that he might look up at the sun and the heavens, and, by a heavenly life, journey towards God on high, and be received into heaven and there enjoy the blessedness of the divine vision ; for, as S. Basil says in the Catena , “We should seek heavenly things, and rise above those of earth.” The devil, then, to turn men from heaven, makes them look downwards, so that they see, love, and pursue only earthly things.