Mark 11:12-19

Jesus Clears the Temple Again

 

13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit.

 

When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.

 

14 Then he said to the tree, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again.' And his disciples heard him say it.

 

15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there.

 

He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.

 

17 And as he taught them, he said, 'Is it not written:

 

''My house will be called

 

a house of prayer for all nations?"

 

But you have made it 'a den of robbers.''

 

18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

 

19 When evening came, they went out of the city."

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This is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to change the way that we think, and the way that we live.

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Commentary by Bob Pardue

Christ clears the temple for a second time

At first, this passage really threw me!! After all the cruelty Christ had experienced from the keepers of the law and now he is angry at a fig tree??

 

But as I studied more, it became evident that Jesus was relating the cursing of the fig tree to the clearing of the temple.

 

The fig tree, like the temple, made a big promise of food with its flowing leaves blowing in the breeze. But, it turned out that a promise was all it offered because there was no fruit to give.

 

In the same likeness, the temple looked promising from the outside but had no substance. True worship of God had all but disappeared from inside the temple walls and the money changers were getting rich from selling to the visitors who came to pray and reflect.

 

Jesus was really upset by the hollow religious life inside the temple which bore no "fruit".

 

We can learn from this passage. We proclaim to be followers of Christ but just saying "I am a Christian" is not enough.

 

We have to truly believe, worship, and put faith to work in our lives so that we will not end with the same emptiness as the "barren fig tree".

 

Love in Christ

- Bob

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