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Gospel:
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area.
He looked around at everything and, since it was already late,
went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.
Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went over to see if he could find anything on it.
When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs.
And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!”
And his disciples heard it.
They came to Jerusalem,
and on entering the temple area
he began to drive out those selling and buying there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves.
He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.
Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written:
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples?
But you have made it a den of thieves.”
The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it
and were seeking a way to put him to death,
yet they feared him
because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
When evening came, they went out of the city.
Early in the morning, as they were walking along,
they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look!
The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.
Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’
and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen,
it shall be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance,
so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Why does Mark wedge this strange story of a fig tree into his Gospel?
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified, ushering in the climax of the Gospel story. Why worry about a fig tree?
It wasn’t even fig season; this story happens in the middle of April, and fig trees don’t bear fruit until late May or early June.
So, what’s the meaning of it?
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Mark mentions this fig tree immediately before and after Jesus cleanses the temple. Meaning, this fruitless fig tree is symbolic of the Temple – and those acting within it.
The religious authorities were the one group of people whom Jesus criticized in the Gospels. Although they claimed to have knowledge of God, it never translated into concrete action.
Rather, they were often greedy, arrogant, judgmental people.
Mark wants this to serve as a reminder to us.
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We cannot claim to be followers of Christ without bearing fruit – both in season and out of season, when we feel like it and, equally, when we don’t.
At all times, Christians are called to be kind, generous, forgiving people. Otherwise, we become like the withered fig tree or the fruitless stewards of the Temple.
If Jesus passed by us sometime today, what kind of person would he find?
Would he find us bearing fruit? Or standing fruitless?
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As Jesus says elsewhere, “I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
May we bring glory to God today.
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Image credits: (1) Northstar church (2) Jesus Cleanses the Temple, Jenni Wren (3) South Lansing Christian church