Give A Fig

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.” (Mark 11:11-26)

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.”  This remark attributed to Jesus originated from Jeremiah 7:1-15 that reads: (begin) The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: Stand at the gate of the house of the LORD and proclaim this message there: Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD! Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Reform your ways and your deeds so that I may dwell with you in this place (my emphasis).

Do not put your trust in these deceptive words: “The temple of the LORD! The temple of the LORD! The temple of the LORD!” Only if you thoroughly reform your ways and your deeds; if each of you deals justly with your neighbor; if you no longer oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow; if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow after other gods to your own harm, only then will I let you continue to dwell in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors long ago and forever. 

But look at you! You put your trust in deceptive words to your own loss! Do you think you can steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, sacrifice to Baal, follow other gods that you do not know, and then come and stand in my presence in this house, which bears my name, and say: “We are safe! We can commit all these abominations again!”?  

Has this house which bears my name become in your eyes a den of thieves (my emphasis)? I have seen it for myself!—oracle of the LORD. Go to my place at Shiloh, where I made my name dwell in the beginning. See what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because you have committed all these deeds—oracle of the LORD—because you did not listen, though I spoke to you untiringly, and because you did not answer, though I called you, I will do to this house, which bears my name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave you and your ancestors, exactly what I did to Shiloh. I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast away all your kindred, all the offspring of Ephraim. (end)

Mark cleverly uses Zechariah to make his point. For those of us unfamiliar with Zechariah we miss that point.  We tend to think of an angry Jesus tipping over tables.  But why was he angry?  Because the Temple was being used for commerce instead of worship? Perhaps, but more so due to Jesus’ concern for the poor and dispossessed.  Zechariah said: “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Reform your ways and your deeds so that I may dwell with you in this place.” Jesus wanted that reformation as well, a reformation characterized by dealing justly with neighbors and no longer oppressing the alien, the orphan, and the widow. 

Mark described Jesus’ instructions for cleaning the den of “thieves” who today may be all of us, the "wicked" in Jesus' eyes. Jesus said: “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.”  It’s a simple yet effective cleansing agent.  If we refuse, then we fig trees will have nothing but leaves. We will not bear fruit.  A “we don’t give a fig” attitude puts us in the cursed den with other foxes and wolves.

Deacon David Pierce