Three distinct stories, each with deep meanings and told over only 11 verses!!! Things are happening fast and furiously as Jesus starts His last week of earthly ministry. Because His time is drawing to a close, I believe Jesus is a little on edge, in relation to his humanity that is. Turning over tables? Emphatically claiming deity to the teachers of the Law? Cursing a poor, “innocent” fig tree? What is going on here? Let’s dig in and find out!!!
Matthew 21:12-22
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise’?”
17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?
+ The story of Jesus “cleansing the Temple” is found in all four Gospels (Mark 11:15-19, Luke 45-48 and John 2:13-16). What do you think made Jesus so angry in the Temple courts that day? Remember what was happening in Jerusalem at this time. Was he justified in His actions? Have you ever felt “righteously indignant” about something and acted accordingly? Why or why not?
+ Why do you think Jesus used the term “house of prayer” for the Temple in verse 13 (instead of house of worship, for instance). Do you consider the Downtown Hope space at 255 West Street a house of prayer? Why or why not?
+ What do you think made the chief priests and scribes so angry in the Temple courts that day? Were they “righteously indignant” in their response to Jesus? Why or why not?
+ The children cried out the same thing they heard earlier in the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. What does “Hosanna to the Son of David” mean? Why does Jesus quote from Psalm 8 in response to their question? What is He actually saying in giving the Pharisees and scribes this in response?
+ Fig trees that were covered with leaves during the off-season (read Mark 11:13) would be a good indication of a tree producing exceedingly ripe and delicious fruit. With this as background, why do you think Jesus cursed this tree? What was the object lesson he was teaching? Hint: Re-read Matthew 7:15-23.
+ What do you make of the way Jesus answered the disciple’s question about the death of the fig tree? Is Jesus saying not getting a positive answer to prayer shows a lack of faith on the part of the person praying? Why or why not?
[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?
+ Is there a sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ What are you trusting in today? Right now, what is that for you? Do you trust in government? Does the news cycle -- much of it pure fear mongering -- bring you comfort or stress? Have you put full faith and trust in God? For Amy and me personally, it has been hard at times to stay our mind only on Him. Our prayer for us is the same for you. That you would hide in that cocoon from 1 Corinthians 3, and find rest only in the power of being intertwined with Father, Son and Spirit.
[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?
+ What is my next step?
+ Jesus cursing the fig tree has always been a bothersome story for me. After some research, I believe Jesus is giving His disciples a great object lesson on God’s judgement on hypocrisy; particularly that shown by the Pharisees and scribes. This makes a lot of sense based on what just happened at the Temple the day before. But who of us have never been a hypocrite, acting contrary to what we say we believe and have so boldly proclaimed in the past? Is this the kind of hypocrisy that is receiving judgement here? Quoting R.C. Sproul:
“If I know anything about Jesus, I am sure that when He came to that fig tree and looked it over from top to bottom, if He had found one little fig, there would have been no curse from His lips. He did not curse that tree because it did not have enough figs. He cursed it because it had no figs, but it pretended to have something it did not possess at all”.
I used to read this passage and think God was angry with me when I wasn’t producing enough spiritual fruit in my life. My response was to beat myself up and redouble my efforts. Brothers and sisters, don’t fall into this trap of trying to earn God’s favor. Repent from known sin, fall more in love with Jesus through prayer, reading and obeying to His word, and fellowshipping and sharing life with other believers, and you WILL produce spiritual fruit!!!
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.