11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 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 courts 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’[c]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[d]”
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, Jesus and his disciples[e] went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[f] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Right after Jesus entered Jerusulam he left again only to re-enter about 24 hours later? Does anyone else view that as a little bit strange? Or does it possibly have some significance? I don't know, maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. What relevance does his cursing of a fig tree have to do with anything?
Does the mature fig tree represent the Jews of the day? Mature fig trees with they leaf (bloom) also produce fruit at the same time (or very shortly after) but for some reason this fig tree did not. Is it a representation of the Jews the day before? Did they put on a good show but really produce nothing else? Do we?
Continuing on, we get to the story of Jesus cleansing the temple. Often though I look at this as a representation of Jesus cleansing myself. Today there is not one actual physical temple that Christ dwells in. Instead he sees us as his temple. But how does your temple look right now? Is it a place that you can actually see God living, or is it a place of robbers, using your life for your own advancement and gain like the people using the temple were in this story? What kind of Spiritual Warfare was going on in the minds of those who were in the Temple? Satan is not like God, he can not be at all places at one time, he can only be in one place at a time. Was he in the Temple at that point in time? Planting ideas in the minds of the money changers, cheating people with bad returns on money exchanges and forcing them to buy different animals for the ritual sacrifices? How many of these people were just one day earlier waving palm branches, putting on a good show like the fig tree only to a few hours/days later being the ones who were cursed and cursing God?
Remember that in this week called Holy, we are to make ourselves Holy before God and not be like the teachers of the Law and try to find any way possible to remove Christ from our lives. And not just this week, but every day of our lives
I looked up, and I saw my Lord a Weepin
I looked up and I saw my Lord a weepin for my soul
Alleluia he is coming
Alleluia he is here
Alleluia he is coming
Alleluia he is here
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