Follow #34 -- Mark 11:12-26 -- You Are Christ's Temple

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it.

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers." 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.

19 And when evening came they went out of the city. 20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered." 22 And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." 26 [ESV margin] But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Introduction

A Continuation of Bizarre Behavior

In the passage before us, Jesus cursed a fig tree and overturned tables. These are abnormal behaviors by Jesus. When we consider the fig tree, we are perplexed. Jesus did not customarily use miraculous power in destructive ways, but in ways that led to healing, feeding, deliverance, and resurrection. Jesus was about giving life.

And when we imagine -- really imagine -- tables and chairs clanging to the ground while travel and trading are stopped, we are also concerned. Jesus often rebuked the way of the religionists of his day, but not like this.

And these two events were connected to his triumphal entry into Jerusalem a day earlier. On that day, he had also behaved in a new way by riding into town on a young donkey. This was all brand new behavior.

So why, on the week of his death, does Jesus behave this way?

The Key

The key to finding an answer to our question is found in Mark 11:11, the last verse from last week's passage. Remember, Jesus rode into town, and the people cried out, "Hosanna!" They wanted salvation. They wanted the kingdom of David. They wanted glory and victory and freedom for Israel.

Jesus rode straight for the temple complex, to the court of the Gentiles. Next to the actual temple, the court was a quad of about 34 acres. It was as far as Gentiles could go if they wanted to worship the God of Israel. By the time of Jesus, this court had turned into a bustling marketplace.

Mark already told us what Jesus did there:

"And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve" (Mark 11:11).

This is the key to our whole passage. Jesus came to Jerusalem as the Christ-King, Israel's promised Messiah, and went straight for the religious heart of Israel. There, he observed. He "looked around at everything."

What He Saw

What Jesus saw grated on him. He went back to Bethany, spent the night, and returned the next day in an act of premeditated and righteous anger. He did not like what he'd seen the day before. Instead of assisting the worshippers in their pursuit of God, the religious leaders oversaw an elaborate scheme designed for profit (15). Instead of helping foreign worshippers exchange their money for the accepted temple shekel, money changers gouged them with high surcharges. Instead of providing an easy way for the poor to worship God, the pigeon salesmen charged premium prices for preapproved sacrificial animals. And instead of prayer and worship, the people were using the court of the Gentiles as a shortcut through the city!

All this infuriated Jesus. Rightfully so, this was his house -- and, after singlehandedly ending the abominable practices there, he quoted Old Testament scriptures that made it clear he thought it was his house.

From Isaiah 56:7, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."

And from Jeremiah 7:11, "But you have made it a den of robbers."

Righteous Anger

Jesus' anger was righteous and good. He should have been angry at what he saw. The God of Israel had arrived as the Son of Man. Their Messiah-Christ had come. And they were less than prepared. Their worship was broken, and, rather than help the nations come to God, they had hindered them.

The Fig Tree -- A Living Parable

With this temple complex episode in mind, we should easily understand the episode with the fig tree. Some, forgetting that the fig tree had no soul and that a far worse curse was put on all creation due to man's sin, blame Jesus. They claim he acts like a petulant child who is angry because there's no food. He's not hangry but holy, and he used the fig tree as a living parable.

He approached the fig tree with all its leaves, looking for fruit. Though it wasn't the season for figs, it had the look of fruitfulness. Additionally, in that region, many report the fig trees produce an edible pre-fruit. It's not tasty but can sustain life. Jesus might have been looking for some of that pre-ripe fruit for some quick energy. With all its leaves, the fig tree sure looked like it would have produced something.

But, when Jesus discovered it had no fruit, he rebuked the fig tree. The next day, when Peter saw the same fig tree withered from the roots (21), he was amazed. Jesus' rebuke had cursed the fig tree.

It is here we can understand the fig tree as a living parable. Israel had all the outward manifestations of fruit to God. Like the fig tree, they looked fruitful. They had a temple. They had worship. They had the Passover. But the nations had not heard, and the house of God was not one of prayer. They had not been fruitful. Jesus looked around that temple complex, just like he looked around that fig tree and found no fruit. For both, his rebuke was stern.

Did He Curse Israel?

Some wonder if Jesus was permanently cursing Israel through the parable of the cursed fig tree. Did Jesus curse them? Did he end their potential fruitfulness forever?

I think not. Consider the words of Paul about Israel:

Romans 11:12 (ESV) — 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

The whole world got the gospel, partly because Israel rejected her Messiah. But one day, they will have full inclusion, and Paul was excited to think of all the blessings that day would bring.

Paul elaborated:

Romans 11:15 (ESV) — 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

In other words, if we got reconciliation with God after Israel rejected Jesus, we must get the final resurrection when they accept Jesus.

And Paul seems to think a future day of deliverance will come for Israel:

Romans 11:25–26 (ESV) — 25 A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob."

How can this be? Paul said:

Romans 11:29 (ESV) — 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

But They Were Rendered Fruitless (For A Time)

But Jesus' rebuke of the fig tree does seem to have been symbolic of a long season of fruitlessness for Israel, especially their temple. And, shortly after Jesus' death, in the year 70 A.D., the temple and it's trappings were destroyed. It faded away (Hebrews 8:13).

With all this background, I would now like to apply this passage to our lives today. This wasn't only an ancient word for an ancient religion. This is a word for God's people today. Here are four applications.

1. Adopt a Temple Theology

A Brief Overview of the Temple Within Scripture

All my applications today are built on the first. We must first adopt a temple theology. Let me explain.

Throughout the Bible, God dwells in various temples. Once Israel was established as his people, he dwelt in a tabernacle and then a permanent temple. Both were earthly representations of God's heavenly throneroom.

Before Israel's temple, there was the temple of the Garden of Eden. It was God's dwelling place, a space for mankind to interact with and worship God.

Sin destroyed the Garden temple, and Israel's temple has now expired. Today, though, we have the temple of the church -- not a building, but the collection of God's people. We are his house.

Speaking of believers collectively, Paul said:

1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV) — 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

And speaking of believers individually, Paul said:

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (ESV) — 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

We must embrace this temple theology about ourselves. As individuals and collectively as a church, we are the new temple of God. He dwells in and with us. And, just as Jesus was looking for signs of life and fruitfulness when he visited the temple that day, he looks for fruit in us today.

Leaves vs. Fruit

When Jesus came to the fig tree, he wanted fruit, but he found leaves. When he came to the temple, he wanted fruit but found religious activity that had nothing to do with God. There was no heart devotion or worship. They were busy with all sorts of things, none of them having anything to do with God, and most of them in contradiction with God's kingdom. Jesus is not looking for spiritual busy-ness but lives of true devotion to him.

Take vs. Give

When Jesus came to the temple, he wanted to find people giving to God and their fellow man. He wanted worshippers to pour out their hearts and sacrifices to God. And he wanted the poor, the traveler, and all nations to find a warm welcome and help in their worship. Instead, Jesus found takers. Rather than give, they took from God and their fellow man. Jesus is not looking for us to live as takers but as givers.

Self vs. Others

When Jesus came to the temple, he wanted to find God's people doing all they could to become a house of prayer for all nations. He wanted them to reach out to the highways and byways, welcoming every nationality and ethnicity into his holy house. Instead, Jesus found an ethnocentric nationalism, a wall of hostility between the Jew and the Gentile. Rather than welcome the nations, they had ostracized them. Jesus is not looking for us to behave with prejudicial exclusivity, but with gospel-saturated inclusivity. He does not want us to focus on the self but others.

Hustle vs. Prayer

When Jesus came to the temple, he wanted to see a space dedicated to solemn worship and joyous praise. Instead, he found the court filled with the hustle and bustle of business and trade. He had wanted them to dedicate their temple for worship, but they ran around at a frenetic pace. Jesus is not looking for us to hustle our way through life, but pray our way through life. He wants us to have rhythm and pacing, worship and prayer, built into the fabric of who we are.

2. Have Faith in God

Disconnection From God Leads to Lifelessness

When Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem the next day, Peter spied out the fig tree, withered from the roots. Shocked, he pointed it out to Jesus.

Jesus didn't explain the cursing of the fig tree. They would understand that one years later by pairing Jesus' rebuke of the temple with his rebuke of the tree.

But Jesus did take an opportunity to teach his men. He said, "Have faith in God" (22). The tree was an example. It had no fruit. Now it is withered from the root. Israel had no fruit. And that's because their root had withered. They had disconnected themselves from God. They were far from him, and disconnection from God leads to lifelessness.

Healthy Root = Abundant Fruit

Remember, you are a spiritual being. Your body and mind are important and, if you are saved, they belong to Christ. But he has made you spiritually alive. You can now walk by faith. You can live in a vital and real relationship with God.

When you do, when you are properly aligned to and with him, good fruit inevitably flows from your life. You don't have to produce fruit. It simply grows out of you because you've walked with God.

Reject Showy Christianity

And part of having faith in God is rejecting showy forms of Christianity. It is one thing to act as if you are in the faith, and another entirely to have faith in God. Trust God with your desires, rather than pursue your every impulse. Trust God with your finances, rather than hoard and endlessly fret. Trust God with your future, rather than manipulate to twist it to your liking. Trust God.

But, so often, it is easier to pursue the a leafy life without the fruit of faith. We can slip into the outward show of religiosity without the inner life of prayer, a walk of faith. So don't settle for outward religion. Yearn for more, and reject showy forms of Christianity.

Root Care

As you do, take care of your spiritual roots. As I said, proper alignment with God will lead to fruit. But, often, it is the pursuit of God that most easily falls by the wayside. Schedules are full. Screens call us. Entertainment abounds. I don't even think it's possible to get bored anymore.

But all this distraction can be a weapon in our enemy's hands. He wants to keep us from prayer, from the word, from service, and from fellowship. He will do anything he can to fill up your life with decent things as long as he can keep you from the best things, the things that cultivate your spiritual roots, make you strong, and lead to fruit.

So don't give in. People talk so much about "self-care" these days it has become a punchline. But I would encourage you to develop a practice of root care. The spiritual disciplines -- church engagement, Bible study, prayer, fasting, fellowship, solitude -- these are all important for developing your inner person. The Spirit of Christ takes those actions and works powerfully within. Take care of your spiritual roots.

3. Observe the Fruitful Disciple

But Jesus didn't stop there with Peter. He went on to describe the most dynamic prayer life ever. It moves mountains. It has whatever it asks. It believes it has received from God. It forgives because it's forgiven. It is an amazing life of prayer.

Shocking stuff. Many have misunderstood Jesus' words. One false conclusion is to think that if we just believe enough, mentally envision something we want enough, it will be ours. Jesus rejects such nonsense. The idea of speaking your dreams into existence is a joke. Another false conclusion is to think of Jesus' words as a blank check, a way to get whatever we want, a way to pursue our dreams.

The reason neither of these views is correct is that it misses who Jesus is talking to -- disciples who he's just told to have faith in God. Their entire lives are about to be focused in the direction of his kingdom. And, when their hearts are pure and squarely aimed at God's glory, they could pray with absolute power. These men never understood Jesus' words as a means towards wealth, power, status, or ease. They understood Jesus' words as a way to have the power of God to join them on the mission of God.

So when we read of Jesus' description, we are merely reading his description of the fruitful disciple.

Mountain Mover

The fruitful disciple moves mountains. Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." (23-24).

There is no point in casting a literal mountain into the sea. This is Jesus' way of highlighting mountain-like issues that hinder God's kingdom in our lives. Every person has come up against mountain-like sins. Every parent has encountered mountain-like obstacles. Every servant of Christ has dealt with mountain-sized limitations.

And, for all of them, the fruitful disciple goes to God in confident prayer. They bring God the mountain and plead for his aid. And the cross of Christ makes them confident because if God would not withhold his Son, he will withhold no good thing from his people (Romans 8:32).

Forgiven and Forgiving

But this fruitful disciple also forgives. Jesus said, "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses" (25-26).

You cannot possibly have a dynamic prayer life when bound by bitter unforgiveness. You might have to go through the exercise of forgiveness nearly every time you approach God in prayer. But do it.

There is a doctrinal reason to forgive. If you are in Christ, he has forgiven you. If he has forgiven you, isn't it unfair for you to withhold forgiveness from others?

But Jesus mentioned a practical reason to forgive as well. Keeping forgiveness from others, according to Jesus, keeps God's forgiveness to us. This means you will not experience the joy of grace when you refuse to extend grace to others. Bitterness will bind you up. Don't let it happen.

Examples

I pray we could all grow to become more like this fruitful disciple. We are all on our path, our walk with God. I hope it's a walk of faith for you.

Let's have men who desire fruitfulness and impact to come from their lives. Jesus is certainly looking for fruit. Unlike the temple leaders, posture yourself for others. Self-interests and hobbies that are consuming you and taking you away from your responsibilities must go. Cut them off. Get rid of boyishness and live as a man who moves mountains for your people.

Let's have women who refuse to neglect the spiritual root. Our society pays a ton of attention to what a woman is externally, but Jesus sees the hidden person of the heart (1 Peter 3:4). He doesn't want you so distracted and busy and scattered that you have no time for him. You don't need to fast for five days or have a 3-hour quiet time, but don't neglect your spiritual person.

Let's be citizens who love our nation yet hold the kingdom value of evangelism and gospel hope. As our society trends towards intolerance of Christianity, embrace the body of Christ and the God who saved us. With open arms, let's love God together with others who have been washed by the blood of Jesus.

Let's be a church that refuses to embrace or congratulate churchiness. We don't need leaves without fruit. We don't want to look pretty while adding nothing to our community. Instead, let's seek God and watch him use us to produce the fruit of mountain-moving, evangelistic, faith-filled, constantly-forgiving fruit.