Mark 11 covers a lot of ground. Actually, Jesus covers a lot of ground, figuratively and literally. Right on the heels of the triumphal entry, Jesus and the disciples are leaving Bethany. Jesus saw a fig tree in the distance and because he was hungry, he looked to see if there was anything to eat. It wasn’t the season for figs, so there was more to this than looking for a snack. No figs. Lots of leaves, yet barren of fruit. Jesus curses the tree by saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again”. And his disciples heard it.

Jesus and the disciples keep walking and make their way to the temple in Jerusalem. The temple has several courtyards and the area they step into is where the Gentiles have access. This is the area the Gentiles are supposed to have access, yet they do not. There is no room due to the number of vendors. Money changers. Sellers of pigeons. This was meant to be a place to allow those outside to enter into worship. It was intended to include others, not exploit them. Just as in the world we live in, the heart is easily seduced when dollar signs begin to light up our brains. Good intentions rotted as the core beliefs of people shifted into making money. Seeing others was only to calculate how much profit might be gained, not seeing them with the spiritual needs they had. Have you ever found yourself making the effort to join others and share your heart, your thoughts and your life, only to discover there was no space for you? Perhaps this was supposed to be an open invitation, no reservations required, and you expected to be given access, only to find out there was no room for you. If you are like me, you feel neglected and lacking. Feeling closed out and left out is not what Jesus came for. Jesus came for everyone. Jews, Gentiles, the lowly and the lofty. The only thing required is a heart open for Jesus to fill.

As the people Jesus came for approached the temple, there was no room and Jesus displayed a righteous anger that probably shocked a few onlookers. Can you imagine waiting to purchase a pigeon for sacrifice and hear the sounds of tables being overturned, birds squawking, and coins being scattered? There would have been shouts of disbelief and confusion. Personally, I do not think anyone was bold or stupid enough to challenge Jesus. They knew they were in God's temple. They knew it was to be a house of prayer for the nations and they knew it resembled the marketplace more than a place of worship. Not quiet reverence but bartering and disagreeing over the markup.

As the chief priests and scribes heard the commotion, they began seeking a way to destroy him, because the crowd was astonished at his teaching. The crowd was astonished. The religious power-hungry leaders were threatened. Jesus opened doors, the religious elite put up fences and walls. Jesus was inclusive and this infuriated them.

When evening came, Jesus and the disciples went out of the city. In the morning, they passed the fig tree Jesus cursed the day before. It had withered to its roots. In spite of the branches covered with leaves the day before, it was shriveled and basically dead. Like the temple that looked as if there was spiritual life within, it had withered because there was no real life at its core. It may have looked good on the outside, but it was just a show. There was no life pulsing through it.

The questions I must ask myself are these; Is there spiritual fruit bearing in my life? Am I more concerned with how my life appears or am I concerned with the things of God and what He sees in me? Is my root system connected to the source of life or is it rotting?

There will come a time when my life will reveal the true nature of what is and was. May it be a life of bearing spiritual fruit. Not a life of looking good on the outside, but one of inner cultivation. Turning the soil of a rich, and nutrient dense heart able to sustain life that matters. It won’t matter if a bit of the bark is peeling or if some of the leaves are turning shades of yellow and orange. What will matter is if someone needing nourishment to keep walking with Jesus will look up, see the fruit and know they are welcome to take and eat. For the glory of God. Amen