cleansing of the Temple

No Figs. No Glory.

/ kdmiller55 / 2 Comments

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. – Mark 11:12-19 ESV

After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus had done a quick tour of the temple complex then returned to Bethany with His disciples. Evidently, they were staying at the home of Lazarus in Bethany. The next morning, Jesus and His disciples returned to the city, passing through the Kidron Valley and into the eastern gate. But Mark records a somewhat strange incident that took place as they made their way back to the city. He makes special note of Jesus’ hunger. This fact could have only have been known to Mark if it had been revealed to him by one of the disciples he interviewed for his gospel account. And the only way the disciples could have been aware of Jesus’ hunger is if He had said something about it that morning.

Having made known His hunger, Jesus spied a leaf-covered fig tree in the distance and made His way to it “to see if he could find anything on it” (Mark 11:13 ESV). The context indicates that He was looking for fruit to satisfy His hunger. But when He and the disciples arrived at the tree, they found it had leaves but no fruit. This point is significant because when the leaves of a fig tree began to appear, the fruit was not far behind. But this tree, while covered in leaves, was devoid of any figs. And Mark makes sure his readers know that “it was not the season for figs” (Mark 11:13 ESV).

The tree gave off the appearance of fruitfulness. Because it was covered in leaves it left the impression that it also bore the fruit that typically appeared at the same time. This tree had bloomed out of season. And while, from a distance, it appeared to be a fruit-bearing tree, it proved to be a disappointment. It failed to have what was necessary to satisfy Jesus’ hunger. So, Jesus cursed it.

“May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” – Mark 11:14 ESV

At first glance, it might appear that Jesus had either an eating disorder or an anger problem. After all, He cursed a tree for failing to bear fruit out of season, and all because He was hungry. But this entire scene was orchestrated by Jesus to drive home a point to His disciples. In doing what He did, Jesus was subtly recalling the words of the prophet Hosea.

They have deeply corrupted themselves
    as in the days of Gibeah:
he will remember their iniquity;
    he will punish their sins.

Like grapes in the wilderness,
    I found Israel.
Like the first fruit on the fig tree
    in its first season,
    I saw your fathers.
But they came to Baal-peor
    and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame,
    and became detestable like the thing they loved. – Hosea 9:9-10 ESV

Hosea was warning the people of Israel about God’s pending judgment because of their sin and rebellion against Him. While at one time they had been faithful and fruitful, they had ended up seeking other gods and committing spiritual adultery. They had been like a fig tree that bore fruit in season and then had suddenly lost its capacity to bear fruit at all.

This entire scene was designed by Jesus to be a powerful object lesson for His disciples. But it would come in two parts. The real point of the lesson would not be revealed until sometime later. In the meantime, Jesus and His disciples continued their walk to the city, most likely entering the eastern gate which opened directly onto the temple grounds. Once inside, Jesus encountered a familiar scene that caused His blood to boil. There, in the Courtyard of the Gentiles, were the same moneychangers and other vendors He had cast out a year earlier. During the Passover season, tens of thousands of pilgrims would make their way to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the temple. Because many of them were forced to travel great distances, they were not able to bring their sacrificial animals. So, the priests had set up a market within the Courtyard of the Gentiles where sacrificial animals could be purchased at exorbitant rates. And since only the local currency was accepted, pilgrims were required to exchange their foreign coinage with one of the temple-approved vendors. And, of course, these official moneychangers charged high fees for their services.

Jesus was infuriated by the carnival-like atmosphere and the blatant displays of greed and graft that filled the temple grounds. And, just as He had done before, Jesus cleaned house.

Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts… – Mark 11:16 NLT

We can only imagine the chaos that Jesus caused as He ransacked the stalls of the various vendors, upsetting their tables, and letting loose the sacrificial animals. He became a one-man wrecking machine, disrupting this Sanhedrin-sanctioned display of corruption and vice. And all the disciples could do was stand back and watch in slack-jawed amazement. But had the disciples understood the motivation behind Jesus’ actions, they would have joined Him in His efforts.

It is important that we consider where all of this took place. It was in the Courtyard of the Gentiles. This was the only area on the entire temple complex where non-Jews were allowed to enter. Any Gentiles who wished to worship the God of the Jews were free to do so, but they were restricted to this one area of the temple. In a sense, they were treated as second-class citizens. And the transformation of their courtyard from a place of prayer into a place of commerce was more than Jesus could stand. His righteous indignation was motivated by His understanding of His Father’s love for all people. And Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56 to reveal the nature of His wrath.

“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
    to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
    and holds fast my covenant—
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
    and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
    will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
    for all peoples.” – Isaiah 56:6-7 ESV

The temple priests were more than willing to profit off the Gentiles who came to offer their burnt offerings and sacrifices to Yahweh. They would gladly sell them sacrificial animals way above market value and fill the temple treasury with the tidy profits they made. But in the midst of all the chaos and confusion, the prayers of the people were drowned out and the anger of the Son of God spilled over.

He accused the religious leaders of Israel of turning His Father’s house into a “den of robbers.” Once again, Jesus borrows from the writings of the prophets. This time He quotes from the book of Jeremiah.

“‘Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie! Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are safe!”—only to go right back to all those evils again? Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken!’” – Jeremiah 7:8-11 NLT

God had condemned the people of Israel for their hypocrisy and condemned their tendency to treat the temple as some kind of talisman or good luck charm. They were guilty of living lives that violated every one of God’s commands and then returning to His temple as if they were innocent of any wrong-doing. In a sense, they were using the temple like a hideout, a place of sanctuary that they hoped would protect them from the punishment they deserved for their crimes against God.

And here, hundreds of years later, Jesus was echoing the words of His Heavenly Father and condemning the Jews of His day for continuing the apostasy of their ancestors. Nothing had changed. And the proof can be seen in the reaction of the religious leaders.

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. – Mark 11:18 ESV

Rather than displaying remorse, these men seek revenge. They show no signs of regret or even a hint of conviction. In their minds, Jesus was the guilty party. He was the one who deserved to die. So, with this last public outburst by Jesus fresh on their minds, they began to plot His demise. But Jesus simply walked away, leaving a path of destruction in His wake. He walked out of the temple grounds, never to return again.

The departure of Jesus from the temple recalls another instance when the prophet Ezekiel was given a vision from God. In that vision, Ezekiel was given a glimpse of the glory of God filling the temple.

…the cloud of glory filled the inner courtyard. Then the glory of the Lord rose up from above the cherubim and went over to the entrance of the Temple. The Temple was filled with this cloud of glory, and the courtyard glowed brightly with the glory of the Lord. – Ezekiel 10:3-4 NLT

But as Ezekiel continued to watch, something truly significant happened. The glory of God slowly moved toward the east gate, which opened onto the Kidron Valley. And then, the glory of God departed. God Almighty vacated the premises.

Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the entrance of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. – Ezekiel 10:18-19 NLT

And Mark records that when evening came, Jesus and His disciples “went out of the city” (Mark 11:19 ESV). Jesus walked out the same gate He had walked in. And He would never enter the temple grounds again. The glory of God had left the temple, never to return. And that same temple, which the Jewish people revered and worshiped, would soon become a pile of rubble, destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. And to this day, the Jews have no temple. The glory of God, as revealed in the Son of God, has taken up residence in all those who have become the children of God. We are His temple, His dwelling place.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Seven Days to Sunday – Week 4

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7daystillsunday_screenThis is the fourth week in our series on the final week of Jesus’ life. It deals with two very interesting events that are typically disconnected from one another, but that should be taken together to understand their meaning. The cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the Temple are not two isolated events, but are meant to be taken together and provide us with one primary lesson.

SevenDaysWk4Notes

Day 98 – Matthew 21:10-19; Mark 11:12-18; Luke 19:45-48

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The Cursing and The Cleansing.

Matthew 21:10-19; Mark 11:12-18; Luke 19:45-48

When he arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. – Mark 11:15-16 NLT

One of the reasons it is important to read each of the gospels simultaneously and in what is called a “harmony” is that it provides you with a much more accurate timeline of the events. The gospels were written by four different men, each addressing a different audience and with a different purpose in mind, so they each included or omitted certain details depending on the point they were trying to make. Matthew was writing predominantly to a Jewish audience, so he included many details that were pertinent or relevant to them. Mark was writing to a mostly Gentile audience, those who had been converted to Christianity from pagan religions, and so he leaves out the entire genealogy of Jesus and goes straight to the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Luke was a Greek physician writing to the Gentile individual named Theophilus. Luke was not a disciple of Jesus, but had become a close friend and companion of Paul. He tells us the reason he wrote his account right at the outset. “Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught” (Luke 1:3-4 NLT). John, a disciple of Jesus, writes his account to an audience made up of new Christians and those who were still seeking and searching. These four different men, while telling the same story, each had four different objectives in mind. By comparing and compiling their four stories, you get a much more detailed and accurate view of the events surrounding the life of Jesus. And that is important when reading the account of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of His last week on earth.

After entering Jerusalem on Sunday to the shouts of Hosanna and the seeming acceptance of the crowds, Mark tells us Jesus went to the Temple and, “after looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples” (Mark 11:11 NLT). Bethany would be their home base during what is called the Passion Week. They would return there each evening and spend the night. Then each morning they would make their way back to the eastern gate of the city of Jerusalem, passing through the Mount of Olives along the way. It would have been about at two-mile walk. On Monday morning Jesus and the disciples returned to Jerusalem and along the way they passed a fig tree. Jesus “noticed a fig tree in full leaf and little way off, so the went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leave because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, ‘May no one eat your fruit again!’ And the disciples heard him say it” (Mark 11:12-14 NLT).  This sequence of events is important if we are to understand what Jesus does next. Jesus curses the fig tree first. Then He and the disciples made their way to the Temple where He “entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace” (Mark 11:15-16 NLT). If you take these two events out of order or try to deal with them independently, they become difficult to understand. The cursing of the fig tree makes sense only if you keep in mind what Jesus did next.

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem that Sunday and took a look around the Temple grounds, He saw what had become of His Father’s house. He assessed the situation and then left for the day. On the way back in the next morning, He sees the barren fig tree and curses it. Matthew tells us that Jesus was hungry and when He goes to find fruit on the tree, there is none. But His cursing of the tree is not done out of anger or vindictiveness. This was not some petty power display done on Jesus’ part. This was a visible lesson being taught to the disciples. One of the important points in the story is that the tree was in full bloom. It was a healthy, visibly vibrant tree that had all the appearances of fruitfulness. But there was none. Think back on what John the Baptist had to say to the Jewish religious leaders, “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance’” (Matthew 3:7-8 ESV).

Now we could do a lengthy study on the fruit-bearing properties of the Middle Eastern fig tree, but that is not the point of the story. There are commentators who try to explain that the fig tree in that part of the world has fruit on it year found. Others say if it was in leaf, it should have had fruit. But all we know from the gospel accounts is that IT HAD NO FRUIT. Mark tells us it was not the season for fruit, and yet, Jesus hungered for fruit. He came expecting to see and enjoy fruit. BUT THE TREE WAS EMPTY OF FRUIT. It was appealing to the eye, but failed to meet Jesus’ expectations. As usual, this event had much to do with Jesus’ perception of the religious leaders of His day. Jesus had accused the Pharisees of doing everything for show. “They do all their deeds to be seen by others” (Matthew 23:5 ESV). But this problem had become a national epidemic. To all appearances, the nation of Israel had all the trappings of religious fervor and faith. They had a place of worship – the Temple. They practiced the religious requirements as handed down by God – Passover, Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles, the Law, etc. They had a priesthood. They made regular sacrifices to atone for their sins. In his book, The Words and Works of Jesus, J. Dwight Pentecost writes, “Like the leafy tree, they had given external evidence of being fruitful but on examination they were seen to be barren and fruitless. Therefore judgment had to come on that generation.”

Mark tells us that it was the next morning, as they passed by the fig tree again, that the disciples noticed it was withered from the roots up. “Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, ‘Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!’” (Mark 11:20-21 NLT). So what’s the point? The cursing of the fig tree was a statement against the spiritual hypocrisy and religious formalism of the Pharisees. The fig tree had all that was required for fruitfulness, but no fruit. Jesus uses the moment to teach the disciples an important lesson on faith, and He makes the main point right at the outset: “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22 NLT).

No faith. No Fruit.

It was the lack of faith in God that resulted in Israel’s barrenness. They were not experiencing the power of God in their lives (Mark 11:23). They were not enjoying answered prayers from God (Mark 11:24). Their prayers were hindered by hatred and unforgiveness (Mark 11: 25). Over in the book of John we read the words of Jesus, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in my, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father” (John 15:5-8 NLT). Fruitfulness and faith go hand in hand.

When Jesus cleansed the Temple, He shouted, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves’” (Mark 11:17 NLT). They were stealing glory from God. They were abusing the people of God. They were more obsessed about financial gain than holiness. They were more interested in fleecing the people than faithfulness. But God’s house was for all people. Jesus had come for all men. Salvation was for all who would believe. They had taken the court of the Gentiles, the only place non-Jews could worship, and turned it into a three-ring circus. It was here they had set up their system of graft and greed, disguised as religion. But at the end of the day, Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple was all about obedience and faithfulness. It was about commitment to the Lord and not religiousness and ritual. Jesus compared them to their rebellious ancestors and concludes that NOTHING HAD CHANGED! The Temple was not going to save them. It was the God of the Temple who was their only hope. It was the people who God had called to His Temple who were important.

Over in his letter to the Corinthian believers, Paul reminds us, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NLT). Jesus is still looking for fruitfulness from His people. That fruitfulness is only possible through faith in God. But those who have faith in God and believe in the Son of God will experience the fruit of the Spirit and the power of God in their lives.

Father, You have called us to be fruitful. You have given us Your Spirit to produce His fruit in us. But it requires that we have faith in You, not ourselves. You are not looking for religious zeal and hard work. You are not waiting to be impressed by our own self-effort, but You are looking to see if we will wait on You and lean fully on You. You want to produce Your fruit in us and reveal Your power through us. Help us learn to have faith in You! Amen.

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org