These writings are my own daily thoughts of short passages from the Bible. Follow along and keep me active in writing everyday. Maybe we will make it through the whole Bible.
Mark 11:12~19
And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: ’My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ’a den of robbers.’" (17)
The tree, the temple, our lives are given to bear good fruit. Jesus is the Lord of life and when he went to the fig tree he did not find any fruit. It was full of leaves but no fruit. Jesus said to the fig tree: "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." Jesus' disciples were there with him. They heard him say this. Maybe it didn't seem possible. Maybe it didn't seem fair that a fig tree would be cursed for having no fruit, but Jesus intentionally wanted his disciples to hear this to open their eyes to the spiritual reality.
The temple was like the fig tree. Although it looked beautiful on the outside, it was not fulfilling its purpose to bear fruit. It was like when Jesus reached into the fig tree and found nothing but leaves. He reached into the temple courts and found nothing but people buying and selling there. They looked busy doing something, but in reality there was no work of God there. Of course there were many reasons for their actions. People came from far away and it was difficult to bring animals from far away. It was much more convenient to buy the animals in the temple courts. And outside money contained images of the Roman emperor so those coins were not allowed in the temple. The money was first exchanged at the money changers before being used in the temple. This was all done in the temple courts. These courts are called the "courts of the gentiles" as this was the only place foreigners could present themselves to worship. The foreigners were not allowed in ay other place in the temple. But now the "courts of the gentiles" became a market place buying and selling cattle and sheep and doves. Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. What Jesus did must have seemed radical to his disciples. But Jesus taught them: "Is it not written: ’My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ’a den of robbers.'" The temple was the house of God to be a house of prayer for all nations. Even the temple grounds should be an area to pray for all nations and should be a place where people of all nations could come and pray. But the temple became a "den of robbers".... that is a robber's hide out. The religious leaders were like robbers who robbed the gentiles of their court. Instead of sounds of praise and thanksgiving they heard the sounds of cows and bargaining and haggling. It had become a market place and a den of robbers. Jesus was broken hearted that his father's house had become a den of robbers. Jesus cleaned out the money changers and those buying and selling. It was the opportunity for the chief priests and teachers of the law to think about what they were doing and really reflect on the business going on in the temple and then repent and offer God the fruits of repentance. Instead of repenting they began to look for a way to kill Jesus. They thought if they got rid of Jesus then they could get rid of the problem and go back to business as usual. Their hearts were dark and corrupt, not only robbers, but murderers.
Here we see a beautiful church building and a lot of activity going on to worship, but it seems that very few thought about what they were doing and why. The temple was the place people were supposed to meet God. It got so busy no one knew what they were doing. It surely wasn't the house of prayer for many nations. Each day we hear news about what is going on. It is not really business as usual. It is time to pray for many nations. That means to go beyond the little box we live in and welcome others. In our mission house we have the blessing of welcoming many nations especially around the summer time. This year may be one of the busiest because the covid restrictions are down. We have the opportunity to make our house a house of prayer for many nations or business as usual. The walls are being painted, but it's not the walls that God looks at. God looks at the heart, if we are willing to welcome one person in Jesus' name. We run into our limits but Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Even if we cannot welcome one person, we can welcome one person in Jesus' name.
When I think about fruit I once thought it meant having disciples like Jesus, but fruit is more. It is a changed life from a changed heart and repentance. May God soften my heart to serve the serve his word and welcome one person in Jesus' name.
Passage Mark 10:12~19
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’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
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 went out of the city.
The picture below was made by @dailybread101 on Picsart. The cover picture is courtesy of Ralph in Germany
