Trouble in the Temple

Text

Mark 11:11–26 NASB95

Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. And He began to teach and say 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 robbers’ den.” The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. When evening came, they would go out of the city. As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”

Trouble in the Temple

The book of Mark is believed to be written with a Gentile audience (situated in Rome)

It is believed now, to be the earliest gospel account

It is not simply a record of what Jesus did and taught but a statement against the Roman powers

Mark highlights:

The Activity of Jesus

The Humanity of Jesus (emotion)

The Training of Jesus

The Christology of Jesus

It is an encouragement for disciples to remain committed in the face of diffulty and persecution

It is not only teaching us about Jesus, but also, how to be a disciple of Jesus

Introduction

What the author does here is employ the use of a device called an intercalation

This device used by Mark, called the Marcan sandwich, uses to outer narratives as a sandwich for an inner narrative which it seeks to draw attention to our explain further.

[Other examples include: 3:20-35; 4:1-20; 5:21-43; 6:7-30]

The outer narratives are the bun, the inner narrative is the meat and together they make a sandwich.

[Analogy: bara and channa]

The text, makes more sense when everything is taken together

THE FIG TREE

THE TEMPLE

THE FIG TREE

Mark wants us to appreciate what Jesus does in the temple in light of what is done with the fig tree.

In other words, there is something about the fig tree that sheds light on what went down in the temple.

What then can we learn from the “Trouble in the temple”?

The Temple and the fig tree

Mark 11:11–14 “Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.”

What was on the mind of Jesus when we looked around the temple? (vs. 11)

Luke 19:39–41 “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it,”

This gives us a clue. It tells us that Jesus was sad at the state of the city, and the people

If this is how He felt about the city, can you imagine how He felt about the TEMPLE?

What was on Jesus’ mind with this fig tree? (vs.13)

It is clear that Jesus expected something from the fig tree

What Mark wishes to communicate is that “gathering time” hadn’t come so there should’ve been something on the tree - BUT THERE WASN’T

The leaves were present but the fruit was absent

The foliage was inviting but the tree was empty

It’s look told one story, but the fruit told another

He cursed the tree, “and the disciples were listening”

Jesus goes back to the temple. . .there was trouble in the temple. (vs. 15)

It is evident from the accounts that what Jesus saw in the temple troubled Him

And in return, Jesus caused some trouble in the temple

Now…the selling of doves and changing the money wasn’t weird. (vs. 15)

What was the issue?

Isaiah 56:7 “Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.””

This passage gives us a glimpse of what God had in mind for all people, but when Jesus “looked at everything” - there was trouble in the temple

Jesus was concerned that actual purpose of the temple was being displaced by the procedures of the temple. [There is a problem when the end is lost because of an over-indulgence in the means]

The commerce was taking place in the Court of the Gentiles, thus excluding the nations, something God wanted to have

The story is told of a preacher who came to a congregation. He suggested that he began a class to train men and equip them to teach, but the proposal was rejected for fear that there attendance would dip lower than those of the women classes - means became more important than the end

The temple was busy and bustling with commerce and currency conversion. But there was no sapce to pray and meditate on God. Where was the excitement and joy? It was replaced by exchanging money and selling birds.

The fig tree teaches us that EXPECTATION DID NOT MATCH THE REALITY - this was the issue with the temple

APPLICATION

Don’t just aim for leaves, aim for fruit

God didn’t call you to look good and not be good

Luke 13:7 ““And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’”

Fruit is the evidence that Jesus has influence

When Jesus examines your “temple” is He seeing something that pleases Him or is He seeing a foliage that is not properly functioning

Does the fig tree only have leaves or does it have some fruit?

Is HE seeing someone who is more interested in procedures but lost their purpose - the rituals and routines have replaced idea that Christ resides in me

On a church level, have lost our purpose?

Do we have an organism or an organisation?

Are me mission-minded or maintenance-minded?

Are we servants/stewards or spectators?

Are we Christ’s followers or are we customers?

Are we a family or are we just associates?

Do we have fellowship or just formality?

If your answer to any of those questions was the latter option. . .then there is “Trouble in the Temple”

And it’s ok if you’re mad

Mark 11:18 “The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.”

APPLICATION - There will always be those who prefer to hurt the messenger that heed the message - What will you do? (vs.18)

In the world - they will ill-speak God, the church, the preacher, the leaders, the men/women. . .instead of simply submitting to what the word said.

In the church - they will ill-speak the elders, the preachers, deacons, workers, programs, find a reason to keep doing what they are doing, find a reason to remain as they are. . .instead of simply submitting to what God said.

Temple activities displaced the purpose and the God behind the temple

Jeremiah 7:11 ““Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the Lord.”

I don’t beleive cleansing is all Jesus had in mind, becasue He alludes to a verse that foretells of a destruction of the temple

APPL. It was never about the temple [that’s why God never kept it] - the temple was just a conduit to me!

This gives some understnading to the next dialogue. . .

Rabbi, look, the fig tree (vs.21)

Mark 11:21 “Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.””

Jesus’ answer is interesting

Mark 11:23 ““Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.”

If FAITH can move the temple, I rather put my faith in God than the temple

Their affinity to the temple is evident

Mark 13:1–2 “As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.””

Your dependence, trust, faith needs to be in God or else you will be a fig tree with leaves but no fruit.

You must be committed to be transformed

You must be committed to know your saviour

You must be committed to the mission of the saviour

You must be committed to put away the things that are hindering you from doing the above

Stop dabbling with sin when no one is around

Stop doing with selfish ambition

Stop making excuses to not follow the clear commands of God

For the people listening, this is powerful. The destruction fo Jerusalem was still on its way. Knowing that in God I’ll still be ok was a great encouragement.