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[e] went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
-Mark 11:12-25
What a weird passage. This is like “mean” Jesus. Jesus curses a fig tree and it dies and then Jesus goes postal and starts flipping tables at the temple. What’s going on?
This passage is portraying Jesus as a righteous judge. As Christians and sinners, we love the loving Jesus. The cuddly Jesus. But Jesus is not cuddly. I love Christian author C. S. Lewis’s depiction of God as a magnificent lion named Aslan in his Chronicles of Narnia book series.
“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr. Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.” -The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe
Jesus isn’t going postal in this passage when he curses the fig tree or causing a ruckus at the temple. He’s demonstrating his power as the king of the universe. He’s warning us all that one day judgment is coming. As king, he’s going to deal with all the injustice, all the sin, and all the messed-up-ness of the world and make it right. That’s what a good king does—make things right.
In this passage, merchants were using the temple courts and using religion to take advantage of everyday people by charging exorbitant prices for animals necessary for sacrifice in the Jewish religion. Jesus said that’s messed up that you’re using religion to get rich for yourself so he overturned their tables as a sign of judgment. As king, Jesus was dealing with an injustice.
This passage should give us comfort that we have a God who loves justice. All the injustices in the world will one day be made right, if not here on earth, then certainly on the Day of Judgment before the throne of God.
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