Read: Mark 11:12-25
I played little league as a kid. As a result, I had to sell candy bars to raise money for the team. Because of this text, I wasn’t allowed to sell them inside the Church. I was, however, allowed to wait outside in the parking lot. Even as a kid, I wondered, “Is this really what this passage is about? Or is there more?”
Jesus begins the day by cursing a fig tree. It says that the tree was full of leaves, but it lacked fruit. Mark points out that it was not the season for figs, but at this time of year, there should have been unripened figs, but even those weren’t present. There was no potential for this tree to bear any fruit. Mark makes special note that the disciples were watching and observing everything.
When they got to the temple, Jesus went into a rampage. He drove out those buying and selling. Then Jesus flipped the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those selling doves.
Instead of preparing the sacrifices at home, people could purchase them at the temple. They also had to exchange their money from Roman currency to the Jewish coin in order to pay the temple tax. The dove was the cheapest of all of the sacrifices, so those were sold to help the poor. In Mark 12:40, Jesus accused the Pharisees of devouring widow’s houses. This implies that the temple was being used as a bank, giving out loans to the poor. Then, in Mark 12:41-44, Jesus points out a poor widow who puts her last two coins into the coffer. Jesus is angry because the religious leaders were getting rich off of the poor and corrupting the system of worship in the process.
Everyone knew that the temple was extorting the people. It’s like when you go to a concert or a ballpark. They don’t let you bring any food or drinks inside and all the concessions are marked up considerably. We don’t like it, but we have come to expect it. So did the worshippers in Jesus’ day. The religious leaders would have arrested Jesus on the spot, but they knew that He had the support of the people.
Why is Jesus so angry? Some have said that He is an advocate for the abused, but is there more to the story?
Jesus declares, “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” (Mark 11:17). The temple was a place where people could find access to God. He would hear their prayers and accept their sacrifices. This was to be a witness to the whole world, but the religious leaders had failed in their mission.
Reflect back on the vision from Ezekiel. For over 500 years, the glory of God had been removed from the temple. Yet, instead of repenting and crying out to God, they had kept up appearances. The sacrifices were no longer accepted by God, but the religious leaders had conjured up an elaborate scheme that kept the worshipers returning with their tithes and offerings. Outwardly, it looked like there was life. Inwardly, they were dead. On the following Tuesday the disciples noticed the tree had already withered and died. This demonstrated what Jesus already knew.
The next bit of information is rather confusing. It seems that Jesus is mixing His metaphors when He tells the disciples that they will be able to cast mountains into the sea if they have enough faith. How does all of this tie in together? Let’s look at this in context. Jesus says to trust in God. He is teaching them about faith and prayer.
I once read a book by an agnostic who claimed that Christians don’t actually believe in God because they don’t pray for amputees. This convicted me, but it didn’t crush my faith as the author had intended. Instead, it motivated me to keep in mind that as I am praying, I am crying out to a God who can do the impossible. Do we believe that God can do what He says He can do, or are we only praying for things we think are within the realm of possibility? If it’s the latter, do we truly have faith in God?
In the previous chapter, when Jesus said it was impossible for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God, the disciples asked, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus declares, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). Jesus is saying that we have to look to God and believe that He is capable of doing far beyond whatever we ask or think.
I have learned in ministry that people have a hard time accepting forgiveness for their sins. As a result, they have a really hard time forgiving others. The same can be said of those who don’t think they have done anything wrong, like the rich young ruler. No one can measure up to their standards. That is why Jesus goes on to say that we should forgive others so that our heavenly Father will forgive us. When we understand how much we have offended God, and how much we are forgiven, we can no longer hold anything against those who have hurt us. It doesn’t even compare.
A problem with the sacrifices in the temple is that they were often made without faith. There was a presumption that God would accept whatever was given without ever considering what He wanted. This was the problem of Cain against His brother Abel, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous… And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:4, 6). Cain presumed that his sacrifice was acceptable, but he wasn’t seeking God. The same could be said in the temple sacrifices.
The temple was meant to be a way of bringing people to God, but His glory was no longer there. Had the people been seeking God, they would have known that. When Jesus showed up, the glory of God returned, but the people didn’t recognize it. That is why Jesus is so angry.
Do you believe in God? Do you have faith that He can do the impossible? Are you bearing the fruit of forgiving others? Have you presumed that your sacrifices are acceptable to God? Are you seeking the Lord?