The Monday before Easter Sunday – A Cursing and a Cleansing

Jesus’ practice in the first part of the Passion Week was to spend the night in Bethany which was about a two mile walk from Jerusalem.  Perhaps He and His disciples spent the nights with His friend Lazarus.  Early in the morning Jesus would walk to Jerusalem.  The walk was uphill.  No doubt the path was busy, well-traveled from other worshipers coming for the Passover festivities.

 

A “Curse”

 

On Monday, as Jesus traveled the uphill path, He looked ahead at a fig tree that was unseasonably lush with green leaves.  He anticipated a nice snack only to find that the tree was fruitless.  Jesus used this to teach a lesson.  Matthew expounds on the lesson more Tuesday morning, but it is most likely Monday that the Lord declares that no one will eat fruit from the tree again.

 

This ‘curse’ is not a spontaneous vendetta because of hunger.  The Lord is teaching something much more serious.  Tuesday morning they find that the tree is dead.  No doubt all the travelers took notice at the immediate change from showing great signs of fruit Monday morning to a dead tree Tuesday morning.

 

A Cleansing

 

What happens between the declaration of fruitlessness and the actual fruitlessness?  Something very telling.  Jesus cleanses the Temple.  On Sunday He entered Jerusalem as the Perfect King – the Triumphal Entry.  On Monday He enters Jerusalem as the Perfect Priest, and He cleans house!  Read the account.

 

“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 hall 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” (Mark 11:15-18).

 

What a brave act!  Those of you who have been attending our Sunday morning services will remember that this was the first dramatic public action Jesus did upon entering His public ministry only a few years before this.  What a huge statement!  He drives out those who were using the Passover Season as a way to make money (charging a cut in for themselves when changing foreign currency to temple currency – 10% cut!).  What had become the norm again following Jesus first act of displeasure did not become accepted in His eyes.  He cleanses the temple again.  Jesus overturned the money changer’s tables and drove out the people who were selling doves in the court that should be used for prayer.  I can’t imagine the pandemonium and commotion!  In spite of the yelling and shouting, Jesus’ authority was resolute to bring to fruition this brave act.

 

In the second cleansing Jesus goes even further.  He refuses to let people use the Temple as a shortcut.  The outer “Court of the Gentiles” was a large court – larger than a football field.  And so those who were carrying goods or just passing through would cut through this place that should be used as a place of worship and prayer.  Instead of a place for Spiritual teaching and reflection it had become a thoroughfare of busyness, business, and distortion.  And so Jesus refused to let people come into the complex unless they were coming to worship.  Perhaps He stationed His disciples at the different exits and gates to make sure His wishes were followed.

 

We can’t completely identify with what Jesus did because we do not have a unified church and state.  In Jerusalem, everything at this time is about the Temple and about that Passover Season.  Perhaps you could picture someone going into Time’s Square a week before the ball drops and making everyone be still and quiet and pray, having the nerve to block cars from crossing through in order to make things safe for pedestrians.  The business and hype of Passover, the tens of thousands that had come to join the 100,000 already there would have made the Temple complex look like a beehive of activity.  And Jesus stopped it all.  Once the dust settled, He used the added calm and quiet to teach.  He re-instituted order. 

 

The response to this heroic restoration of order was not what Jesus wanted.  His valiant leadership was repaid with a plan by the religious establishment to kill Jesus.

 

“But the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said” (Luke 19:47-48).

 

Conclusion

 

Perhaps now it is easy for you to see how these two events correspond – the fig tree and the Temple.  Jesus entered Jerusalem hopeful to find the fruit of a people who showed some promise (Triumphal Entry).  But as He entered the temple, He found it just the same as the first time He entered Her gates at the beginning of His public ministry.  He looked for fruit and He found none.

 

How applicable this is to us today!  How often during the Easter season do we show great promise of religiousness, with no heartfelt devotion and praise.  How often do we go through the tradition and ceremony without truly meeting with our Savior and thanking Him.  I’m afraid our culture has become all Pageantry again.  We have Pageantry with no true heartfelt worship.  And that is the fruit that Jesus looks for - the fruit of a heart of worship.

Last week we bought my daughters some beautiful Easter dresses.  And this is one fun part of Easter.  We enjoy dressing up and wearing nice bright spring colors.  But when it is all said and done, where is your heart?  Is this all bright greenery with no fruit?  I trust that you will not only dress up the outside of the fig tree, but you will bring to Jesus a heart full of worship and praise this week as well.  He longs for that fruit.