A. Years ago, I decided to “edjumacate” myself by reading all the classic novels.
1. I decided to start with Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick.
2. I didn’t get very far, because I just couldn’t take long chapter after long chapter describing the whaling harpoon – you can only say so much about a harpoon, right? I guess you can say a lot.
3. Anyhow, the story of Moby Dick is a compelling and dark story of obsession and revenge.
4. From the beginning of the story, it is obvious that everything in the story is leading to a great and final confrontation.
5. Early on the reader is introduced to Captain Ahab with his peg leg and the reader learns that it was a great white whale with the crooked jaw that was responsible for his lost leg.
6. Captain Ahab promised a Spanish gold piece to the man who first spoted that great white whale named Moby Dick.
7. It’s no surprise that the story climaxes with Captain Ahab standing on top of Moby Dick, spewing curses and plunging his harpoon into its back, as both of them sink into the depths.
8. This was the kind of climax for which Melville had prepared the reader throughout his book.
B. The Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus are likewise a story leading to a climactic conclusion.
1. Almost from the beginning of the story of Jesus, everything was leading to a great and final confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day.
2. Last week, as we began this new sermon series on the last week of Jesus’ life, called “Final Week, Eternal Lessons,” we saw Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey in fulfillment of prophesy, and to signal His identity as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah and king.
3. The multitudes rejoiced and welcomed Jesus with shouts of “Hosanna” – “save us, we pray!”
4. But the Jewish religious leaders confronted Jesus and ordered Him to stop this parade and this serenade, but Jesus refused.
5. Mark’s account of that first Sunday of Holy Week, traditionally known as Palm Sunday, ends with Jesus entering the temple, looking around, and then leaving the city for Bethany.
6. Jesus had seen what He needed to see, but it was late in the day, and He would return the next day, Monday, to do what needed to be done.
7. Jesus’ confrontation with the Jewish religious leaders would continue throughout the week, and on Friday, those religious leaders thought they had won the final battle against Jesus, but come Sunday morning they discovered otherwise.
C. And so, today’s sermon is titled: “Monday – Cursing Fig Trees and Cleansing Temples.”
1. In the Gospel of Mark, Mark used a number of different literary techniques to present his account of the life of Jesus.
a. One of those techniques has become known as the “Markan Sandwich.”
b. This is the technique whereby Mark interrupts a story with what appears to be an unrelated story, and then comes back to the original story – just like a sandwich is made up of one slice of bread, then the meat, and then a second slice of the same kind of bread.
c. There are perhaps 9 of these “Marken Sandwiches” in his Gospel.
d. One example is the healing of Jairus’ daughter which is interrupted with the healing of the woman with the bleeding, but then returns to the story of Jairus’ daughter.
e. The account of the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple is another of those sandwiches as Mark tells about the fig tree, then the temple, but the next day returns to the story of the fig tree.
2. As we look at these accounts today, let’s try to put ourselves in Jesus’ place as He woke up that Monday morning of the last week of His life.
a. It is T-Minus 4 days until the crucifixion and T-Minus 6 days until the resurrection.
3. Picture Jesus rising early that morning and picture Him on His knees in prayer and meditation.
4. We aren’t told that Jesus began His day that way, but we know He started other days that way.
D. Let’s pick up the account of that Monday in Mark 11: 12 The next day when they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to find out if there was anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And his disciples heard it. (Mk. 11:12-14)
1. Mark tells us that Jesus was hungry that morning, so, that may indicate that He skipped breakfast that morning to focus on prayer.
a. Let’s pause here for a moment and let this simple fact settle in – Jesus was hungry.
b. This was the eternal God, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and yet He was hungry!
c. In this simple fact, we catch a glimpse of the humanity of Jesus.
d. While Jesus was fully God, He was also fully human.
e. Jesus felt the same physical needs and emotions and temptations that we all feel.
f. This is one of the important things the Bible emphasizes - Jesus is our faithful High Priest who can understand and help us, because He shared in our humanity.
2. And so, we are told that Jesus was hungry, and that if He had skipped breakfast, He didn’t intend to fast all day, because He approached the fig tree hoping to find some figs to eat.
a. Mark tells us that Jesus found no figs, because it wasn’t the season for figs, and Jesus cursed the fig tree saying, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”
b. Mark also tells us the disciples heard it – Jesus didn’t mumble it under His breath, rather He made the announcement loud and clear so all could hear.
3. Now, if you are like me, you are a little shocked that Jesus would do such a thing, right?
a. Did Jesus get up on the wrong side of the bed that morning? Was Jesus a little on edge with the tension of the week ahead? Was His trigger finger a little heavy on the trigger?
b. And why do such a thing to a poor innocent tree when it wasn’t even fig season? (Don’t you just want to just give the tree a hug?)
E. Well, take a deep breath and allow me to explain a few things.
1. First of all, we need to understand something about fig trees.
a. Fig trees are one of the more unique trees in that they can produce as many as three crops a year.
b. The first crop of the year is produced on the old wood of the tree and comes in even before the leaves are grown – the early crop is not as juicy and rich as later fruit.
c. After the first crop, the leaves and new growth come in, and a new crop develops.
d. The fig tree is unique in that it can be in full fruit, full leaf, and full bloom at the same time.
e. So, even though it wasn’t the main part of fig season when Jesus approached that tree, it wasn’t wrong for Him to expect to find figs on a tree that had its’ leaves.
2. Now that we understand something of fig trees, let’s try to grasp why Jesus did what He did.
a. In Scripture, God often uses the fig tree as a symbol to represent Israel.
b. Something about a tree with no fruit reminded Him of what He saw in the temple the day before, and it reminded Him about what He was going to do at the temple later that day.
c. What Jesus saw in the fig tree and the temple illustrated the poor spiritual condition of Israel.
d. The fig tree had the appearance of offering fruit, but it offered none.
e. The fig tree was all promise and no performance.
f. In a minute, we will see how Jesus came to the temple hungry to see God’s will being carried out, but when He arrived he would find no fruit of true worship, only the “leaves” of pomp and ceremony, and exploitation.
3. Jesus wasn’t angry at the tree, but He was angry about what the tree represented.
a. Jesus was disgusted by the fruitless religion of Israel.
b. Israel was big on the form of religion, but it was empty on faith and heart.
c. Similarly, the church of Laodicea received harsh criticism from Jesus because they were lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, which caused Jesus to want to vomit.
4. The message of the fig tree was not that all of us need to have the same fruit, but that we better show some fruit.
5. Jesus taught in John 15 about the vine and the branches and how the branches needed to stay connected to the vine to be able to bear fruit.
a. Branches that don’t bear fruit are removed and thrown into the fire.
6. The presence of fruit was a symbol of blessing and health for the nation of Israel and the church.
a. But the absence of fruit and the death of the fig tree symbolizes judgment and rejection.
7. Lord willing, next week, as we explore what took place on Tuesday, the next day in the last week of Jesus’ life, Mark will tell us that Jesus and the disciples passed by the cursed tree and saw what happened to it – which Jesus then used as a teaching point.
F. Let’s continue with Mark’s account of what happened on Monday of the last week of Jesus’ earthly life: 15 They came to Jerusalem, and he went into the temple and began to throw out those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. 17 He was teaching 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 thieves!”
18 The chief priests and the scribes heard it and started looking for a way to kill him. For they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was astonished by his teaching. 19 Whenever evening came, they would go out of the city. (Mark 11:15-19)
1. As Jesus arrived at the temple and entered it, He immediately confronted those who used the temple area for personal and financial gain.
a. This picture of Jesus is very different from the weak, timid, milk-toasty type of picture that some people have of Jesus.
b. While our Lord Jesus is gentle and compassionate, He is also a God of holiness and righteous indignation.
c. Keep in mind that this was not a temper tantrum or an impulsive reaction by Jesus.
d. What Jesus did was a deliberate act with an intentional message.
e. Jesus had seen the business and activity of the temple the day before, and He went to sleep that night with pictures of this marketplace and these religious hucksters in His memory.
f. And Jesus returned to the temple of God the next day to make an important point: “You cash in on my people and you’ve got to answer to Me.”
2. Before we talk about why all of this made Jesus so angry, let’s be reminded of the layout of the temple.
a. The word “temple” can refer to the entire structure of the temple or just certain parts of it.
b. The area of the Jewish temple at the time of Jesus was very big, covering between 14 and 20 acres in size (our entire church property is around 4 acres in size).
c. The largest part of the temple was the outermost court called the “Court of the Gentiles” – this was the only part of the temple that Gentiles were allowed to enter.
d. The next court was the “Court of the Women” which was as far into the temple as Jewish women were allowed to go.
e. The next court was the “Court of the Jews” (or the Court of Israel) which was as far as Jewish men could go who were not Levitical priests.
f. Next came the “Court of the Priests” which is where the sacrifices were offered.
g. Inside of that court was the temple proper, the actual temple building with its Holy Place and its Most Holy Place. The rest of the temple was just walled courts with porticos.
3. Can you guess which part of the temple had the selling and money-changing going on? Yup – the Court of the Gentiles.
a. God had promised Abraham that through his offspring all people would be blessed.
b. Even before the church began, God had a place for the Gentiles in His temple.
c. But this part of the temple, that was supposed to be a house of prayer and worship, had been turned into a marketplace, but it was in the only space where Gentiles could worship, because they weren’t allowed to go into those other quieter and more worshipful courts.
4. But why was there selling and money-changing going on in the temple at all?
a. As you will recall, it was Passover week which was the highlight of the Jewish calendar.
b. People came from all over the known world for this celebration.
c. Upon their arrival, Jewish people were obligated to meet two requirements.
d. The first requirement was an animal sacrifice, usually a dove.
1. The dove had to be perfect, without blemish.
2. You could bring your own animal with you on your journey, but odds were that your animal might be injured on the way or declared insufficient or unacceptable.
3. And so, under the guise of keeping the sacrifice pure, the dove and lamb sellers in the temple just happened to have acceptable animals for sale – at a much higher price.
e. The second requirement was a temple tax that had to be paid and it was due every year.
1. The temple tax had to be paid in local currency.
2. Knowing that many foreigners would be in Jerusalem to pay the tax, money changers conveniently set up tables and offered to exchange the foreign money for local currency – for a modest fee, of course.
5. So, it’s not difficult to see why all this angered Jesus, causing Him to enter the temple and overturn the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.
a. God-seeking pilgrims had journeyed for days to come and see God, to witness the holy, and to worship His majesty.
b. But before they were taken into the presence of God, they were taken to the cleaners.
c. If anyone wants to anger God, then just get in the way of people who want to see and follow God.
d. Remember what Jesus said in Mark 9:42? “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away - it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”
6. Another interesting thing that Mark mentioned, in addition to dealing with the sellers of doves and money changers, Mark said that Jesus “would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple.” (Mark 11:16)
a. Earlier I mentioned that the temple grounds were as big as 20 acres in size.
b. The outer court of the temple (The Court of the Gentiles) provided the ideal shortcut from the eastern side of the city of Jerusalem to the western side of the city.
c. Many people had developed the habit of using the temple as a short-cut as they went about their daily activities.
d. Imagine people cutting through our auditorium just to get from Wetzel Road to Polaris Street.
e. Because of all this commerce taking place and all this traffic passing through, it was nearly impossible for the Gentiles to worship God in the Court of the Gentiles.
f. What was supposed to be a place of prayer for all the nations had become a den of thieves and a place of distraction and it burned Jesus’ biscuits!
g. So, for those few minutes, while Jesus was in charge, no buying and selling took place, and no one was allowed to cut through that area unless they were there to worship.
7. What did the Jewish leaders think about what Jesus did? Mark tells us that they started looking for a way to kill Him.
G. The sad, but true fact is that religion is often used for profit, and when that happens, God’s people are exploited and God is infuriated.
1. Let’s consider a modern parallel:
a. Imagine if you came into a church and there was all kinds of commerce going on in the foyer.
b. Imagine that you are told that you aren’t allowed to wear the clothes you had on into worship, but you had to rent or buy a special robe to put on over your clothes, which we just happen to have available.
c. And if you want a song book to sing from, they also are available for sale or to rent.
d. And what about communion supplies? Well, you aren’t allowed to bring yours from home, but we have some for sale.
e. And you would like to make an offering? Great, but you will have to exchange normal currency for contribution currency, and the exchange rate is, well, less than heavenly.
f. Also, if you want to become a member of that church you will have to turn in last year’s tax return so the church can measure if you are giving according to your income.
g. If you were a visitor to that church, you might walk away saying: “What a racket! They
are robbing people in the name of religion” and you would be right on!
2. Unfortunately, religious hucksterism has been practiced throughout human history, and it continues to be alive and well in our time.
a. Religious hucksters are smooth talkers and appear very genuine.
b. They may be on television, radio, YouTube, or may even be in a church pulpit.
c. Sadly, they prey upon and manipulate those who are easily deceived.
d. They are governed by greed, rather than by God, and that is one way to recognize them - by the fact they emphasize their profit more than The Prophet.
3. The apostle Paul issued some warnings about religious hucksters.
a. To Titus, Paul wrote: For there are many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision party. It is necessary to silence them; they are ruining entire households by teaching what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly. (Titus 1:10-11)
b. To the Romans, Paul wrote: Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them, because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words. (Rom. 16:17-18)
4. Another important way to recognize religious hucksters is to listen to their teaching.
a. They tend to be ecclesiastical con men who hold themselves up as higher, or better, or deeper than any who have gone before.
b. They present themselves as pioneers and trail blazers, or the one and only.
c. They are medicine men who tell you to stay away from the pharmacy – they don’t want to trying other treatments.
d. They have franchised an approach and they want to protect it.
e. They promise that they are the only ones who can deliver what you need.
5. Tragically, some people buy it “hook, line, and sinker.”
a. Like the 79 people who died following David Koresh, the cult leader of the Branch Davidians, who all died together in Waco, Texas in 1993.
b. Or like the 780 members of the Peoples Temple Christian Church who obeyed the orders of their leader, Jim Jones, and drank the cyanide-laced Kool-Aid in 1978 in Guyana.
c. Both leaders looked and seemed so right and righteous, and powerful and helpful.
d. But they were false prophets, religious hucksters, wolves in sheep’s clothing.
e. People like them make God angry and will receive God’s harshest judgments.
H. After Jesus cursed the fig tree and cleansed the temple on that Monday of the last week of His earthly life, He and His disciples left Jerusalem and went back out to Bethany for the night.
I. What eternal lessons can we embrace and treasure from this day in the final week of Jesus’ life? Let me quickly offer three lessons.
1. First, Let’s be sure we Stand for the Truth – Like Jesus always stood for the truth.
a. We need to recognize that there is a time to take a stand for the truth with boldness, decisiveness, and clarity.
b. We need God’s wisdom to know when and how to enter the temple and overturn the tables.
c. There is a time to take a stand for the truth against false teachers and religious hucksters.
2. Second, Let’s be sure we Don’t Hinder Others.
a. Let’s make sure that we don’t become someone who is promoting false teaching or profiting from religious hucksterism.
b. Let’s make sure we aren’t the one who is keeping others from seeing God or serving God.
c. We don’t want to be the one who causes others to stumble and end up with the millstone tied around our neck at the bottom of the sea.
3. Finally, Let’s Be Fruitful.
a. We need to take to heart the truth that God is not pleased by fruitlessness.
b. The branch that bears no fruit will be thrown into the fire.
c. James declared that faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:17)
d. We are not saved by works, but can we be saved without them?
e. Disciples of Jesus who love God, and love God’s Word, and love God’s family, and love the lost, are going to be busy doing God’s good works, and the seeds they plant will produce a harvest.
f. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (Jn. 15:5, 8)
g. The good fruit that God wants to produce in us and through us is as varied as the kinds of fruits and vegetables in nature.
h. Godly fruit includes things like godly character, loving service, Bible teaching, generous giving, and the saving of souls.
i. I pray that none of us will end up like the barren fig tree that Jesus cursed.
J. Praise God for Jesus the Son of God, who is our Messiah and King, our Savior and Lord.
1. Praise God for the power and boldness He displayed as He cursed the fig tree and cleansed the temple that final Monday of His earthly life.
2. Praise God that on Friday He died on the cross to take away our sins and arose on Sunday as the resurrection and the life.
3. Praise God that through Jesus we have everything we need for life and for godliness, so that we can be faithful and fruitful – if we stay truly connected to Jesus the vine, the source.
Resources:
• Sermon by David Owens, “Cleaning House,” July, 1994.
• Book by Max Lucado, “And the Angels were Silent,” Multnomah, 1992
