Cursing and Cleansing

The Bible teaches us that on Monday, the day after Palm Sunday, two significant events occurred that teach us two important lessons - through the fig tree and the temple.

First, Jesus cursed the fig tree. This tree had no fruit. It had leaves, it perhaps looked healthy but, in the end, it had no fruit. This tree is a picture of the nation of Israel; it symbolizes Israel. Israel had the truth of God’s work. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joseph, Caleb, David, Solomon, and others all pointed to an intimate relationship with God. They knew God personally and walked with God intimately. Were they sinners? YES! Did they disobey? YES! But they knew God intimately.

The Jews knew the history of God’s work on behalf of His people. Yet, their faith had become stale, mundane, religious, empty, and vain. There was no authenticity with God and no reality to their faith. When Jesus curses this fig tree, He is foretelling what is to come for Israel. 

This leads us to our first lesson. We are to walk honestly, purely, and relationally with Jesus! Our faith is to be a faith of integrity, honesty,  and transparency. Jesus is not interested in religious behaviors! He is interested in heart change and an authentic walk with Him.

Second, Jesus cleanses the temple. The temple represented the presence of God. And when the people went to the temple, they were going there to meet God. Yet, it had become a place of dishonest gain, commercial enterprise, and unlawful profits. And Jesus would have no part in it! He would have no part in a compromised temple. 

Not only does Jesus want us to walk purely and honestly with Him, He also will not tolerate substitution and compromise. We don’t go to worship in a temple. Today, we are the temple. Our body is the temple in which God dwells and He will not tolerate compromise or displacement. He alone is worthy of our surrender and worship. 

As you pray today, ask God to reveal anything in you that is dishonest, indifferent or compromising to your personal walk with Jesus. 

Read Mark 11:12-18, Luke 19: 45-46