29-May-15

Gospel MK 11:11-26
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area.
He looked around at everything and, since it was already late,
went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.
Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went over to see if he could find anything on it.
When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs.
And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!”
And his disciples heard it.
They came to Jerusalem,
and on entering the temple area
he began to drive out those selling and buying there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves.
He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area. Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written:
My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples?
But you have made it a den of thieves.”
The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it
and were seeking a way to put him to death,
yet they feared him because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city.
Early in the morning, as they were walking along,
they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look!
The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.
Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’
and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen,
it shall be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions.”
Reflection:
"When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs."
If it was not the right season for the tree to produce, why would Jesus destroy the tree?
Many believe that the fig tree in today's gospel is symbolic of Israel not producing fruit, thus Jesus caused the tree to wither.But Jesus did not tell the tree to "wither."
He said, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!”
The next day Jesus cleansed the Temple of the money changers and animal stalls. Following Jesus' radical actions "The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of itand were seeking a way to put him to death."
Over the ages, God had given the Israelites many chances to repent and mend their ways. But, only when they sought a way to put the Son of God to death did the tree (Israel) wither.
When reading the gospel stories, it is all too easy for me to fall into the trap of focusing on the failure of the Israelites and forget to apply the lesson to myself.
There is another story about a fig tree in the gospel of Luke that gives us direction on how we should behave as Christians..
"And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'" Luke 13: 7-9
We should always find a way to care for those who have fallen, those whose time to produce has not yet come.
May our kindness, love, compassion, and good works nurture them so that they may produce the fruit that God intends for them to bear.

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32