The Anger of Jesus (Mark 11:12-25)
One of the biggest objections I hear from people in our culture to church is the hypocrisy of religious leaders. The abuse crises of the last twenty years have shaken the faith of many to their core.
Where is Jesus in the midst of such terrible abuses of power?
This week at Grace, we continue our series in the gospel of Mark looking at Jesus' attack on hypocrisy. Mark 11:12-25 is the account of Jesus' rejection of outward piety that lacks any sort of fruitfulness at the core. It includes a living parable, where Jesus curses the fig tree, as well as cleansing of the temple courts.
I hope that seeing Jesus' anger at the abuse of power, hypocrisy, and fruitlessness of the leaders of his day is helpful for people in our community. But I also hope that it raises some self-reflective questions for all of us, such as why hypocrisy so quickly takes root in our hearts, what Jesus' anger tells us about what should or could be, and the hope that Christ himself offers.
Looking forward to talking about the goodness of Jesus together this Sunday.
In Christ,
Pastor Bob
PS. Also, this Sunday at Grace we'll have one of our ministry partners who serves in a sensitive country joining us for an update in the worship services. If you're watching online, you might see the live-feed look a little weird during this part of the service. It's designed to help protect their anonymity for safety reasons.
12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “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.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19 And when evening came they went out of the city.
20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
- Mark 11:12-25