Mark 11:12-25
Bethany
Vintage 150-year-old photos
show the populations
about the same as Jesus' time on earth.
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.”
Jesus and the Fig tree out of season. Not the same as Jesus with the Syrophoenician Woman's humility, seeking earnestly to heal her daughter. Jesus had traveled to Tyre, not on the Israel soil. Jesus had the honest option to say, this, and did Not:
Luke 13
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’
8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
Jesus and the Fig tree out of season. Not the same as Jesus giving the parable about the Tree of Heaven gathering birds to the shelter.
Matthew 13:32
It is the smallest of all seeds,
but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants
and becomes a tree,
so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.
What Trespasses does Mark 11 call up? The Ten Parables used to get into me and make me squirm. What if I felt fearful the year I was asked? Some years are scary to feel good about risks.
What is uncomfortable about Mark 11? Not so much about the Fig tree. But how will we move mountains?
What if we could, move mountains, if we understood forgiveness enough?
What if we could move mountains without holding on to the fringe of Jesus?
What if that mountain stopped an avalanche, but Noooo we had to move the mountain.
Because we felt lazy and peckish that day about the work of traveling uphill?
This isn't immature, it sounds lighthearted, but is the Biblical equivalent of:
1 Corinthians 13
so as to remove mountains, but have not love,
I am nothing.
3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,
but have not love,
I gain nothing.
Suppose the Disciples, having spent 40 days with Risen and Victorious Jesus, could have used their God - given gifts to heal Israel and have the Romans thrown out, as they asked Jesus in Acts 2. And Jesus had replied, you are gods, as in Psalm 82:6-8. So as if they could,
Psalm 18:29-36
For by You
I can run through a troop,
and by my God
I can leap over a wall.
ACTS 2
The gall of His Disciples
6 So when they had come together, they asked Him,
“Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His Own Authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 And when He had said these things,
as they were looking on,
He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.
What would happen if Israel threw out the Romans?
The Centurions and Tribunes, went home to Rome. And these fierce military men told of Jesus risen. Of Tombs opening past these men. Of Good Friday, darkness, earthquake and the fire in the Temple. Surely.
The Rock placed by pilgrims, over Peter's grave
saved his bones from weather.
Jesus took His Disciples and explained in Caesarea of Rome's involvement in Peter's grave. The Rock. The eternity of the Church. The placement in Rome. And He didn't go into all the details. Exactly as Genesis, a day to God, is a thousand years. Jesus didn't explain about trade and ships and all roads lead to Rome. About the fire of the Spirit of Acts 2 spreading worldwide. Similarly to Italy, being the vacation hub of the world and as Covid was recognized, the death toll in Italy rose to 25% and the airplanes and ships went on home.
Scala Sancta
brought back by Emperor Constantine's
mother
Vatican's stairs
to Peter's Tomb
80 feet below the Altar.
What would happen if Israel threw out the Romans?
The next civilization, in the fall of Rome, could be something like the Mongols of Asia, bringing a death toll similar to the Black Plague. Ending the spread of His Gospel by violent death in entire areas or cities. The UK and Ireland loved Druid human sacrifices. That could have spread. Or the Vikings who killed villages. Or the Muslims who killed entire towns in Spain.
Rome kept the world interested in profit and trade, jobs, employment, provisions for family, spouse and children. Safety was needed. Until.... the spread of Christianity returned the world from a falling Roman Empire, the Church to encourage safety and trade, evening prayer, instead of the current events - having this safety dismantled people huddled forever behind a city wall.
God's answer to throwing out the Romans?
He was saving them from evil. Saving them from turning the blind see, the lame healed, the deaf hear and the poor have Good News into another war of blood and guts. Instead, Jesus was allowing Rome to become part of the healing of Jesus. The centurions and Tribunes forgiven by Jesus on the cross.
When the Fig Tree is pronounced by Jesus Christ, Only Son of God, Savior of the World, Bringing a New Heaven and a new earth,
we learn to be grateful for the Will of God. Nahum 2.
Abraham, in Genesis 18, talking to God Himself, appreciated God for His Mercy. The fig tree teaches us, there are some mountains we don't move - For God's Wisdom.
Nahum 2:9
What do you plot against the Lord?
He will make a complete end;
trouble
will not
rise up
a second time.
Nahum 2
The fig tree and
the money changers in the Royal Stoa
on the Temple of God's grounds
and the
Temple,
were about to find Nahum 2:9
in the year 70 AD,
from the Roman government
they said
Jesus should die for their Nation.
Matthew 6:9-13
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in Heaven,
hallowed be Your Name,
10 Your Kingdom come,
Your Will
be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
All things are under His Feet.
God lets us move the mountains,
in His Good Will.
Alleluia.
Abba, Father,
Two men went up to the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee
and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed:
'God, I thank you that I am not like other people
-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-
or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.
Matthew, Jesus' Disciple, was a tax collector.
Help us not to be a counter of sins of others
when we pray to You.
Help us to be like Isaiah
and know Your Holiness
when we pray to You.
Your Son told us Trees
are shelter
valuable for protection,
life giving shade
yet,
Your Son cursed a fig tree, out of season.
Help us to seek You first, wisely
and
remember
not all shelter
is from God.
More humbly, as we pray
for goodness.
As Isaiah asked,
understanding we
all
fall short
of
Your Holiness, Father:
In Jesus, we ask
Dwell in us, Father
Send Your Holy Spirit as Helper
Dwell in those we love
and
Help us to seek You first
And in Jesus,
we will finish well.
Prayer request for Edward
who aspirated during his colonoscopy
to heal well and sleep well.
And for decisions
we make, daily.
We ask for Your Favor, Father.
We ask for Your Favor
for Gracious
Weather
to
ALL
of Your Children.
Especially the people of Maui.
Please, Lord Jesus Christ.
The drought across the borders
and the middle,
the drought circling Atlanta,
Mercy upon us, Lord Jesus.
In God, we will trust.
Help us, Lord Jesus, and we shall be helped.
Father, we Trust YOU
to move mountains.
In Your Good Will,
in the Hope and Future
You have planned,
we ask Your Goodness
We ask Your Mercy
on our Nation in Jesus
and Justice
and Liberty
and the world, Your Good Creation.
And Jesus said to him,
“‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Immediately, we cry out and say,
“I believe; help my unbelief!”
Your Good Will,
be fulfilled,
accomplished,
glorified,
treasure in our hearts,
warming our hearts on Your road
We ask in the Highest Name
of
Jesus!
Father, we ask forrain, asking green trees,
green grass, green shrubs
and reminding You
Revelation 4:3
says
Emerald Green
is Your Throne
and favorite color!!!
Right, Jesus!
Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves †
Yes Bless The Lord Jesus
Yes Thank You Father
Yes Lord God
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