The Journey (short version)
Page 11
Mark Chapter 11
The Road of Entry
The Triumphal Entry (1 - 11)
I had mentioned previously that I felt like a bad storm was heading our way, a time of great trouble but as so often happens the time before the storm is often a time when everything is going well and there is celebration and singing. So it was with us. Oh, let me tell you of a remarkable thing that happened at we got to the Mount of Olives before we got into the coming storm. Jesus told a couple of the men to go into the village and there they would find a colt tied up on which no one had ever sat. He then told them to untie it and bring it back to Him. Of course as we so often did instead of just doing what He told us to do we began to question Him as to what the people might say. He answered, "Tell them that I have need of it." After much hesitation they finally went and in about an hour much to everyone's surprise they came back with the colt. We asked them what had happened and they said that it was just as Jesus said it would be. They told the people that Jesus said He had need of the colt and amazingly they just gave it to them. Some of the people standing there, for by now a rather large crowd had gathered threw their cloaks on the colt and Jesus began to ride towards Jerusalem. As we approached the city more and more people began to come out and they began to spread their cloaks on the road and they also spread out palm branches as the colt to carried Jesus into the city. The people then began to shout together, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord and blessed is the coming Kingdom of our Father David, Hosanna in the Highest." The air was filled with excitement there were people shouting and running. Little children were being held up and sat on the shoulders of their parents so that they could see. Men and women were bowing down and praising as Jesus passed by. We actually had to form a small circle around the colt so that we could keep moving. It was all glorious and wonderful at the time. However it would not be long before the wind would began to change and the people would began to find fault among themselves. They would then shout with voices just as loud and filled with as much malice as they were now filled with joy. Yes, it would not be long before we began to hear things like, what kind of a King rides on a donkey, where is His chariot and His soldiers, who is this ragged group of men with Him. The palm branches would wither, the cloaks would be grabbed up, the donkey sent home and for Jesus the long dark night would come. It was very late when we finally made our way to the temple. Jesus was very quiet and just looked around with a sad expression on His face. Then we made our way past some fig trees and went to Bethany for the night.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree (12 -14)
The next morning we made our way from Bethany and as we walked past the fig trees that we had passed by the night before Jesus stopped and began to look at one of the trees. Then He began to look through the branches for figs even though it was not yet the season for figs. Then when He did not find even a sign that the tree was going to produce He said what a strange thing seemed at the time. He said, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." At the time I thought how odd that He would say that when it was not even time for the fruit to appear. I now know because of what came later that He was talking about men and how God would search their hearts to see if there were any hope of the fruit of repentance in them. Upon finding none He would leave men to go on to their own destruction just as the fig tree would be destroyed by the gardener for never producing fruit. It would not be long before I was to actually find out how unfruitful those who were supposed to be the fruit had withered.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple (15 - 19)
I do not think that I have ever seen or even known that there was a thing called holy anger until we got to the temple in Jerusalem. Being a gentile I had not studied the Scriptures and only of late learned how God had grown angry with His children because of their refusal to obey His commands and reap the blessings that He had for them. I now realize that the reason that He wanted them to obey was so that He could bless them and that is just as true now as it was then. When we got to the temple Jesus without saying a word just went in and started overturning the tables and stands where the money changers were. People were scattering everywhere it was complete chaos. I did not know the reason that He was doing this so when things began to settle down a little I ask James. He told me that many people came from far off to sacrifice at the temple for their sins and could not always bring their sacrifice with them so they would often buy what they needed for the sacrifice when they got there. Jesus overturned the last table and then turned to the crowd but at the same time looked right at the chief priests and scribes and said, "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." I could see the fear in the faces of the priests and scribes but I could also see the hatred in their eyes. It was then that I again realized that a storm of gigantic proportions was heading our way and there was no way to stop it for what Jesus taught was completely the opposite of what the leaders of this temple taught. The day drew to a close and we headed back to Bethany for the night.
The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree (20 - 25)
As we headed back towards Bethany for the night we all noticed that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed had withered, died and was beginning to show the signs of the blight that had infected it. Peter spoke to Jesus about this and Jesus said to us, "Have faith in God and do not doubt." As He pointed to one of the mountains He said something that sounded incredible to me He said," if you say to one of the mountains, be taken up and thrown into the sea and do not doubt in your heart but believe that it shall come to pass that also will be done unto you." Later I sat down under a fruitful fig tree and began to think about what He had said about moving mountains. I asked myself this question, why would I want to pray for a mountain to be moved into the sea? I then realized that He was saying if a person would be willing to respond to just one word that He had said God would move mountains to get to that person. As we were praying for others we must realize that Jesus had to remove mountains of wrong thought about Himself to get people to move towards Him. I thought about the mountains He had removed in my life. The mountains of prejudiced, pride, self-seeking, jealously and how that just by believing in who He really was this began to come about. I knew that the changes that had taken place in my heart did not come by some kind of great effort on my part they came about just by being with Him and letting the things He said and did sink down into this heart of mine. Just like that fig tree that had withered all at once on the outside but did not begin to show the rot and blight that was on the inside until the next day. My spiritual birth took place all at once when I realized who Jesus really was and that little by little there was fruit beginning to appear on the outside of me. I just sat there under that fig tree praising God for the mountains He was removing in me. The words that He had said came back to me again, have faith in God and do not doubt for just as you did not see all that was going on inside of that fig tree it was still happening and just as you cannot see all the changes that are going on in you they are still happening. I thought about the priests and how they had already withered away from what Jesus was trying to teach them. Little did I realize then in what way the rot and the blight that was on the inside of them was going to show itself on the outside. As I sit here on this cold stone seat in this dark dungeon and pray to my Savior it is amazing to me that I am able to forgive the men who have put me here. It is amazing to me how those words that He spoke on that day come back to me, "When you pray if you have anything against anyone forgive them and your Father will forgive you." Yes it is amazing to see spiritual mountains moved in me. I only pity those who have put me here and pray that they would respond to just one word about my Jesus so that God can began to move mountains to get to them before it is too late and the mountain of unbelief falls on them. Oh, how I long to see Jesus again but praise God the time for that is rapidly approaching.
The Authority of Jesus Challenged (27 - 33)
The next day we came back into Jerusalem and as we were walking in
the temple the elders and the scribes approached us. When you hear what happened you will realize that they had already withered like the fig tree and now the blight and rot was beginning to show it. They came up to Jesus with all their pretentious authority and asked Him a question, "by what authority are you doing all these things or who gave you authority to do them?” I almost laughed out loud when they said this because the thought flashed through my mind how you could ask someone who was healing the sick, curing the lame and raising the dead by what authority are you doing this. How could you ask someone who walked on the water, commanded the wind to cease and fed five thousand people from just a few loaves of bread by whose authority are you doing this? Do you see the rot and the blight coming through? Jesus of course knew just how to handle the situation. He said in effect if you will answer me then I will answer you. He asked them this question, "was the baptism of John from Heaven or was it from man?" With this they all withdrew and huddled together. You could almost smell the rot of their thinking coming from them. They answered," we do not know." Yet we all knew that they knew. We knew if they said from Heaven then they would have to admit that Jesus had authority from Heaven because John said He did. We also knew that if they said that John's preaching was just from man then the people would cry out for they believed that John was a prophet. Jesus simply said, then neither will I answer you. Yes how sad that they who were supposed to be the fruitful fig trees, they who were supposed to guide others withered right before our very eyes.