The Withered Tree and the Cleansed Temple: Mark 11:12-25

The next morning, leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He saw a fig tree in leaf and went to find fruit on it. But when he reached it, he found nothing but leaves—it was not the season for figs.

Then he said something strange: "May no one ever eat fruit from you again."

The disciples heard it. They would remember.

They continued to Jerusalem, to the temple courts, and there Jesus erupted.

He began driving out those who were buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers, coins scattering across the pavement. He knocked over the benches of those selling doves. He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.

The Court of the Gentiles—the only place where non-Jews could come to pray—had been transformed into a marketplace, a shortcut, a commercial enterprise. The noise of haggling drowned out any attempt at worship.

"Is it not written," Jesus thundered, that My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of robbers!"

The chief priests and teachers of the law heard this. They began looking for a way to kill him, because they feared him—the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

That evening, they left the city.

The next morning, passing by the fig tree, Peter noticed: "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"

It had died from the roots up. Overnight, completely dead.

The fig tree was Israel. The temple was Israel. Leaves without fruit. Religious activity without spiritual reality. The inspection was complete, and the judgment had begun.

"Have faith in God," Jesus said. "Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them."

Then he tied prayer to forgiveness: "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Mountains could move. Trees could wither. Temples could fall. But only those who prayed with faith and forgave with freedom would see the power.