Believer's Mandate Daily Devotions

SUNDAY, 5 MARCH 2023

TEXT: Mark 11:12-19

12. The next day when they came out from Bethany, He was hungry.

13. After seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, He went to find out if there was anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.

14. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples heard it.

15. They came to Jerusalem, and He went into the temple complex and began to throw out those buying and selling in the temple. He overturned the money changers’ tables and the chairs of those selling doves,

16. and would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple complex.

17. Then He began to teach them: “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!”

18. Then the chief priests and the scribes heard it and started looking for a way to destroy Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished by His teaching.

19. And whenever evening came, they would go out of the city.

(Holmans CS Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: THE RADICAL SIDE OF JESUS

Two events took place in these verses which give us insights into the other side of Jesus.

The passage opened with these words: “Jesus was hungry.” This refers to physical hunger which also shows us Christ’s humanity. This can also be applied to the second episode in which He demonstrated His zeal for the sanctity of His Father’s house which should be used as a “house of prayer.”

His expectations from the fig tree and the ongoing activities in the Temple were dashed and appropriately received His rebuke. The tree was dried up never to produce fruit again while those who turned the temple into a market were chased out.

Thus, in the Church today, we have members who look very religious on the outside but are empty inside. The bad news for such Christians is that Jesus sees and know everything about us, no matter how good hypocrites we may be.

QUESTION: Are you surprised at Jesus’ attitude here?

PRAYER: Oh God, I am confronted with the temptation to be what I am not to impress onlookers. Help me, dear Jesus, to remain true to You. Amen.