Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise

 

 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  

 

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read, 

'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise'?" 

 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there. 

 

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.   And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

 

- Matthew 21:12-22 

 

 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.  Loose them and bring them to Me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."  All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.'" So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!"  And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"  so the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

 

  Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"   My study Bible explains that those who bought and sold were trading in live animals to be used for sacrifices.  The money changers would trade Roman coins for Jewish coins, because Roman coins bore the image of Caesar (who was worshiped as a god), and were considered to be defiling in the temple.  The cleansing of the temple, my study Bible also notes, points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  As each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), so it's also a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.

 

 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?" Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.  My study Bible quotes from a Vespers hymn of Palm Sunday:  "Keep the feast with the children, and holding branches in your hands, sing 'Hosanna.'"  It notes that many liturgical hymns of this day emphasize the perfect praise of the children, which unlike that of the adults, was innocent, fitting, unashamed, and from hearts of pure love.  It says, moreover, that we are called to glorify Christ in the same spirit (see Matthew 18:1-4).  In contrast, the adults' praise carried earthly expectations and agendas which -- when left unfulfilled -- led them to rebel against Jesus only five days later (Matthew 27:20-23).  Jesus quotes from the Septuagint version of Psalm 8:2.  

 

 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.   And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  The fig tree is a symbol of prosperity and peace, my study Bible says.  But it withers because it is fruitless.  This is a prophetic act done by Christ since after three years of His preaching, teaching, and healing, both the leaders and the crowds were destitute of spiritual fruit.  My study Bible adds that the cursing of this fig tree is a warning to those in every generation of what will befall anyone who fails to listen to Christ's message.

 

 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  My study Bible comments that, while it is not recorded that an apostle literally moved a mountain, patristic understanding is clear that they had this authority if the need had arisen (there are certain saints that made crevices appear in Mountains).  Moreover, not all things done by the apostles was written down.  But beyond this literal meaning, it's a promise which includes an illustration of the power of faith and prayer in all areas of life.  My study Bible quotes Theophylact:  "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things.  

 

In today's passage is the second place in which Christ will speak about faith that can move mountains.  See also Matthew 17:14-21, in which the disciples (with the exceptions of Sts. Peter, James, and John) fail to heal a young boy (they fail to exorcise a demon from him).  They ask Jesus why they could not cast it out.  Jesus tells them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  St. Paul also refers to this passage when he writes on love:  "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).  Both of these passages are interesting, because they tell us that Christ's teaching here is not done in a vacuum.  In other words, He's not simply saying that all we have to do is believe something strongly enough, and our prayers will be answered.  There are conditions in each of these passages that make it clear that all faith and discipleship comes in the context of a much bigger picture of life than a simple intellectual choice or the will to believe something.  Our faith must be lived, one way or another, or even our prayers will be ineffective, or fall short of our desires and expectations.  Jesus speaks to the disciples of necessary prayer and fasting; St. Paul speaks of necessary love in addition to our faith.   Let us note that when facing His death on the Cross, even Jesus prayed for the cup to be taken from Him, but He did so in a certain manner of which we must make note.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus fervently prayed, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39).  If we are to believe that Christ indicates in today's passage that all we are to do is pray with a certain will to belief, and even the impossible or fantastical will come to be, then we are not paying attention to the fullness of the faith as Christ has taught in His ministry.  For even Jesus must pray in a particular way, and with a particular mindset, saying, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  There is a fullness of faith that is not simply about convincing our selves of the truth of something; it is not simply about a nominal or intellectual decision to believe something.  The fullness of faith is a life lived with dependence upon God in the fullness of our interior lives, even so that we can say with Christ, "Not as I will, but as You will."  God's possibilities are endless.  If the Cross and the resulting defeat of death and sin do not tell us that, then I can't imagine what would. Certainly those who put Him to death thought it was the end of His ministry and those faithful to Him. There are many people who clearly believe that still.   Even Satan himself no doubt thought it would prove Christ's defeat, but it instead defeated Satan and we speak of the victory of the Cross.  If God's power is so utterly outside of all of our conceivable expectations, then it is far greater and grander than anything we can "use" for ourselves.  We can but seek to know God and seek God's will for us through all the practices of faith and discipleship, and this is where power in prayer is found.  In today's reading, Jesus once again speaks of children as those who are truly of the kingdom of heaven.  Like angels, the quotation from Psalm 8:2 indicates that it is children who truly know and speak perfect praise (or hymns) to God.  See Matthew 18:3, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."  Humility and true faith and prayer go hand in hand, if we are to accept what Jesus is teaching here.  Of Jesus' teaching regarding "little children" as the model for those who enter the kingdom of heaven, my study Bible describes these virtues as follows:  humility, dependence, lowliness, simplicity, obedience, and a willingness to love and be loved.  Let us understand the children who have perfected hymns to God.  For they are the ones who understand Christ and see Him as He truly is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations

 

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it. 

 

 So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And he would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city. 

 

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter remembering, said to Him,  "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  so Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

 

- Mark 11:12–26

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus and the disciples came to Jericho while traveling on the road to Jerusalem.  As He went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. 

 

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.   My study Bible explains that "it was not the season for figs" means that this fig tree had sprouted an early full foliage, which would indicate a first crop; however it did not bear any fruit.  Jesus, having found not a single fig, condemns it.  This is a symbolic action.  My study Bible further notes that a fig tree is often a symbol of Israel (Hosea 9:10).  Figs being a rich and nourishing fruit, symbolize spiritual richness and productivity.  But her fruitfulness has ceased; this is found in the corruption and hypocrisy Jesus condemns in cleansing the temple (in the next verses) and in the rejection of Christ the Son after three years of preaching, teaching, and healing.  Thus the Kingdom will be taken from her and given to another people, who are called to bear spiritual fruit (see Matthew 21:43; Galatians 5:22-23).  

 

  So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And he would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  Those who bought and sold traded in live animals to be used for sacrifices, while the money changers were trading Roman coins for Jewish coins.  This is because Roman coins, bearing the image of Caesar (worshiped as a god), were considered to be defiling in the temple.  The ones who sold doves were selling the smallest and therefore least expensive of animal sacrifices, most affordable to the poor.  We can speculate as to Jesus' intent and meaning, but clearly those who come in faith to worship and offer sacrifice have no choice in this system but to support those who are profiteering from these practices.  My study Bible adds that the cleansing of the temple also points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.   As each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19), so this is also a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of that which distracts from our orientation toward God.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11.  

 

 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter remembering, said to Him,  "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."   My study Bible comments that the cursing and withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act which signifies the judgment of Israel.  For the disciples, it's a lesson that the old covenant with Israel is becoming "obsolete" and will "vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13).  They will establish His Church, which will ultimately be filled with both Gentiles and Jews, and they need assurance that they are following Christ's will.  This fig tree will be an unforgettable image for them.  

 

 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."  My study Bible notes here that while it's not recorded that an apostle literally moved a mountain, according to Church Fathers they had this authority if the need had arisen (some saints are reported to have made crevices appear in mountains).  Moreover, not all things the apostles did was written down.  But beyond that literal meaning here, this promise is an illustration of the power of faith and prayer in all areas of life.  Most importantly, Jesus attaches here the discipline of forgiveness in prayer and notes how contingent the effectiveness of our prayer is on lived discipleship.  As in the final teaching appended to the Lord's Prayer in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:14-15), Jesus reminds us that realizing God's forgiveness also depends upon our own practice of forgiveness. 

 

It's perhaps easy to take Christ's words literally here at face value, regarding prayer and faith.  But if we do that simply and easily, then we do not see that these words are couched within the need for discipleship.  They are spoken to His immediately disciples, who have learned from Him for three years, and who will go on at great risk for themselves to be apostles to the world.  These are men who will not seek to please themselves, but to please God, and to spread the word of the Church.  It's in that context that He teaches about faith and prayer.  Moreover, the teaching on the requirement of the practice of forgiveness in order to realize our own forgiveness, conveys a subtle understanding in it regarding our own relinquishing of our passions to the will of God.  In the Greek, the word for forgive means to let go, to relinquish, to give up.  We let go of the things we hold against others and give them to God, seeking God's will for such a situation and for our relationships with others.  In giving us the Lord's Prayer, Jesus refers to sins first as debts ("Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" reads Matthew 6:12), and then as trespasses.  But in both cases, forgiveness or "giving up" these unpaid debts or unanswered trespasses to God is a requirement for our own forgiveness.  It reminds us -- as in both the withering of the fig tree, and the cleansing of the temple -- that Christ is the judge.  So, we come to the words about prayer He teaches here, and the discipleship that goes into prayer for what is spiritually profitable.  St. Paul reminds us, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26).  So, in this context of forgiveness and of discipleship, prayer becomes a matter of not simply making a list for God of the things we want, but of finding what God wants from us and for us, and giving all things to God for that clarity.  The cleansing of the temple teaches us there are things which get in the way of right relationship to God, sometimes even when they seem nominally "good."  The withering of the fig tree shows us our dire need for letting go of whatever prevents our spiritual fruitfulness.  Let us find the freedom in Christ for our fruitful prayer.  The prophet Habakkuk writes, "For though the fig tree will not bear fruit, and there be no grapes on the vines; the labor of the olive tree fail, and the fields yield no food; though the sheep have no pasture and there be no oxen in the cribs; yet I will glory in the Lord" (Habakkuk 3:17-18).  Let us seek Him and His kingdom first before all things.

 

Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses

 

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it. 

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests hears it and sought how they night destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, an you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

 

- Mark 11:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, "Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat.  Loose it and bring it.  And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it,' and immediately he will send it here."  So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it.  But some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?"  And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded.  So they let them go.  Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.  And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:  "Hosanna!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!  And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple.  So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

 

Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  My study Bible explains that it was not the season for figs means that this fig tree had sprouted an early fall foliage, which would be a sign of a first crop, but without bearing any fruit.  Jesus, therefore, find not even one fig, and so he condemns the tree.   A fig tree, in Scripture, my study Bible explains, is often a symbol of Israel (Hosea 9:10).  Her fruitfulness has ceased, so the Kingdom will be taken from her and given to another people, who are called to bear spiritual fruit (see Matthew 21:43; Galatians 5:22-23).  

 

 So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests hears it and sought how they night destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.   My study Bible explains that those who bought and sold were trading in live animals to be used for sacrifices.  The money changers would trade Roman coins for Jewish coins, since Roman coins bore the image of Caesar and were therefore considered defiling in the temple.  (Caesar, we should remember, was worshiped as a god.)  The cleansing of the temple also points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits, my study Bible tells us.  Remember that each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), and so our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters.  As He does elsewhere, Jesus puts together two quotations from Scripture to make His point (Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11).

 

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, an you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."  My study Bible says that the cursing and withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act which signifies the judgment of Israel  It explains that the disciples need to learn that the old covenant with Israel is becoming "obsolete" and will "vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13).  They will establish His Church, which is ultimately to be filled with Gentiles and Jews, and and they need assurance that they are following Christ's will.  This fig tree will be an indelible image in their minds.  This withering of the fig tree is also a sign to people in every generation regarding what will befall anyone who fails to listen to His message.

 

 Jesus speaks about effective prayer in today's reading.  He makes the following promise to the disciples:  "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, an you will have them."   We must note, of course, that this promise of effective prayer comes with a clause, a sort of premise that must be fulfilled if we are to be effective and the promise of powerful prayer fulfilled.  He teaches us, "Therefore I say to you, whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."   We must therefore ask, why this condition?  Why does Jesus submit this requirement for effective prayer?  What does forgiveness have to do with it?  What does it have to do with faith in what we pray for?  These are important questions, for Jesus lays down a law with this saying, and it is a solemn statement we must all pay attention to.  One thing that happens when we forgive is not so much about what we do.  One would think -- in our very common modern assumptions about forgiveness -- that forgiveness means that we no longer think about the wrong someone has done us.  "Forgive and forget," the saying goes.  But in Matthew 18, Jesus gives a prescription for forgiveness and reconciliation and correction in the Church, and this includes the very important step of repentance on the part of the person who has trespassed against another.   In that context, Jesus teaches about naming the sin or trespass, witnesses, and also reconciliation.  He teaches, "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."  So this concept of reconciliation, which is not just a simple matter of overlooking a sin or pretending it didn't happen, is worth an infinite number of times to forgive ("seventy times seven"), but there is a process to it.  It's similar to our reconciliation to God, and the requirement of repentance in being so reconciled.  We don't expect to carry on sinning, and place the responsibility for the sin on God or others; we do our part for forgiveness.  In this context, we should think, then, about what Jesus means when He teaches that "whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."    It is within this sense of reconciliation that we are bound to one another.  Our forgiveness in this case, to which Christ refers, is our reconciliation to God.  When we forgive, we "give up," as the word literally means in Greek.  And so, whatever way we feel someone has trespassed against us is given to God for God's judgment, and not ours.  In this way, we are reconciled to God, we "give up" our control, and accept that we need to follow the Lord's way -- regardless of what has happened and what anyone else has done.  Note that this does not mean we pretend an unrepented trespass never happened, full reconciliation is only possible through acknowledgement.  But nonetheless, we are free to give things up to the Lord regardless of what someone else does.  Why does this make for effective prayer?  Because this is the foundation of covenant, and there is no covenant without the acceptance that God is the judge of all things.  We are always free to reconcile to our Lord, even if another person does not accept repentance for a bad act -- and thus, we are free in this covenant.  We are not bound to the trespass; we are bound instead to God.  Neither does Christ say, in Matthew 18, that we are required to accept continuing abusive behavior.  Let us think about what covenant means, for covenant and forgiveness are the foundations of effective prayer.  We place our trust in God, letting nothing stand in the way, and that is the faith that moves mountains. The fig tree stands as a symbol of violated and failed covenant; let us take notice.

 

 

 

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses

 

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.  

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

 

- Mark 11:12-26 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, "Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat.  Loose it and bring it.  And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it,' and immediately he will send it here."  So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it.  But some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?"  And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded.  So they let them go.  Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.  And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple.  So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. 

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  My study Bible says that it was not the season for figs means that this fig tree had sprouted an early full foliage of leaves, which would indicate a first crop of fruit, but the tree had not borne fruit.  (Just to note, fig trees do not bear flowers; the figs themselves are actually its flowers.)  Jesus finds not even one fig on this tree, and condemns it.  This is a symbolic and prophetic act.  In Scripture, a fig tree is often a symbol of Israel (see Hosea 9:10).  In literary tradition across the Middle East, the fig is known as a symbol of sweetness and richness.  But here, the tree's fruitfulness has ceased -- symbolic of spiritual wealth; and so, my study Bible notes, the Kingdom will be taken from her and given to another people, who are called to bear spiritual fruit (see Matthew 21:43; Galatians 5:22-23).

 

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.   Those who bought and sold in the temple were trading in live animals to be used for sacrifices.  The money changers would trade Roman coins for Jewish coins.  Roman coins bore the image of Caesar, and so were considered to be defiling in the temple.  My study Bible notes that the cleansing of the temple also points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  As each person is considered a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), it is also a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters.  That is, our first orientation in how we live our lives is toward God (Matthew 6:33).

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  My study Bible comments that this cursing and withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act which signifies the judgment of Israel.  It says that the disciples need to learn that the old covenant with Israel is becoming "obsolete" and will "vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13).  They will establish His Church, ultimately to be filled

with Gentiles and Jews, and they need assurance that they are following Christ's will.  The fig tree will be an indelible image in their minds.  

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."  My study Bible comments that while it is not recorded that an apostle literally moved a mountain, the patristic teaching is clear that they had this authority if the need had arisen (certain saints did make crevices appear in mountains).  Moreover, not everything the apostles accomplished was written down.  Beyond its literal meaning, this promise is also an illustration of the power of faith and prayer in all areas of life.  According to Theophan, "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things.

"But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."  My study Bible comments that Jesus insists on mutual forgiveness between people as a precondition of God's forgiveness.  It says that those who do not forgive are not forgiven -- period.  This teaching is repeated in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35) which concludes with the same teaching.  To not forgive others is to willfully flee from the forgiveness of God for ourselves.  See also the Lord's Prayer, Matthew 6:12, 14-15; Luke 11:4.

Forgiveness can be a tricky subject.  We have to ask ourselves, has Jesus forgiven the people He just criticized on no uncertain terms in the temple?  That is, has He already forgiven the ones He says are making God's house "a den of thieves?"  We might be tempted to ask such questions, as there are so many things happening in today's reading.  Jesus speaks of judgment -- in fact the judgment of a nation -- in the symbolism of the withered fig tree.  Where are the spiritual fruits from three years of Christ's ministry in Israel?  Where is the repentance?  Do the leadership listen to Him or simply reject Him?   Where does judgment come into the teachings on forgiveness?   If these issues seem confusing, it is because they not only overlay different levels of experience, but they also call for discernment.  In terms of the condemnation and judgment in the symbolic withering of the fig tree, "forgiveness" does not deny the reality of spiritual failure, the failure to draw spiritual fruit from an extraordinary visitation and manifestation of God in Christ's ministry and His very Incarnation.  But on the other hand, forgiveness is always present for those who reconsider and repent, for those who will heed Christ's words.  Whatever the failure of the nation in terms of its leadership or what will be coming for Christ in terms of rejection by the nation at His trial before Pilate, Christ's forgiveness is always present for those who will come to Him.  We mustn't forget that the early Christians were considered a subset of Judaism, the first Church in Jerusalem consisting entirely of Jews.  So Christ's judgment means something significant, but it does not preclude the concept of forgiveness.  And there we must come to a conclusion about forgiveness:  it is we who must come to realize what that forgiveness means.  Jesus lays it out very clearly that in order to realize our own forgiveness, we must also practice forgiveness.  In Greek the word translated as the verb "to forgive" means to let go, or send away.  It is the same word used with the analogy of debt in the Lord's Prayer, when Jesus teaches us to pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12).  To "let go" implies a concrete action, not simply a thought or concept.  To "let go" means that we eschew any sense of retribution.  Moreover, we "let go" of something to send it somewhere.  To whom do we "let go" of a trespass someone has done to us, or debt we think is owed, or a sin committed against ourselves?  It would seem clear that the answer to this question is God, or Christ.  Jesus' word on forgiveness comes in a teaching on what we're to do while we stand praying.  We are to turn to God for judgment, and for guidance in how to respond to the harm done to us, the sin committed against us.  This is the clear end for all things:  the judgment of God, and the discernment that comes from faith. When we forgive, in this model, we are not making excuses nor are we acting as if nothing has ever happened.  We are not in denial about people who may cause us harm or wish us ill.  But we do turn all things to God, and we seek Christ's light for walking through our lives.  It is His agenda we seek to serve, and not a plan of vengeance or retribution of our own (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30).  The justice and righteousness that we seek are in God's hands, just as is the judgment Jesus pronounces upon those who've failed to heed His mission in the world, who've failed to produce the spiritual fruits meant to be made possible through God's love.  We turn to that love in our lives to show us the way, for this is how we find our own forgiveness and our own future.  If we think about it, forgiveness is a parallel to the Cross and Resurrection, for forgiveness allows us to move on and also to begin a new start if we follow the path of Christ.  We may be hurting from the things of the past, but forgiveness allows us to exchange that hurt for the way that Christ shows us to move forward and renew our lives.  It is a different form of repentance, in which we address not our own sins, but those done to us.  It teaches us to stay stuck in neither, but to look to an unknown future.  Like the Cross and Resurrection, and the Old and New Covenants, like so much of Christ's ministry, forgiveness is yet another way of transformation, of transfiguring energy and even mystery.  Let us consider His powerful teaching, and the new ways it opens up for our lives, that we may better follow His light.

 

 

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise

Triumphal Entry, the children welcome Christ with praise.  Medieval Syriac Illuminated Manuscript

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "  Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read,

'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise'?"

Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

- Matthew 21:12-22

On Saturday we read that when Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then He sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.  Loose then and bring them to me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."  All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "  So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:  "Hosanna to the Son of David!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Hosanna in the highest!"  And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"  So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "  Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  Those who bought and sold in the temple were trading in live animals to be used in sacrifices for the Passover.  The money changers would exchange Roman coins for Jewish ones, as Roman coins (with the image of Caesar upon them) were considered to be defiling to the temple.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.  My study bible comments that this cleansing of the temple -- an authoritative act by Christ (or Messiah) -- points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  As each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), this is a sign also that our hearts and minds should be cleansed of earthly matters, in the sense that we guard our hearts for the reception of our faith.  Let us note how cleansing and healing go hand in hand in this passage. 

But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read,  'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants / You have perfected praise'?"  Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.  My study bible quotes from Orthodox Vespers of Palm Sunday:  "Keep the feast with the children, and holding branches in your hands, sing 'Hosanna.'"  Many hymns which commemorate this day emphasize the perfect praise of the children in the temple, my study bible says.  In contrast to that of the adults, theirs was innocent, fitting, unashamed, and from hearts of pure love.  We are called to glorify Christ in the same spirit, it adds (see 18:1-4).  By contrast, the praise of the adults carried earthly expectations and agendas, such as the desire for a worldly messiah who would make Israel a great conquering and military kingdom.  When were unfulfilled, the crowds would rebel against Jesus just five days later (27:20-23).

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.   My study bible says that the fig tree is a symbol of prosperity and peace.  But in this story, the tree withers because it is fruitless.  This is a prophetic act directed toward the people, it says, as after three years of preaching, teaching, and healing by Christ, both the leaders and the crowds are destitute of spiritual fruit.  Jesus curses the tree also to warn those in every generation of the fruitlessness of those who do not heed His gospel message.

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  My study bible says that while it is not recorded that an apostles literally moved a mountain, in the patristic tradition it is clear that they had this authority if the need had arisen.  There are stories of saints who made crevices appear in mountains in order to hide from pursuers.  Moreover, it says, not all the things the apostles accomplished were written down.  More than the mere literal meaning here, this is a vivid promise of the power of faith and prayer in all areas of life.  Theophan comments:  "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things.

Recently in a bible study class, I commented to the others that the mountains I have had to move in my life were all within myself.  That is, those were the mountains that Christ moved -- the mountains moved with God's help, for with God all things are possible.  I was speaking about the many mountains I found within myself that I had no idea were there in the first place.  These were mountains encountered in the work of forgiveness, and they were mountains like anger that even I had no idea was deep inside of me, resentment, sadness, defeat, despair, and any number of difficult things necessary to confront on the road to healing in Christ's way for me.  These are mountains because when they are deeply-rooted, when they arise from circumstances beyond one's control -- and especially where others are not responsive to problems they've created in one's life -- they are not remedied through any external form.  The route through faith in Christ is a route through forgiveness, and that can be a very tough row to hoe, as the old saying goes.  It is often seemingly impossible to cope with the things we find are actually within us, as healing can't come from remedying a situation from outside.  Christ's healing comes through our work with Him, work in prayer, work through the action of the Holy Spirit within us, work through the help of the saints and all those in the Church with whom we pray, help through worship services, and especially through the Scriptures -- most notably the Gospels.  Help comes with insistence that we must take a good look at what is inside and start to grapple with it.  Jesus cleanses the temple in today's reading, an act that belongs only to the Christ, or the Messiah (both words mean "Anointed One").  It is for this reason that the religious leaders will continue to insist that He prove to them His authority to do so, and for this reason He will also be sent to His death:  because they cannot accept that He is Son.  But it is precisely for this reason that He has authority within us, in our hearts and in our souls, and for this reason He is the One who can help to heal and cleanse what is within us as well.  It is with His help that we can become healed, and because of Him we can begin to negotiate the difficult road of forgiveness of those who've harmed or hurt us, taking something away that was precious and cannot be regained through worldly means.  Perhaps it is in this context we might read about the perfect praise of the children, for children are so often the ones who are harmed or hurt with a lasting infliction of something unfair or unjust.  We might take that praise and allow it to shape us, as what we need as adults to remedy circumstances beyond our repair and beyond the reach of any hope of change.  Childhood hurts may come to haunt us later in life, long after we can come to terms with that reckoning.  Patterns of behavior take root in childhood -- and it is only much, much later we can come to see the damage they do through time and repetition, and our own need for change and transformation and healing.  And so, in that knowledge, we come to terms with our deep need for Christ, the One with the authority to cleanse and to heal.  It is through the act of forgiveness (as in "forgive us our debts or trespasses" as we forgive others).  In Christ's prescription for our lives, these two acts of forgiveness go hand in hand and are inseparable, as is the practice of mercy when we ask for mercy.  We are met with a quandary:  is it only our needs that must be met to be forgiven, or must we also seek to forgive?  But in that act, we might find there are mountains that need moving within us, and a constant stream of things we'd rather not face and maybe have put off for decades of life when it was easier not to think about them or be aware of them.  Such is the range of mountains I have found in myself, moveable only with God's help, because graspable only through the mercy and love of Christ and of the saints (and especially His mother, Mary, as so many others before me have found).  Let us consider for today, in a world in which seemingly only the external changes we can make are being addressed by popular movements, the idea that we do not live in a perfect world.  It is the rare person indeed who has led a perfect life, with perfect parents and childhood, with perfect justice and perfect experience.  No, we do not live in such a world -- and the greatest and most perfect among us was subject to the worst injustice.  We live in a world where we really do need to move those mountains, for they are within us, and we will encounter them when we truly seek His healing and His love and work in ourselves.  We will find them when we seek His blessing and praise, and to truly follow the Gospel.  We may go to the place where we were as children inside of us, and perfect our praise.  Let us remember His promise for our faith.

It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer," but you have made it a "den of thieves"

Christ cursing the fig tree.  Fresco, 14th century.  Pec Monastery, Serbia

 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read,

'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise'?"

Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

- Matthew 21:12-22

Yesterday we read that when Jesus and the disciples (and those who journey with them) drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.  Loose them and bring them to Me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."  All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:  "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "  So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:  "Hosanna to the Son of David!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Hosanna in the highest!"  And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"   So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "   Those who bought and sold are those who were trading in live animals, used in sacrifices in the temple.  The money changers are those who traded Roman coins for Jewish coins.  It was believed that Roman coins, bearing the image of Caesar, were defiling in the temple, a form of idol worship.  The cleansing of the temple also points to the necessity, my study bible says, that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  Each person, we recall, is also considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), and so this is a sign that our hearts and minds must also be cleansed of earthly matters.  Let us note that Jesus implies through the quotations (from Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11) that in the way that these things are practiced, the people are being robbed.

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"  And Jesus said to them, "Yes.  Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"  Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.  Jesus quotes from Psalm 8:2 (Septuagint).  My study bible remarks on this contrast between the perfect praise of children, and that of adults.  The children's praise is innocent, fitting, unashamed, and from hearts of pure love.  But the adults' praise (as we remarked in yesterday's reading on the Triumphal Entry) carried earthly expectations and agendas.  When those adult expectations are left unfulfilled, it will lead them to rebel against Jesus five days later (27:20-23).

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.  And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again."  Immediately the fig tree withered away.   My study bible tells us that the fig tree was a symbol of prosperity and peace.  It withers because it is fruitless.  The promise of its leaves denotes a rich and treasured fruit, but it is empty.  This is a prophetic act, my study bible says, directed toward Israel, and especially the religious leadership.  After three years of Christ's preaching, teaching, and healing, both the leaders and the crowds were destitute of spiritual fruit, and their response to Christ is not a desire for the spiritual life He offers, but rejection.  He curses the tree, my study bible adds, also to warn those in every generation of what will befall anyone who fails to listen to His message.

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."  As with so much of Matthew's Gospel, this is a kind of echo of what Christ has said elsewhere, given new emphasis and facets of meaning by its juxtaposition here (see this reading for an earlier, similar iteration).  My study bible notes that while it is not recorded that an apostle literally moved a mountain, the partristic Fathers agree that they would have had this authority if the need had arisen.  While there are stories of saints who made crevices appear in mountains, not everything that apostles accomplished was written down.  But more than the literal meaning here, this is a promise which illustrates the power of prayer and faith in all areas of life.  Again, to quote Theophan, "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things.  Let us note also the great encompassing emphasis on following the will of God in all things, which goes hand in hand with this statement.

Jesus curses the fig tree, and it withers.  Is this not strange for a modern picture of the benign Jesus who never responds, never seems to say a mean word about anybody, never rails at hypocrites (in the modern imagination, at any rate), never criticizes or goes on the offense?  Well, that picture of Jesus is not consistent with what we read in the Gospels.  Jesus has plenty of critical and prophetic words to say about all kinds of things, not least of which is the way that the leadership conducts itself and fails to care properly for those in its flock.  No, Jesus really does not say that everybody has their own truth and everything is fine -- because, in fact, lies and manipulations do damage and harm, and hypocrisy leads to harm we can't even see nor fully know.  And that is the truth that Jesus tells, represents, will die for, so that it lasts and lives in this world, and restores to those the life that lies would take away.  We begin today's reading with the cleansing of the temple, in which Jesus fully criticizes by suggesting that the one place which is supposed to be a house of prayer has been turned into a den of thieves.  This suggests avarice at work, a system in which the greatest victims are, of course, the poor -- who must no doubt pay in some sense for the work of the money changers, atop what they would pay for the sacrifice of an animal which they cannot bring with them.  This is something that rarely seems to change in our world, that it is the poor and powerless who pay the most and have the least safety net.  It really doesn't make a lot of difference, in my experience, which system or innovation we might be talking about.   When Christ's teachings give us a sense of communion, it is to be inclusive of all, to care for the "least of these" and the "littlest ones."  On top of that, His praise is for all those who are "poor in spirit."  When traditional social structures break down, of community, of family, of security and safety and protection from violence or other crime, due to whatever reason, it is the poor who pay the most as they rely the most on these safety nets.  If a type of theft creeps into our institutions, to whatever degree, it is the poor who will be the hardest hit.  Jesus ends with the withering and condemnation of the fig tree, and a promise of the power of faith -- suggesting to us at once that our choices to uphold spiritual truth really do make a difference and have consequences, both negative and positive.  It is He who is here for the littlest among us, those who must more fully rely upon God.  This applies to all those who are "poor in spirit," from every walk and class of life.  It little matters what the externals look like:  a true love of God will work to produce a dependency on faith and prayer.  Let us remember His strict commands to His own followers regarding abuses to the littlest ones, and His open criticism of the practices of the leadership, especially as we read through the confrontations and tests that are coming for Christ in Jerusalem.  Let us remember His word, His truth for us all, and seek to see through the manipulation and hypocrisy of whatever form they take on for us today, by clinging to what He offers us.