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

On Saturday we read that when Jesus and the disciples 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 just 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 traded in live animals which were to be used in sacrifices; pilgrims coming for the Passover could purchase them in the temple for their sacrifice.  The money changers would trade Roman coins for Jewish coins.  As the Roman coins bore the image of Caesar, they were considered to be defiling in the temple.  The cleansing of the temple, my study bible says, also points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  Also, as each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), this is a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of the things that don't help us in a faithful life.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7, 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.  In the Eastern Church, my study bible notes, many liturgical hymns of Palm Sunday emphasize the perfect praise of the children.  Unlike that of the adults, the children's praise was innocent, fitting, unashamed, and from hearts of pure love.  We are called to glorify Christ in the same spirit (see 18:1-4).  By contrast, the adults' praise carried earthly expectations and agendas, which, when left unfulfilled, led them to rebel against Jesus just five day s 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.  The fig tree, according to my study bible, is a sign of both prosperity and peace.   It withers because it is fruitless.  This is a prophetic act, my study bible says, which is directed toward those who reject Him, since after three years of Christ's preaching, teaching, and healing, both the leaders and the crowds were destitute of spiritual fruit.  He curses the tree also to warn those in every generation about the result of disregarding or rejecting His spiritual 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 notes that while it is not recorded that any apostle literally moved a mountain, the patristic tradition is clear that they had this authority if the need had arisen (there are certain saints who are said to have made crevices appear in mountains).  Moreover, not everything the apostles accomplished was written down.  But beyond the literal meaning of Christ's words here, His promise is also an illustration of the power of faith and prayer in any are of our lives.  Theophan writes, "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritual profitable things. 

What are we to make of Jesus' action?  We can't really recall any other quite so "violent" action by Christ as this one of cleansing the temple.  He does so, of course, in His role as Messiah and as the great high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).  St. Paul's words in Hebrews characterizing this role of Christ are extremely important for us to pay attention to, in this seeming age of outrage and moral indignation we can find all around ourselves.  He writes, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."  When Christ cleanses the temple, it is after a three year ministry in which He has gone everywhere throughout Israel, bringing His message.  He has lived among people and as one of them, and not simply as one of the poorest but one without a permanent home, with "nowhere to lay His head" (8:20).  Most importantly, as St. Paul says, He has lived as one of us who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, and who can empathize with our weaknesses.  Christ's judgment is not based on power and authority in a worldly sense.  It is rather based on a power and authority that come precisely from His condescension and humility, and in particular His capacity to empathize with our weaknesses.  Tied to this is His pronouncement on the fig tree, and also His teaching about prayer.  A judgment or curse from Christ could never be made simply out of authority or power in a worldly sense.  Rather, Jesus' judgment comes from empathy and humility, from walking in our shoes as one of us.  The power of prayer rests in the same place of humility.  Unless we really understand what we are praying for and what is best for us, can we expect that our prayers will be answered precisely as we imagine they will?  It is the faith that comes from humility that truly gives us a power and authority -- whether we speak of prayer, or indignation, or even judgment.  Christ's power and authority do not simply come from a title or a position, but rather from living the life of the Cross, His willing sacrifice to be led by the Father through all things, living the life of faith that comes not from popular approval and the voice of the crowds, but rather from the humble dedication to God the Father that asks of us meaningful sacrifices for the life of the Kingdom.  His is not a life of rules and law, but one of love that is learned in weakness.  Neither does He live as national liberator, but rather spiritual liberator for all people.  His prayer, His curse, His correction come not in a form that tells us one group is preferable to another, but rather from the depth of humility that sees each one as his or her own soul before God.  It is a true judgment of the heart that is only possible from a pure heart, tried and tested in the flames of love and the struggle for faith in a fallen and confusing world.  The children who give praise in the temple respond with pure hearts.  Our struggle for faith is not about finding the right "side" to believe in.  It is rather about struggling through the lies about our faith itself, the fear of placing our trust in Christ, especially when things are adverse, unclear, and confusing.  This is the place to which He will take the disciples with Him as He goes to the Cross.  Let our prayer, our judgment, and our faith reflect our willingness to do the same.

Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive

 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 hose 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 mouths 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 about Jesus' Triumphal Entry.   When He and the disciples 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 hose of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"   Jesus is quoting here from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.   Those who bought and sold were trading in life animals, which were to be used for sacrifices.  We remember that it is Passover Week, and Jesus is here with pilgrims from all over Israel and the Jewish diaspora.  There are also proselytes here from regions around the Mediterranean.  The money changers would trade Roman coins for Jewish temple coins.  Roman coins bore the image of Caesar, worshiped as a god, and so considered to be defiling in the temple.  The cleansing of the temple, my study bible tells us, also "points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits."  We're also reminded that every person is considered a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19), a sign that hearts and minds should also be cleansed of "earthly matters," material-minded thinking separate from the perspective of gained through faith.

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 mouths 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.  Here Jesus is quoting from Psalm 8:2.  In all things, He is the fulfillment of the word of God; He is the Word of God (John 1:14).  The children follow Him in the spirit of the Triumphal Entry which occurred the day before, shouting Hosanna, meaning "Save Lord, we pray," and calling Jesus by the title of the Messiah.  My study bible distinguishes the praise of the children -- noted here by Jesus -- from that of the adults of the day before.  The children's praise is "innocent, fitting, unashamed, and from hearts of pure love."  So we are called to do the same (see 18:1-4).  By contrast, the adults' praises were carrying many "earthly" expectations and agendas upon Jesus as Messiah.  Left unfulfilled -- He was not to become a worldly king nor to restore the worldly fortunes of Israel as a kingdom -- they rebelled against Him just five days later, preferring a nationalist brigand (27:20-23).   Jesus returns to Bethany, and lodges as a pilgrim at the Feast.

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."   The fig tree, says my study bible, is a symbol of prosperity and peace.  It withers because it is fruitless.  This act, recorded for us by Matthew, is prophetic and directed toward the Jews.  After three years of Christ's preaching, teaching, and healing, the leadership and the crowds produce no spiritual fruit.  The curse on this tree is a warning to all generations who fail to bear spiritual fruit in response to His message.  This is the second time Jesus has referred to the moving of mountains.  In an earlier reading, He told the disciples, "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."  Then, the moving of mountains symbolized the removal of obstacles, especially the spiritual oppression of evil.  My study bible says this serves as an illustration of faith and prayer in all areas of life.  It quotes Theophylact as saying, "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things.

If our goal is "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," then prayer as an act of faith is done through desire for unification with the will of God.  That is, not done simply as a laundry list of things we would like or fantasize about, but rather a kind of communion that allows us to be changed -- transfigured -- by the grace of God.  In his letter to the Romans, St. Paul speaks about the work of the Spirit in salvation, and specifically about the role of the Spirit in prayer, teaching that "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. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:26-27).  This is a power that is truly (and literally) unimaginable, because it is the power of God.  Thereby our prayer becomes a unification; we pray with the Spirit (or in the Spirit) and this opens up all possibilities.  In this sense, we hear Jesus telling us to have faith and do not doubt.  Doubt is a word in the Greek can mean to waver back and forth in a sense, to hesitate.  This is not about faith in ourselves or our own resolutions or demands for what we think we deserve.   Rather it implies faith or trust in God.  It may help us also to consider the word believing, where Jesus teaches, "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."   The Greek word for believing means to trust, to enable confidence in something.  If we think of belief not merely as an effect of the will, but rather as a consciousness of trust toward the One to whom we pray or make request, then we really get a sense of prayer as foundational to a particular type of relationship.  To have trust or confidence in prayer is like the relationship to "Father" -- One whom we trust has love, and who will use good judgment for us; one who loves so as to give confidence in such a relationship, and thereby a correct foundation for the rest of our lives.  That is a very deep and profound way to live one's life, in this kind of confidence and trust.  In that way, we may live "prayerful" lives, in which such a relationship becomes a foundation for the way in which we view our lives in the world, and also how we view ourselves in the world.  Just as a good parent may give such a foundation to a child, this "Father" is also a parent par excellence, the One who may give us what has been lacking in a worldly sense.  All of this is to describe a way of experiencing God, or rather a relationship to God, which Jesus gives to us and shares with us as Son.  It is Jesus who teaches us to pray to "Our Father in heaven."   It is Jesus who shows us in every respect and teaches us with His words what it is to be a son (which means we are all inheritors) in this kingdom.  It is He who confers upon us sonship.  If there is any substance in the good news of the gospel message, this is it right here, in this understanding of the truth and dynamics of prayer.  We are all invited in to this relationship.  It is one that invites us in to trust and confidence, to a kind of love we can place our faith in, even trust our identity to.  It's there that we really find God, and our place in the cosmos, one that unites heaven and earth.  With that kind of faith, one may really move mountains, the kind of mountains that are impossible otherwise:  the sense of who we are, what we need, how we are truly loved, and how we are filled and nurtured in our deepest places of the spirit and soul.  With this understanding of our own sonship, we keep in mind the image of the children in the temple, and "that out the mouths of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise."