Hungry Jesus

Telling a fig tree to die isn't logical. Why throw power around by killing a tree that wasn't in season to have fruit?

What's the deal?

In the Bible there is a story about Jesus going to the temple.  He looks around, its late, afterward the author notes: Jesus is hungry! Checking out a fruitless fig tree for nourishment, finding leaves but no fruit Jesus says, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again."


Don't mess with hungry Jesus.

Continuing the narrative: Jesus is at the Jerusalem temple driving out people, not just any people but the buyers and the sellers, turning over tables of the merchants and the dove benches. Hungry Jesus is peeved. "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."  Jesus' big vision of all nations called to prayer seems to be short circuited, right smack in Jerusalem.

Intertwining the two stories birthed mental fruit flies. What is going on here?

Doves, an inexpensive cleansing sin or burnt offering, were to aid the poor in connecting to God. Strangers and the poor are not to be a source of monetary gain, yet it was happening. Unfaithful trading practices built walls away from prayer, away from God.

Jesus deals physically with this problem.  In my humanity I wonder: Could it be Jesus was sweating through His God call of becoming the final dove and lamb sacrifice?  Wouldn't that call of God cause one to exercise through authority, exerting muscle power? Jesus' call upsets the unfruitful basket by rejecting the current practices to God's law through the utilization of his own body.

The fruit tree withers from the roots up, dove benches are turned over.

 Jesus withered a corrupt system from the roots up. Dead fig tree becomes a symbol. Jesus will be dying too, withering on a cross. Bringing completion to the sacrificial system. Jesus the dove and lamb sacrifice gives complete always and forever cleansing.  This sacrifice brings always and forever forgiveness, not just a little bit. But everything needed according to God! Jesus died and after three days lived again. Time to eat some good fruit.


^{From the New Testament book of Hebrews:} As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. The Holy Spirit confirms this: 

   This new plan I'm making with Israel
      isn't going to be written on paper,
      isn't going to be chiseled in stone;
   This time "I'm writing out the plan in them,
      carving it on the lining of their hearts."
He concludes,
   I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.^{Once sins are taken care of for good, there's no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them.} 

When will I see?

I saw my dad the other day during a cycling session in the YMCA, it's one of those 45 minute classes where you sit or stand on a stationary bike burning 500 calories as the instructor says, "Add resistance, go! Make the hill.  Down the hill. Take it to 35 mph. Keep the pace. Stand up for 15, in the saddle for 15, up for 15. Add on!"

Are you sweating yet?

As a class we were climbing a hill of resistance, each of us with muscles twitching, (<<< ahem >>> my legs were burning!) I closed my eyes. In my mind I saw a finish line. Surprising me my dad was waiting, standing tall at 6 foot 4. I heard him yelling for me, "Becky! You can do it." Beside him was Aunt Florence and Aunt Eleanor, even his Mom, my Grandma was there, right behind the yellow ribbon stretching over the finish line.

My eyes fixed on them. A multitude was joining in the encouragement. Spinning faster my eyes still shut, sweat dripping,  I wondered, "What are you all doing here? Am I going to die while in spinning class?" I reached the top of the hill thinking, "I made it!"

Opening my eyes vanished the cheering section. Yet encouragement remained.

The episode reminded me of a paragraph from the New Testament:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Can't wait to see them again!