What a Monday
Mondays, right? For many, it is the beginning of another hectic week after a weekend of rest. Many people never really seem to be looking forward to it and may have a good reason for the same. The truth is that a lot of negativity is associated with Mondays. Certainly, a particular Monday was not one to be celebrated by some in Jesus’s day; it was certainly not a Monday they expected to turn out that way. The Monday I am referring to is the Monday of the Holy Week. Immediately after the “Palm Sunday” we have a continued account of Jesus who had triumphantly walked into Jerusalem. Rather than heading to the palace of the governor, Jesus heads to the Temple. Matthew and Mark present the events in a different order, but the lessons remain the same (Matthew 21:12-22; Mark 11:12-19). His coming was about to confront the powerful religious leaders of the day and His disciples.
The Unexpected Messiah
The people who had interacted with Jesus knew Him as a lowly man, meek and tender-hearted, slow to anger and dealing favourably with those whom He would have considered His enemies. However, things take an unexpected turn when He walks into the Temple, and what the people would have expected from Him is once again challenged. Two significant events mark the occurrences of this day: the cursing of the fig tree and the chasing away money changers from the Temple.
Christ is divinely angry at the money changers who have turned the Temple from a house of prayer into a den of robbers according to Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 56:6-7. Where the money changers occupied was the very place secluded for Gentiles and foreigners to worship at the Temple. The leaders of Israel were denying the foreigners an opportunity to worship God, and Christ exposed their wicked hearts and even foretold of the impending judgment upon Jerusalem, who, like the withered fig tree which He cursed, showed to be unfruitful in its faith towards God.
A Call for Reflection
Imagine the opportunity that the Jewish leaders had to point other people to the worship of the true God and how they had thrown it all away to satisfy their greed and selfish interests. You would think that because they were learned in the matters of the law of God, they would remember the words of God in Jeremiah’s time (Jeremiah 7:3-11), yet these religious leaders had done the very thing that they were warned about. The Temple was a place to draw all the nations near to God, but according to Christ, it was a sad sight because the Gentiles and the outcasts had no room to worship. I sometimes wonder whether we see ourselves following the route of the Jewish leaders as a Church. We are all aware of the reality of the desecration of the Church, especially by our political leaders. The danger is not only towards the lost who God calls to Himself but even to the believers because they are exposed to the danger of not being properly fed God’s Word. God indeed indicted the shepherds at a time in Israel’s history when they had failed in their duties (Ezekiel 34:1-10), and I know without a shadow of a doubt He does the same in our day. The Holy Monday, by all means, should be a time when religious leaders should take a moment and reflect on how their actions may either draw people towards God or away from Him.
Nonetheless, it is not only the religious leaders who are called to reflect but also the believers. The other important message that Jesus wanted to pass across was that of faith, when He cursed the fig tree. We have a mango tree back at home, and it produces one of the juiciest mangoes. Every season, between December and January, I have always looked forward to harvesting some of the delicious fruit because I know there has to be some mangoes on the tree. Jesus’s expectation was no different. The fig tree showed it was blooming, bearing leaves, a tell-tale sign that it would be fruitful. Unfortunately, it produced no fruit. You see, just like the religious leaders were not fruitful, it was a warning to the disciples of Jesus. The religious leaders were out of purpose, and now this fig tree was under the same fate, and Jesus pronounced a curse, revealing His divine authority. The point is that our belief in God should lead to fruitfulness, and this was the message Jesus was putting across. Spiritual growth is expected of both Church and believer.
The Christian Mandate
Unfortunately, the Temple that was supposed to be a shining light to the nations to lead them to the worship of God has failed to achieve its purpose, and now Jesus made it obsolete together with its system of worship. Jesus established a new way of building our relationship with God, and when He spoke to the woman at the well, He revealed the new system of worship (John 4:21-24). Jesus established the importance of true heart worship that is expected to bear fruit. The fig tree was behaving like it was fruiting but was not actually obeying the rhythms that most fig trees followed. It was putting out leaves too quickly but not yielding nourishment. It was not fulfilling its purpose, but it was portraying a false image that it was – much like the Temple.
Some people live this way. Pharisees gave the impression of righteousness and morality, but their hearts were hardened by pride, and they were unable to recognize the Messiah. Many people today sit in Church, write large tithe checks, volunteer, and do it out of pride but not out of a sincere love of God. They outwardly act like they love the Lord, but they are not bearing any spiritual fruit.
This fruit can be a good witness, bringing others to salvation. Without a sincere, loving relationship with the Lord built on repentance and forgiveness, a Christian is like the fig tree, outwardly acting like it is fruitful but bearing nothing of substance. Jesus encourages the disciples after they see the withered tree, and what He says is foundational to the Christian life in many ways. It is how to be fruitful, unlike the fig tree. It begins with faith, going to God with thanks, relying on Him for all needs, asking for forgiveness for sins and being willing to forgive others. Being consistent in pursuing these elements of a relationship with God is the basis for a fruitful spiritual life where the Holy Spirit moves and changes the person to be more Christ-like.
Our Response
Both the cleansing of the Temple and cursing of the fig tree was not a moment of cruelty but a reminder of God’s righteousness and authority to judge those who do not pursue a righteous life. While all have sinned and deserve to be judged like the money changers and the fig tree, Jesus’ death and resurrection create a straight and narrow path for redemption and a restored relationship with God for all who want one. To live a fruitful life, pursue obedience and a loving relationship with the Lord. Not all Mondays are terrible after all!
