What dose of prophet should we be?
Saturday, April 28th, 2007
Mark 11:11ff brings us the quick, action parable of Jesus cursing a fig tree that was naturally unable to give fruit. The riding-on-a-donkey King, the one who comes “in peace”, then goes to the temple and turns over tables and chairs, chases out sellers AND buyers, merchants and worshippers, and forbids city-dwellers to cross the sacred ground with their wares.
When the disciples come across the fig tree the following day, it’s ready to be cut down for the fire. Jesus then tells them to put their faith in God.
A couple of thoughts:
When the disciples come across the fig tree the following day, it’s ready to be cut down for the fire. Jesus then tells them to put their faith in God.
A couple of thoughts:
- Judean Kings would sometimes do what Jesus did. Good King Hezekiah cleaned out a temple full of idols. Jesus used his prerogative as blessed king to “whip” away, if but temporarily, the rottenness of first century Judaism.
- The judgment of the fig tree becomes a judgment of sterile religion, maybe even of sterile worship. There are echoes of O.T. prophets in the air:
When I saw your fathers,
it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.
But when they came to Baal Peor,
they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol
and became as vile as the thing they loved (Hosea 9.10).
So how much of a “prophet” should the preacher be when he teaches from this text?
Just wondering…