Evendays

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:

• 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…

From Lamin Sanneh, Whose Religion is Christianity?, pages 59-60:

The Maasai of East Africa… speak in their so-named African Creed of believing as a community rather than as individuals, and instead of casting their creed in cognitive abstract terms of the seen and unseen, of Christ as eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, begotten not made, etc., they speak of a journey of faith in a God who out of love created the world and us, of how they once knew the High God in darkness but now know this God in the light. The creed continues with God’s promises in Scripture and momentously in Jesus, “a man in flesh, a Jew by tribe, born poor in a little village, who left his home and was always on safari doing good, curing people by the power of God,” until finally he was rejected by his people, tortured and nailed, hands and feet, to a cross, and died. Then the irony of the historical Jesus is clinched with a stunning understatement with the words, “He lay buried in the grave, but the hyenas did not touch him, and on the third day he rose from the grave.” A note of eschatological joy and hope swells to conclude the creed: “We are waiting for Him [Jesus]. He is alive. He lives. This we believe. Amen.” 

No elections here in Switzerland, so I’ll have to look elsewhere to give you news about life and what’s going on…

What’s going on? Sister 3 is in labor or is finishing labor or is sleeping off the labor. Yes, her first little boy was supposed to be provoked into coming last night. (Editor’s note: The English word is "induce" labor. Evendays is using a French euphemism which, considering what childbirth is like—so we’ve heard—is not so far off the mark.) What a great way to start life: Get provoked, get squashed, get pushed into the light, get loved, get photographed, get fed.

What’s going on? Amnesty International is upset about Saddam Hussein getting the death penalty. Several NGOs are saying the trial wasn’t fair. I think they are probably right. The dictator didn’t get what he deserved. Yet, he who showed no mercy got none.

What’s going on? According to the Belief-O-Matic, many of you are really, really confused. Sounds as if you could do with a spiritual retreat in Switzerland. (99% Mormon? How did that happen?)

What’s going on? Well, as Greg would say, “Only 46 days till Christmas.” That’s pretty good news.

But do enjoy today, okay?

Go ahead. I dare you. I DOUBLE DOG dare you.

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