So, if you read yesterday’s blog you know what Jesus did on Palm Sunday.
Basically, Jesus blows into town, blows up, then…blows out. Many of us forget what went down after He got up and off of that donkey. No warm and fuzzy Jesus here. We read:
Matt 21:12-17 Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.
And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”
Monday, however, was back to business as usual. Jesus got up and headed back into the city. On the way in, He did something you and I might find a bit strange. He cursed the fig tree.
Matt 21:18-19 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
After that little episode, he cleansed the Temple…again! Then, in the evening, He headed back to Bethany for some rest.
When he left the city of Jerusalem the night before (Sunday evening) he had also gone back to the village of Bethany, where he had been staying since Friday night. It was the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. It appears that was where he stayed most of the week leading up to his tragic death. As we can see, He was spending His final days with the people that comforted and blessed Him the most.
Thot for today: Jesus didn’t like “religion”. One of the final things he did that final week was to let religious folks know He wasn’t fond of their ways. He had some new ideas about God for them. And He was getting ready to really rock their world in the next few days by proving His point–in a very unique way.
See you tomorrow!
S.
