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Mark 11:20-33
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Matthew 21:42-46; 26:14-16
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
26:14 …one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
Oleander | Tulum, Mexico | February 2024Most people think of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday as the days of the major events of Holy Week. Indeed those two days are pivotal and greatly important. But there are lots of things happening on Tuesday. Jesus visits the temple, explains the cursing of the fig tree, takes on the Pharisees, and teaches on the Mount of Olives, and Judas makes the deal to betray Jesus.
But let me unpack the issue of the cursing of the fig tree. Mark’s account seems perhaps to be chronological while Matthew connects the cursing with the disciples’ questioning and Jesus’ answer. It is clear that the fig tree was cursed and withered. It is clear that the disciples questioned Jesus about it. It is also clear that the disciples don’t really bother themselves with questions of Jesus’ motives. They want to know only how Jesus did it. They really don’t seem to care why.
I wonder about the why because Mark tells us that it was not the season for figs. So it seems quite unfair or arbitrary on Jesus’ part. It’s like me throwing my shoe across the room because I stub my toe on it. It’s not the shoe’s fault. Nor it is the fault of the fig tree that there is no fruit. It wasn’t the season for figs. But the gospel writers all agree: it was done. The disciples ask about it, and Jesus uses the occasion to talk to them about the power of prayer. I’ll have to let Scripture shape my curiosity’s quest.
Prayer can change things if it is aligned with God’s will and fervently faithful. That’s Jesus’ teaching. In two days Jesus will pray fervently and faithfully, and under the will of God that, if possible the bitter cup of suffering he was about to drink (his death on the cross) would be taken from him. We can ask God for anything according to his will. There may be times when our prayers are so faith-filled that they are immediately answered. Sometimes we must wait for God’s answer to become apparent. In any case God’s promise to answer our prayers is not his offer to be our heavenly gofer. He gives good gifts. Some of them will come in the life of the world to come.
So many of the events of this week must have tugged on Jesus’ emotions. He knew he was facing his last days. The conflict between him and the Pharisees is reaching a climax. He will instruct his disciples before he is betrayed. Then will come the betrayal, the scourging, beating, crucifixion, and death. These events loom before him and his disciples.
One of them – for reasons known only to God – takes matters into his own hands and decides to betray Jesus. Judas will sell his soul for 30 pieces of silver. The Jewish leaders will agree to this bargain. They will question Jesus’ authority. But as great of an emotional and dramatic vortex this is, none of it is happening apart from God’s will. This is his plan – for our good and his glory.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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