Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple
area. He looked around at everything and, since it was already late, went out
to Bethany with the Twelve.
The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was
hungry. Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went over to see if he
could find anything on it. When he reached it he found nothing but leaves; it
was not the time for figs. And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of
your fruit again!” And his disciples heard it.
They came to Jerusalem, and on entering the temple
area he began to drive out those selling and buying there. He overturned the
tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. He
did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area. Then he taught
them saying, “Is it not written: My house shall be called a house of prayer for
all peoples? But you have made it a den of thieves.”
The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it
and were seeking a way to put him to death, yet they feared him because the whole crowd was
astonished at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city.
Early in the morning, as they were walking along,
they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter remembered and said to him,
“Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus said to them in
reply, “Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but
believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I
tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and
it shall be yours. When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have
a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your
transgressions.”
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Reflection:
Isn’t it frightening how Jesus condemned the barren
fig tree? Could this condemnation happen to us also? But why should we wait for
that condemnation to come to us when we still have the time to renew our life?
Let us therefore walk away from any form of
sinfulness while we still have time. And in the process of walking away from
sin let us also become productive followers of Jesus. This we can do by sharing
and living His teachings otherwise we become barren creatures of this world.
If we don’t know how to share His teachings let us simply
live His teaching for in doing so others would know that we are followers of
Jesus. Let us not make the mistake of following this world for it would only
lead us to a problematic life. A life of emptiness, without peace and
contentment.
Time will come that we will face the judgement of
God (Matthew 25:31-46). How would He judge us by that time if we continue to
become barren followers? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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