There are two things I never knew about these passages.
First of all, I didn't realize there were two separate incidents where Jesus threw people out of the temple.
Secondly, I never realized that this incidence of Jesus throwing people out of the temple was related to the lived out parable of the fig tree.
According to my Life Application Bible....
In this passage, two unusual incidents are related, the cursing of the fig tree and the clearing of the temple. The cursing of the fig tree was an acted-out parable related to the clearing of the temple. The temple was supposed to be a place of worship, but true worship had disappeared. The fig tree showed promise of fruit, but it produced none. Jesus was showing his anger at religious life without substance. If you claim to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the barren fig tree. Genuine faith has great potential; ask God to help you bear fruit for his kingdom.
Wow! I never out two and two together on this passage before, that's for sure. And Jesus sure does have hash words for people who claim Him, but don't even attempt to live like Him.
It's so interesting because our sermon in church today dealt, partially, with this exact truth. We had a visiting preacher from our daughter church in Winkler, a town South of us. It's a church plant in a town (small city?) where 96.4% of the people claim to be Christians. The problem with this is that many of the people have become disillusioned with the church and wandered away from the faith. Their lives do not bear fruit, but yet they would still claim the title "Christian". The problem, of course, is how to win these souls for Christ when they already know all the facts.
One of their strategies is to be a seeker offensive church. You've heard of the seeker sensitive movement - and he defined it as being church where the message is watered down so much as to be hardly recognizable, in order to attract secular society. Jesus would have no use for that type of message. No one could ever accuse Jesus of watering down the gospel! So, this pastor is conducting a seeker offensive church instead, and if you show up on a Sunday morning - expect to be uncomfortable! Expect be convicted. Truth is laid out plain. And it is working! People who have not attended church in 15 years, are beginning to return to the faith - to true faith. And that is so exciting!
And I really think that is what Canad/America needs as a whole. We need our churches to preach the Word fearlessly, truthfully, in it's entirety! Where holiness, wrath and fear are preached right alongside of love, grace and mercy. Hmmm, I just posted about this on my personal blog last night too. Turned out my choice of song for this morning fit exactly with the message. Who knew? The answer, of course, is - He did.
Tomorrow's passage: Matthew 21:28-22:33, Mark 12:1-27, Luke 20:9-40
2 comments:
I think I've learned more about who God is this past year participating in this blog than I have in a very long time. Not to say that my church waters down the message of the Bible, because it doesn't. Particularly not our new pastor who started a little over a year ago. But the past couple of years I haven't been in the service much because of having a small baby to attend to, and our nursery isn't priviledged to have a speaker through which we can hear the sermon. But I agree wholeheartedly that the watered-down version of Christianity we see around us all the time isn't doing anyone any favours.
Our neighbour's girlfriend and I were talking about Christianity and God on Saturday night, and she unfortunately has very limited knowledge of what it means to be a Christian (in fact she doesn't like to use "labels" like that), and yet she considers herself to have very strong faith and a strong love for God, without knowing who He really is. If you think of it, please pray for me as I talk to her about these things, if I have the opportunity again.
Thanks.
Haha, Revive Our Hearts echoed this today!!! Too funny.
It's so true though, and I think that's why I've grown to love the Old Testament in reading through it this year. The mercy and grace ~ SALVATION ~ are SO much more amazing when we see God's infinite hatred of sin and just wrath. I don't remember where I heard or read this, but there's a reason diamonds are displayed on black cloth; the rock just won't sparkle the same against any lighter colours. Same thing with salvation shining against the blackness of sin and fear of judgment.
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