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Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts 12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.  13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.  14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”  And his disciples heard him say it. 15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,  16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.  17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]” 18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[c] went out of the city. Read full chapter Footnotes Mark 11:17 Isaiah 56:7 Mark 11:17 Jer. 7:11 Mark 11:19 Some early manuscripts came, Jesus   New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Verses 12–14 provide us with a conundrum. Are we seeing the human side of Jesus: a disturbed night of moral indignation at what he’d seen at the temple; breakfast not up to much; an early morning? We can’t help feeling a little sympathy for the fig tree.

The Court of the Gentiles was the outermost court of the temple at Jerusalem. Unlike the inner courts, it was accessible to Jews and non- Jews alike. It was also a handy shortcut from the city to the Mount of Olives. The market was here, providing wine, oil, salt, and birds for temple rituals, along with facilities for currency exchange from Roman and Greek to the Jewish coinage required for offerings. So far, so good. However, many of the stalls were owned by the high priest, exchange rates were sky high, and profiteering was rife. Jesus’ anger and violent action is directed at the moral cesspit, the secularization created in this, the only area of the temple where ‘all nations’ were allowed to gather for prayer.1 This court was deemed inclusive rather than exclusive, yet the spirituality on display left everything to be desired.

In contrast to the previous day’s humble and self-effacing acceptance of his Messianic role, Jesus has now engaged in a public confrontation with the religious hierarchy of the city. The public reaction is amazement. Who would dare to oppose those in control of the temple like this? The authorities’ reaction is to silence him—but they recognize in Jesus a power they cannot control. Furthermore, he is drawing public support to himself and away from them. They cannot afford to let this happen.

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