Holy Monday

MARCH 25

Cleansing for Hearts

Devotional by Stacy Thorpe, Director for Care & Counseling

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. 

And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’ But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city.––Mark 11:12–19

It is Monday morning, and Jesus and the disciples leave Bethany to return to Jerusalem. Yesterday we saw Jesus riding on a donkey and hailed as king. Today we see Jesus curse a fig tree, overturn tables, and drive people out of the temple. These are not behaviors we typically associate with Jesus, so what is he trying to show us?

In the story of the fig tree, it helps us to know that in the Old Testament, Israel was often referred to as a fig tree. For example, Jeremiah 8:13 says, “When I would gather them, declares the Lord, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree.” So in this parable, when Jesus cursed the fig tree, he was really judging Israel. Israel had the appearance of life, but it was really spiritually dead. 

Moving on in the events of Monday, Jesus and the disciples arrived in Jerusalem. He entered the temple and found that there were tables set up for people to sell pigeons, lambs, etc. for various sin and thanksgiving sacrifices. There were also tables for people to exchange currency in order to make purchases. 

In response to seeing all of this, Jesus drove them out of the temple and overturned their tables. 

And he taught them saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’ But you have made it a den of robbers.” Jesus is quoting here Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. The temple was the place where the presence of God and all his holiness dwelt. The Jerusalem temple needed to be cleansed; it was not a place of business. This was not Jesus losing his temper but rather he was full of righteous, holy anger. The temple was to be a house of prayer, and Jesus was filled with zeal for true worship of God. 

When the chief priests and scribes heard of this, they sought to destroy Jesus, and the stage was set for the events later in the week. In a few days time, Jesus was going to offer his life as a sacrifice for sin, if only the people had eyes to see their need of his cleansing. 

For those of us who have now trusted in Jesus’ sacrifice for sin on our behalf, are we zealous to rid our lives of sin? Do we experience righteous anger at sin and injustice in the world? Do our lives give evidence of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control), not perfectly, but are we pursuing these things?

On this Monday of Holy Week, let us examine our hearts for sin that we can repent of, knowing that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). 

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!–-Psalm 139:23–24