Having spent the night in nearby Bethany, Jesus and his disciples head for the temple. On the way, Jesus finds a fig tree in leaf, but no fruit present. He curses the tree – symbolic of a people that are clearly enjoying nourishment but yielding no fruit. Upon entering the temple area, Jesus began driving out the vendors and others that were making a marketplace of God’s house. This was yet another reason the chief priests and teachers of the law looked for a way to kill him, but they feared Jesus “because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.”
El Greco, 1600
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Mark 11:12-18
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.
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