One of the results of last Sunday's sermon on Immigration and Nationhood was the continuing conversation it generated and because other people continued to be engaged it continued my thinking as well. The story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey is quite comical, a living parable, which in itself has much to say about his view of nations and people who are different from us and how we treat them.
But what has exercised my thinking since Sunday is that strange moment with the fig tree that Mark puts in his account (Mark 11:1-18) between Jesus going to the temple and him acting decisively against the system. Jesus sees a fig tree from a distance, it has leaves on it and looks healthy but when he gets closer he sees no figs - not that it should have had any because it wasn't the season for figs! Not fair!! As Jesus looked at the temple from a distance it seemed that everything was going well. The Temple courts were full of people coming to worship God and there was noise and excitement, sacrifice and celebration - it was Passover. But as he got closer and looked at everything he saw no fruit, nothing to show for all the activity. Plenty of leaves but no figs. It was the season for fruit in the Temple, but nothing was there. He cursed the fig tree, he overturned the tables and halted the sacrifices that were going on. The purpose of the Temple had been forgotten, instead of welcome he found exclusion and exploitation. On Friday he hung on a cross to open the way for all people for all time - well, until there is no more time!
As Jesus looks at my life from a distance what does he see? Activity, noise, busy-ness. As he gets closer....
Perhaps it's time for him to come in and clear out the outer court of my heart, the part of my life where motives get a bit mixed up, where prejudice can linger a little too long, where sin can take hold and become a habit. It should be the place for fruitfulness, but all he mat find is leaves.
What needs clearing out? Will Jesus find fruit growing in my life as he gets closer? Paul writes, 'your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you.' (1 Corinthians 6:19) Does He have access to all areas? Has the curtain been torn in two yet?
I'd love to hear what you think about this, so please join in the conversation. I've got so much more to learn.
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