Tearing Down to Build Up
When a structure is severely damaged, it sometimes must be torn down before it can be rebuilt. Hundreds of families across our city are still reeling from the tornado that hit Dallas two weeks ago. Many homes were damaged so bad that they’re beyond repair. They must be torn down and rebuilt. It’s no use trying to repair structures that’ve been condemned. Building onto an unstable and unsafe structure is unwise and unsafe. Sometimes we have to tear down in order to rebuild.
Jesus Sent to Tear Down In Order to Build Up
In the same way, God sent his Son Jesus into the world to build something new, a new people for God’s glory. But before he could build this new structure, an old structure had to be torn down. The old structure of Jewish worship as located at and centered on the temple, and the religious leaders who superintended it, needed to be torn down to make way for a new building for God.
This would happen quite literally. Jesus predicted that the temple in Jerusalem would literally be torn down in Mark 13:1-2. But more than the building needed to go. The whole corrupt system of false worship and financial exploitation, and the leaders behind it, needed to be brought down in order for a new way of relating to God to be built up.
Jesus himself would be the new “building” where people could worship God and enjoy his presence. All who’re united to him through faith are given his Spirit and therefore become the new temple, the place where God’s presence dwells (1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19). But before God would build a new temple with Jesus and his followers, the old one needed to go.
Jesus Comes to Replace, Not Reform, the Temple
As I said last week, the last section of Mark’s Gospel is focused on the temple in Jerusalem because Jesus is making it clear that he has come to replace, not merely reform, the temple. He was the Messiah who came to save his people, but first he had to judge the old system of Israel’s religion centered on the temple.
Last week we saw Jesus enter Jerusalem with great messianic symbolism. He went straight to the temple, inspected its operations, and then went back to Bethany with his disciples (11:1-11). This was the calm before the storm of what happens the next day. When Jesus comes back to the temple the next day, he comes with fire in his eyes, ready to start the process of tearing down the old structure in order to make room for the new.
This brings us to our text, Mark 11:12-25. We can divide this text up into three sections. First, Jesus chats with a tree (vv. 12-14). Second, Jesus confronts in the temple (vv. 15-19). And third, Jesus calls for trust (vv. 20-25).
Jesus Chats with a Tree
In verses 12-14, Jesus chats with a tree. The Gospel writers go out of their way to point out the humanity and divinity of Jesus. Here we see that Jesus, like any man, gets hungry (v. 12). But, unlike any man, he presumes that an inanimate object of nature would do what he said (v. 14). Jesus was fully man. But he was also fully God. He could tell things in the natural world, like the storm in chapter four and the tree here, what to do and they obeyed.
Verses 20-21 tell us what happened to the tree. This is the only miracle of destruction that Jesus performs. He usually employed his power to bless, not curse, to heal, not make sick, to bring life, not kill. But here he uses his power to cause a fig tree to shrivel up and die.
The famous British atheist Bertrand Russell accused Jesus of “vindictive fury” for cursing the fig tree for not producing figs out of season. This episode tarnished Jesus’ character in Russell’s opinion. But is that what’s happening here? Is Jesus just mad because he didn’t get food when he wanted? Was he acting like a child by overreacting when he didn’t get what he wanted?
No, indeed he wasn’t. He was about to be upset about what was going on in the temple. He wasn’t upset with the tree. The cursing of the fig tree symbolized the destruction of Jerusalem that was to come. The earliest commentators on Mark wrote in the fifth century that this was an enacted parable. The way Mark arranges his material in this section confirms this.
The Sandwich Technique
As I’ve mentioned before, Mark often uses what’s called the “sandwich technique” to make a point. The sandwich technique is a “literary convention with theological purposes.” Think of a sandwich. The best part of a sandwich isn’t the bread, but what’s in between the bread. The bread is important because it gives the sandwich shape, holds it together, and adds some flavor. But the point of a sandwich is what’s in the middle.
The “sandwich technique” is when a writer puts one story in between another story. It’s when the writer interrupts a story by inserting another seemingly unrelated story into it, only to resume the first story after the second story is told.
Notice how Mark brings up the fig tree incident in verses 12-14, then tells us about Jesus’ cleansing of the temple in verses 15-19, and then brings us back to the fig tree in verses 20-21. The passage in the center helps us understand the passages around it. Jesus’ judgment of the temple is the point of his cursing the fig tree. Mark doesn’t want his readers to miss this point, so he brings it out by using the sandwich technique. The fate of the unfruitful fig tree is meant to show us the judgment of God that’s coming on the unfruitful temple.
Jesus’ actions weren’t vindictive or irrational, as Russell supposed. They were measured and intentional. Like the Old Testament prophets, Jesus was dramatizing his message with a corresponding action (e.g. Jer. 19:1-3; 27:1-15). And he uses a fig tree on purpose because the Old Testament often used the fig tree as a symbol of judgment (Isa. 34:4; Hos. 2:12) and a symbol for Israel’s faithlessness (Jer. 8:13; 29:17).
Jesus picks on this fig tree to make his point that Israel, and the temple in particular, is about to be judged. The cursing of the fig tree was a deliberately staged act meant to symbolize God’s coming judgment of the temple. The temple, like the tree, will be torn down. Jesus chats with the tree because God is about to judge the temple.
Jesus Confronts in the Temple
In verses, 15-19, we see Jesus’ confrontation in the temple. Let’s talk about the temple for a moment. This was the third temple in Israel’s history. Solomon built the first one but it was destroyed by the Babylonians. Zerubbabel, with Ezra and Nehemiah’s help, built the second one. It was never technically destroyed, but Herod the Great began replacing it around 20 BC.
The Jews despised Herod, but they loved the temple he was building for them. It was the center of Jewish religious life and national identity. It was synonomous with Judaism itself. Jews believed there could be no Judaism without it. Destroying the temple would be like destroying the U. S. Capital Building, White House, and Supreme Court all at once. This structure was part of the core identity of what it meant to be Jewish.
The temple complex was massive. The whole complex wasn’t finished until AD 64. The outer courts were about 1,000 feet by 1,600 feet, or approximately 35 acres. The complex consisted of four divisions. The first and largest was the outer court called the Court of Gentiles. It was surrounded by beautiful colonnades or covered porches supported by rows of columns.
It was in this massive area where merchants would sell sheep and doves for sacrifices and exchange foreign currency. The “money-changers” exchanged Roman money for the temple shekel, which was required from all Jewish males as a temple tax. Doves, or “pigeons,” were the prescribed offering for the poor who couldn’t afford a sheep.
Verse 16 says that Jesus stopped the flow of goods through the temple. The word used here for “anything” is the word that usually refers to objects related to the temple, sacred objects. Jesus is thus impeding the flow of sacrifices. Remember, he’s not there to reform. He’s there to tear down and replace.
Verse 17 says that he’s teaching while he’s doing all this. The Jews thought that the Messiah would come and get rid of all the Gentiles and foreigners. Jesus is doing the reverse. Instead of getting rid of the Gentiles, he’s making room for them. He doesn’t clear the temple of Gentiles but for Gentiles. He’s quoting the prophet Isaiah who predicted that the Gentiles would have a place among the people of God and in the temple (56:7). But, because the Court of Gentiles had become a flea market, the Gentiles were being deprived of the only place they were allowed to worship. By clearing the traders out, Jesus literally and symbolically makes room for all the nations in the temple of God. He’s indicating that the Gentiles have a place in his work of remaking the temple.
The “den of robbers” comment at the end of verse 17 comes right out of Jeremiah 7:11. Jesus is saying that the temple had become a safe-haven for unjust people. The Jews thought that they could do whatever they wanted in the temple and get away with it. They thought that as long as they went through the religious rituals, God would accept them. Jesus disagrees. He calls them “robbers” because of the extortion going on in the selling of doves and changing of money. The financial crimes committed in the temple had made it a place deserving of God’s judgment. God cares about how we conduct business and how we handle our money.
Jesus’ actions and words make it clear that the temple is under the judgment of God. God could no longer tolerate its corrupt practices and empty worship. The Gentiles must be allowed into the presence of God and the old way of doing things must be torn down.
Verse 18 says that the leaders of the temple heard what Jesus was saying and weren’t happy. But notice that their anger is rooted in fear. The crowds were amazed at Jesus. Who was this guy who had the audacity to come into the temple and start flipping tables over and driving people out? His message about God’s original intent for the temple was resonating with lots of folks, so the leaders wanted to destroy him. He was disrupting their way of life, likely hurting their pocketbooks, and stealing the hearts of the people. Therefore, he needed to go away.
Verse 19 says that Jesus does go away that evening, leaving the city for the second night in a row. Jesus, the Messiah, is separating himself from the Holy City and the temple. We should not miss the symbolic force of this. The Messiah would rather be with his friends, those who trusted him and followed him, than around the temple and its religious leaders. The old was on its way out and something new was already beginning to take shape around him.
Jesus Calls for Trust
In verses 20-25, Jesus calls for trust. The second piece of bread in Mark’s “sandwich” says that the fig tree had “withered away to its roots” (v. 20). This drives Mark’s point about Jesus’ work at the temple home. Just as the fig tree has shriveled up and all but disappeared, so will the temple. The fig tree will never produce fruit again, and neither will the temple. This means that verses 15-19 are better described as the “closing of the temple,” not the “cleansing of the temple.” Jesus isn’t cleaning it up. He’s tearing it down as an institution, as a place where people can meet God, and replacing it with himself as the center of a new Israel.
In verses 22-25, Jesus talks to his disciples about faith, prayer, and forgiveness. These were things that Jesus probably said often because the other Gospel writers use these verses in other contexts. Here Jesus uses the withered fig tree as an object lesson about faith: “Have faith in God” (v. 22). Jesus is saying, “Despite the withering away of the temple, continue to trust in God.” Faith is now the way into God’s presence. He can be approached by anyone from anywhere. Jesus made this clear to the Samaritan woman at the well (Jn. 4:19-26).
The way into God’s presence is through faith in the person and work of Jesus. In Jesus, God became man, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again from the dead in order to bring everyone who trusts in him and turns away from their sins into God’s presence.
Why did Jesus have to come and die? Because God is holy and we are not, meaning that we can’t waltz into his presence unless something is done about our sin. Just as the Jews had to make animal sacrifices to be right with God, so Jesus became the final and perfect sacrifice for sins. Our sin is an affront to the holy God who made us. He can’t just sweep it under the rug. He must do something about it or he isn’t just or good. God’s goodness means that he must punish sin.
The gospel teaches us that, in Jesus, God punishes his own Son for our sins so that we might have the righteousness of Jesus. Through faith, we can be cleansed of all our sin and given the garments of Jesus’ righteousness. We don’t have to stay in the outer Court of the Gentiles. Because of Jesus we can walk right to the center of the temple, into the very presence of God and, instead of being consumed by his holiness, be accepted into his arms of love and mercy.
All of this is ours through faith. No work is required. No sacrifice necessary. No religious ritual. No cleaning up your life. Just simple trust in the person and work of Jesus. Do you “have faith in God”?
Beware of Word of Faith Theology
Verse 23 uses hyperbole to teach us the importance and power of faith. We have to be careful with this verse. Some have built entire theologies on this verse, called word of faith theology, that says that we just have to “name it and claim it” and whatever we ask for in Jesus’ name will be ours. This theology is more like the New Age movement than biblical Christianity, however. The New Age movement, commonly found among those who say they’re “spiritual but not religious,” teaches that by visualizing or desiring what we want to happen, we can actually make it happen. This is more like magic than faith, as it seeks to manipulate things to get what we want. This is not much different than word of faith theology.
Mountains were often used as symbols of difficulty. Verse 23 is Jesus using hyperbole to talk about the necessity of faith in the midst of difficulties. The disciples would face difficulty from the religious leaders in Jerusalem as they carried out their mission. They would need much faith.
Faith, Prayer, and Forgiveness
Jesus, not the temple, must be the object of their faith. Faith is the opposite of “doubting in our hearts” (v. 23) and the opposite of fear. Our fears and anxieties are a result of our small faith. We forget that Jesus is in control and ruling his world, that he is good and worthy of our trust. This means that we can expect from him what we can’t expect from anyone else. He’ll be there when things are really tough. He won’t abandon us. He’ll love us and be patient with us when we do really stupid things. He’ll forgive us and won’t hold grudges against us. He even delights in us because we’re his children.
Verse 24 isn’t a blanket statement to be applied without exception. It means that faith is an indispensable aspect of prayer. Faith is what points us in God’s direction in the first place. If we want to be near God, according to Hebrews 11:6, we must “believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” We can’t be near someone we don’t believe exists and we won’t be rewarded by someone we aren’t close to. Faith brings us near to God, a nearness demonstrated by faith-full praying.
Then Jesus says that unforgiveness can hinder our prayers (v. 25). Forgiving those “you have anything against” is one of the primary features of faith. True faith in Jesus creates fervent prayer and quick forgiveness. This is why our Church Covenant says that we will “be slow to take offense, and always seek reconciliation without delay.”
Those trusting in Jesus don’t hold grudges and are quick to forgive and make amends because God doesn’t hold a grudge against us. He’s been quick to forgive us, so we’ll want to quickly forgive others. God’s love has covered a multitude of our sins, so we must “keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8). When we forgive each other, we reveal that we’ve been forgiven by God.
This is one of the most noticeable ways that God’s presence has truly come to live among us. In Christ, we’re the new temple, the place where God’s presence dwells (1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19). The church is where people should see what God is like. God is quick to forgive anyone who draws near to his Son through faith. Now his Spirit that lives inside us compels us to do the same. The world is an unforgiving, judgmental, always keeping score, always comparing and competing kind of place. The church has the Spirit of God, so the church is full of forgiveness and grace. God wants to show the world what he’s like through the church.
This means that if there’s someone in the church that you’ve hurt or has hurt you, you should go to them, forgive them or ask for their forgiveness. If I’ve hurt you or done something that rubbed you the wrong way, come and talk to me. I can’t address things I’m unaware of. May we all be “slow to take offense, and always seek reconciliation without delay.” In so doing, we reveal that we’re the new temple, the new place where God’s gracious presence dwells.
We’ve seen Jesus start the process of tearing down the old structure in order to make room for the new. The old way of relating to God through the temple has come to an end. Jesus is now the place to go in order to see and experience the power and love of God. All who go to the new temple of Jesus Christ in faith will leave as praying and forgiving people because they’ve seen something in Jesus that has utterly changed the way they see everything else.