Holy Week: Jesus Clears The Temple And Curses The Fig Tree

Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple. Jesus would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple and He began to teach and say to them in Mark 11:15-17, “Is it not written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS’? But you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”

The temple was supposed to be a place of worship, but true worship had disappeared. The fig tree showed promise of fruit, but it produced none. Jesus was condemning religious life without substance. If you claim to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the barren fig tree, producing no fruit. Genuine faith has great potential to bear fruit for the kingdom of God.