The Last WeekSample

RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 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. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. Matthew 21:18-20

The Lord knows individual hearts and whether a person is being fruitful in their spiritual walk. The unfruitful fig tree is very symbolic of how Jesus sees an unfaithful individual and nation. Jesus being hungry is symbolic of a people who are empty but need to be filled.

Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. "It is written,” he said to them, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers”. Matthew 21:12-13

On that same day, imagine how he felt when he saw the money changers in the temple. Yes, it made him angry, but with righteous indignation. You and I are the sacred temples that house the Holy Spirit. As much as it broke His heart to see the temple misused, imagine how much it must hurt Him when we misuse our bodies.

CAN YOU RELATE?

Jesus was on a day trip from Bethany to Jerusalem, knowing all that was ahead of Him. He sent these two strong messages:

• The sacredness of His temple and how it should be used as a house of prayer.
• How a tree that doesn’t produce will be cursed.

Jesus had so many emotions that last week. Just the day before, the people were welcoming and praising Him. Are we like that? Do we welcome and praise Him at church and become unclean and unfruitful when the week begins?