mark 11 begins with jesus giving instructions to two of his disciples concerning his entry into jerusalem. the writer doesn't tell us which disciples are charged with getting a colt for jesus to ride into the city, but jesus tells them to find an animal which has never been ridden just inside the city, untie it, and bring it to him. if they are questioned, jesus tells they are to say "the lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately." these instructions suggest that jesus has made prior arrangements for the use of the colt and the words the disciples are to use are a code to let the owner of the colt know that jesus is ready to come into the city. the disciples find the colt just as jesus described it to them and, when questioned, repeat the sentence jesus told to them to their questioners. after the disciples bring the colt to jesus and throw their cloaks on it, jesus sits on it and goes into the city. as he progresses through jerusalem, "many people spread their cloaks on the road and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields" as shouts of "hosanna! blessed is the one who comes in the name of the lord! blessed is the coming of our ancestor david! hosanna in the highest heaven!" are heard from the crowd. all of this seems to have been planned in advance, else why would these excited crowds have gathered just because someone rides into jerusalem on a colt. was jesus involved in a plot to begin a rebellion in jerusalem? had some of his disciples been in contact with zealots who wanted to use jesus to foment political unrest without jesus' knowledge? we'll never know, but this "triumphal entry" seems suspicious to me.
next jeus goes to the temple, looks around and returns to bethany where he had begun his ride into jerusalem. the next day as jesus and the disciples walk back toward the city, he sees a fig tree and looks to see if there is any fruit on it. when he sees that the tree has no fruit, he says, "may no one ever eat fruit from you again." mark points out that the disciples have heard what jesus says to the fig tree. the following day, as they pass the fig tree again, peter points out that the fig tree has withered and died. then jesus tells his disciples, to "have faith in God. truly i tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. so i tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." some would suggest that jesus cursed the fig tree to teach the disciples a lesson about having faith that one's prayers will be answered. i find it amazing that jesus would find fault with the fig tree because it is not bearing fruit out of season. is mark suggesting that it's acceptable to "zap" some living thing because it is unable to satisfy one's immediate desire? this action seems uncharacteristic of jesus, and i can't believe that it is part of the actual teachings of jesus. the next quotation of jesus, however, does seem to be consistent with his teaching: "whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that you father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."
on the day jesus curses the fig tree, he and the disciples continue on to the temple, where jesus drives out "those who were selling and those who buying," overturning the money changers' tables "and the seats of those who sold doves." he asks, "is it not written, 'my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but you have made it a den of robbers." his actions anger the temple elite, and mark says that "they kept looking for a way to kill him." yet jesus' enemies are afraid to take action against him because the people are "spellbound by his teaching." how did jesus manage to take these actions by himself against so many? did he have help from the disciples or other followers? was this protest against the defilement of the temple planned in advance? was this the beginning action in an anticipated revolt?
after jesus teaches his disciples about the nature of prayer on his way back to jerusalem for the third time, he returns to the temple where the religious leaders are waiting for him and question his authority to drive out the merchants from the temple. jesus turns the tables on them by saying he will answer their question only after they answer this question from him: "did the baptism of john come from heaven or was it of human origin?" those who have tried to corner jesus by questioning his authority are afraid to answer because, if they condemn john, the people will turn on them, and, if they say that john's teaching was sanctioned by heaven, jesus will ask why they didn't believe john. unable to answer, they tell jesus that they have no answer for his questions, and jesus replies that he will not answer their question about his authority. here the chapter closes.
in this chapter, i find one important teaching about the nature of forgiveness along with several questions. it seems that the more i read, the more questions i have. the true teachings of jesus seem obscured by the desire of the writer to make jesus into something i don't believe he was. the jesus we see in this chapter is a jesus who pushes against an oppressive religious regime, and i find that admirable, but we also see a jesus who is either plotting against the religious and civil authorities or who is being used by those who want to end roman rule. maybe jesus saw himself as the face of a revolt against the occupiers of his land, but his earlier actions don't suggest that.
more questions than answers! may i and any others who search find the answers we need to understand this man who lived so long ago. may we learn to forgive as jesus taught. may the real jesus emerge from reading this account of his life. shalom.
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