‘And he entered into Jerusalem, into the Temple, and when he had looked round about on all things, it now being evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.’

Leaving the enthusiastic crowds behind to greet more pilgrims Jesus went into the Temple, and Mark brings out that His purpose was in order to look around and survey what was there. The Lord has come suddenly to His Temple (Mal 3:1). He would not be surprised by what He found in it, for He had been there many times before, but it no doubt revived His feelings of righteous anger against the behaviour of those responsible for the house of God. As far as He was concerned They were preventing proper worship by the Gentiles, and He therefore knew what His intentions were. The twelve, however, who were probably with Him, had no idea what was on His mind. They simply looked around at the busyness of the Temple. However, as it was by this time evening Jesus did nothing, but left the Temple and returned with the twelve to where they were staying in Bethany, but His mind was no doubt busy over what He intended to do. The time for secrecy was over..

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The Temple and the Fig Tree (11:11-25)

Having made clear to those with eyes to see both Whom He was and the spirit in which He had come, meek and lowly and in peace as far as politics was concerned, Jesus moved on to the Temple, and there we are significantly told that ‘He looked around’. Remembering what He had previously done as a young firebrand (Joh 2:14-17) this gains in significance. But that is not specifically what Mark has in mind. He has more in mind an examination that looks around and is angry at what it sees (compare Mal 3:1-2), just as He will shortly examine the fig tree in the same vein. In fact this whole passage is a mixture of symbolism and reality. He is hungry, because He sees the crowds in their hunger, and wants to meet their need. But He is angry with those who are responsible for their continuing hunger, those who see themselves as the fig tree who should be feeding His people. And He wants to demonstrate that the Temple can no longer meet the needs of the people and must be replaced by a spiritual Temple. And he does it by parallelism

For as mentioned above the Temple and the fig tree are closely interwoven here. His careful scrutiny of the temple is paralleled with His scrutiny of the fig tree, He finds fruitlessness and deadness in both, and His subsequent action in the Temple is to be explained in terms of the withering of the fig tree because of its barrenness. In a sense He was giving the leadership the opportunity to put things right. But He knew that they would not. Pruning would not be sufficient. The fig tree/Temple was only fit to be destroyed. Judgment must inevitably fall on Jerusalem because it too was withered and dead.

Analysis.

a And He entered into Jerusalem, into the temple, and when He had looked round about upon all things, it being now evening, He went out to Bethany with the twelve (Mar 11:11).

b And on the morrow, when they were come out from Bethany, He hungered (Mar 11:12).

c And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if perhaps He might find anything on it, and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season of figs (Mar 11:13).

d And He responded and said to it, “No man eat fruit from you henceforward for ever.” And His disciples heard it (Mar 11:14).

e And they come to Jerusalem, and He entered into the temple, and began to cast out those who sold and those who bought in the temple (Mar 11:15 a).

f And He overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those who sold the doves (Mar 11:15 b).

e And He would not permit that any man should carry a vessel through the temple (Mar 11:16).

d And He taught, and said to them, “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 brigands,” and the Chief Priests and the Scribes heard it (Mar 11:17-18 a).

c And they sought how they might destroy Him, for they feared Him (Mar 11:18 b).

b For all the crowd was astonished at His teaching (Mar 11:18 c).

a And every evening He went forth out of the city (Mar 11:19).

Note that in ‘a’ having entered Jerusalem and surveyed the Temple, He went out of the city, and in the parallel He went out of the city every evening. He had come to minister there, but the city was not for Him. In ‘b’ He was hungry, and in the parallel the people on whose behalf He hungers hear His teaching with ‘astonishment’. In ‘c’ He finds nothing but leaves on the fig tree, and in the parallel those represented by the fig tree reveal their barrenness by seeking to destroy Him. In ‘d’ He condemns the fig tree’s fruitlessness, and His disciples heard it, and in the parallel He condemns the Temple’s fruitlessness and the Chief Priests and Scribes heard it. In ‘e’ He cast out the dealers who profaned the Temple, and in the parallel He prevented from proceeding through the Temple those who profaned it by using it as a short cut. In ‘f’ He dealt with the profaner’s tools of trade.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Mar 11:11. Even-tide Or, evening.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Chapter 67

The Silent Looks of Christ

Mar 11:11

This is one of the passages of Scripture that the reader may easily pass without allowing his attention to be sufficiently arrested. The singularity of this act will not escape your notice now that the verse is read as a text. Jesus Christ entered into the city, and into the temple; merely looked round about upon all things, and went out. The comprehensiveness of this act will make you feel as if you were girt about with eyes. Jesus Christ entered into the city and into the temple, and looked round about upon all things. The great things, the things minute and obscure and comparatively worthless. If he thought it worth while to create the daisy, will it be beneath him to stop and look at the little beauty which he painted? We do not look upon all things. We look upon faces, surfaces, transient aspects of things; but Jesus looks into spirit, purpose, motive, heart, impulse, will, and all the secrets of that supreme mystery amongst us called human life.

The silence of this act will almost affright you. Jesus came into the city, looked round about upon all things, and did not say one word. That is terrible! When men speak to me, I can in some measure understand what they are aiming at. But there are some looks, even amongst ourselves, that are mysteries; there are some glances shot from human eyes that trouble the beholder! Can guilt bear the lingering enquiring gaze of innocence? Does not the corrupt man fear the eye of the just man more than he would fear the lightning at midnight? May not that look mean so much, even if it be a look of unsuspicion and of entire ignorance, so far as the immediate circumstances are concerned? Yet it may mean so much; and that potential mood is the hell of the bad man.

You see, then, that our text leads us to look, not at the miracles and words of Jesus Christ, but to study his looks, as indications of his character. And it may be profitable, after we have spent some time in examining the eyes of the Saviour, to enquire how we should return the looks that are so full of meaning. The subject is, The Silent Looks of the Son of God!

In reading the Evangelists, have you ever noticed that Mark, above all the other writers, takes note of the looks of the Saviour? Different men see different phases of the same object. Luke began his Gospel by saying that he was going to tell Theophilus everything. Who can tell everything about the Son of God? I speak not only for myself, but for every minister in this house, and, I believe, for the whole Church of God, in saying that, after we have written our sermons and our books, the thing that strikes us most is their emptiness. We seem to have missed the very point we intended to indicate, and when we have ceased our talk and our effort, there comes upon us a sense of having ill done what we aimed to do, and we feel as if we had not yet begun the story that is as a centre without a circumference.

“And Jesus looked round about” ( Mar 10:23 ). It would appear that Jesus Christ’s look was, then, a circular look. Instead of fixing his eye upon one point, he fixed his vision upon all points, and, as it were, at the same moment of time. “And Jesus looked round about.” This is an action specifically by itself. “And having looked round he saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of heaven!” The look of the preacher should mean something. Earnest men should have a look peculiarly their own. What, my friend, if thy sermon has failed to take effect because thy face gave the lie to thy voice? There are looks and looks. When will men discriminate between things that differ? when will they cease to regard all things as alike? and when will the time come when men can see meanings even in unlikely things? I have seen on the plainest faces looks that had soul in them. I have seen poor people look at me, in telling the story of their trouble, in a way that has gone to my very heart, and melted it in tender sympathy with their sufferings. I have seen persons to whom intelligence of a startling nature has been brought intelligence of broken fortune, of expired friends who could not say one word, and yet I had rather seen a tiger than the look of disappointment and shame and fear and pity that I have seen upon some human faces. Go and tell a man who is laughing innocently laughing that his only child has been found dead on the roadside. The man does not talk to you, except with his eyes and his face. There is no storm so terrible as the darkening and the raining of grief! Jesus Christ accompanied his words with a look, and sometimes left his look unaccompanied by a word.

“But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter.” He looked them all into attention, and then gave them the lesson. Is he not looking here today? Should there be any turned heads amongst us, any indifferent eyes, any careless hearts? I thank God I believe that so many people as I see before me would not come together at twelve o’clock without earnestness in their hearts regarding this ministration of the gospel. Observe the peculiarity of the occasion. “When he had turned about, and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter.” The look was a general caution; the rebuke was an individual application. The look was as a common judgment; the rebuke was a personal law. Jesus looks when he does not rebuke, but he never rebukes without looking. My friend, thou wouldst see more of the eye of God if thou wouldst drop the scales from thine own. But my subject is the silent looks of the Saviour. Luke, in his twenty-second chapter, indicates a remarkable instance of such looks viz., ” The Lord turned and looked upon Peter.” Did he speak? No. Did he cry out, “Shame!” No. What did he do? He turned and looked upon Peter, and broke the man’s heart. May he break our hearts in the same way ere he cut us in pieces with the sword of his anger, and utterly slay us with the breath of his judgment! He had told Peter that before the cock crowed he would deny his Master three times. Peter had just given the third denial; immediately the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and Peter’s heart of rock melted into a river of tears. What was there in the look? Does the eye of Jesus look memories at us? broken vows, oaths, pledges? Is the eye of the Saviour like a mirror, in which a man may see himself? Is the eye of Jesus Christ terrible as a sword of judgment, that it can cut to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow of a man?

Mark gives us another silent look in his third chapter and fifth verse. “And when Jesus had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand.” He said nothing to the individuals themselves; he only looked round about on them with anger. I have heard of the sword that flamed in Eden, that moved from the east to the west, and back again, night and day. But oh, I could have run through that sword, methinks, compared with this circle of fiery anger which now surrounded the Son of God! anger of the most terrible kind, anger arising out of grief. The anger of malice who cares for? The anger of mortified pride, vanity, ambition who heeds it? The anger of mere selfishness, what is the meaning of that? But when grief turns to anger; when love itself becomes wrath, who can abide the day of its coming? Is there anything so terrible as “the wrath of the Lamb” that greatest contradiction in words, apparently, yet that consummation of purest anger in reality? “The Lord looketh on the heart.” The Lord is always looking. He looketh from heaven, and beholdeth the children of men. The Lord looked to see if there were any that feared him, and that honoured his name. There is no protection from his eye. This is a terrible statement to be delivered to the bad man! You are never alone! When you think you are alone, your solitude is but relative. You can take the thinnest veil and hide yourself from men, but who can hide himself behind impenetrable curtains and screenings from the eye of fire? All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do! “Whither shall I flee from thy presence?” The question is unanswered and unanswerable. God fills the universe, overflows infinitude, and thou canst not escape his eye! I think I have heard something before of this silent look. You may recall it. When I read in the Apocalypse, as I have just read our morning lesson, about John seeing, on the Isle of Patmos, eyes like a flame of fire, I felt that I had read something like that before. Where? Can you tell me? Young friends, who are supposed to have just read the Bible, you who have the youngest, tenderest, freshest memories, can you tell me? Where? You read something like it in the Book of Exodus. The eye of the Lord never dims. If you have once read of it, you never ran forget it; if you have once seen it, it is an eternal presence!

When the Egyptians pursued Israel, and there was a halt made, a cloud came between the Israelites and the Egyptians; the one side was brightness that is on the side towards the Israelites and the other side was darkness; and the Lord looked out of the cloud and troubled the Egyptians! Have I your attention? Do you follow me? The Lord looked out of the cloud and troubled the Egyptians, and his glory struck off the iron from the wheels of their chariots, and they were dismayed! Not a word was spoken; there was no thunder in the air. What was it then that troubled haughty Egypt, proud of her resources, fat with the marrow of her accursed victories over a bound people, what was it that troubled the haughty queen? It was a look, a silent look! An argument could have been answered mayhap: if not answered, it could have been replied to. But a look! who could return it? When the lightning strikes a man, who can look at it? Ay, when the summer sun goes behind a cloud, as it were, and suddenly strikes down upon the lookers up, who can bear the sting of his fire. So, then, you will find that the eyes of the Lord are often spoken of in the holy Book. Are these eyes terrible then? May any one look at them? Herein is the mercy of the Lord seen. What is terrible is also gentle. “Our God is a consuming fire!” “God is love!” “He numbereth the stars!” “He bindeth up the broken in heart!” He walketh upon the wings of the wind, and the clouds are as the dust of his feet, and his utterance shakes the kingdoms and dominions of the universe! Yet not a sparrow falleth to the ground without your Father’s notice! If the looks are terrible they can also be benign. Hear the proof of this: “I will guide thee with mine eye.” Lord, what is the history of thine eye? the eye that troubled Egypt, and struck off the iron from the chariot-wheels of the host of Pharaoh? the eye that divideth the waters, and made them stand back, that the Lord might pass in the person of his chosen one? “I will guide thee with mine eye.” The eye that makes day, and summer, and beauty, and the eternal light! Behold the goodness and severity of God! “I have heard,” said the Psalmist, “that power belongeth unto God!” And he trembled, and he took up his pen again, and wrote, “To thee also, O Lord, belongeth mercy!” Omnipotence in the hand of mercy is the idea of righteous government. So the eyes of the Lord are very terrible. Flames of fire are the only symbols by which they can be likened amongst us; but they are also gentle, melting with dewy tenderness, yearning with unutterable pity; looking out for us; watching our home coming, looking over the hills and along the curving valleys, if haply they may see somewhat of the shadow of the returning child!

Will it not be profitable for us now to enquire: If such be the looks of God the Father and the Son, how should we return looks that are so full of significance and purpose? Are we not able to use our eyes to advantage? Hear the Word of the Lord. ” Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth.” How? Look not with the eyes of the body, nor with curiosity; but with reverence, with eagerness of heart, with determination of love, with all the urgency and importunity of conscious need. He asks us to look; to look at himself; to look at himself, not on the Throne of Judgment, but in his capacity as Redeemer and Saviour of the world. Have you looked? Pause! There is no need to be in haste. Have you looked? Observe our earliest lesson this morning viz., there is looking and looking. I have seen a dog look towards the sun, but he saw it not! The beast always seems to be looking upon the flowers of the meadow, but it is not seeing them! Have you looked with your heart, with your hunger, with your urgent need? Have you looked with that expectant, piercing look that means, “I will see”? “Yes,” says one of my hearers, “I have looked, and I have a comfortable sense of having seen the Lord; but I get so weary, and jaded, and worn out by the difficulties, frets, temptations, and chafings of this earthly life, that sometimes I do not know what to do.” Then let me tell you what to do. If, for a moment, I have the advantage of you, I will use my advantage to teach and comfort you, if I can. You are weary, worn, dispirited, tempted, discouraged, and do not know how to go on. Go on thus looking unto Jesus! You will see how the various texts belong to one another, and constitute one piece of solid religious teaching. Looking unto Jesus. Returning the look of the Saviour. Not a hasty glance, but a steady, importunate, eager, penetrating “looking for.” And he is only behind a veil. If you did but know it, there is hardly a cloud between! He will come from behind, and say to the heart that has waited for him, “For a small moment I have forsaken thee, but with everlasting mercies will I gather thee.” It was better to have that small moment. There may be a monotony of kindness, a monotony of light. Better to have a momentary sense of orphanage, and then to be embraced with a still fonder clasp by the infinite love of the eternal heart!

Look unto Jesus even through your tears. Tears are telescopes. I have seen further through my tears than ever I saw through my smiles. Laughter hath done but little for me; but sorrow and a riven heart have expounded many passages in the. inspired volume that before were hard, enigmatical reading. Blessed be God, we can see Jesus through our tears. He knows what tears are. Jesus wept! The eyes that John saw as a flame of fire the Jews at the grave of Lazarus saw as fountains of water. “And coming near unto the city, when he beheld it, he wept over it.” No man can fathom the depth of that river, or tell the bitterness of that sorrow. You have tears. Every man amongst us has his tearful times. But we use our tears wrongfully if we do not lift up our eyes and look through them unto Jesus in the heavens! So much for the comfortable side of this. Dare I turn to the other side? Surely, for I am a steward only. May I say another word that shall not be so tender? Surely, for I am an echo, not a voice. Am I here to make a Bible for the comforting and soothing of men, and not to expound a Bible that looks all ways, and pierces all things? If I now speak with apparent harshness, believe me that it is a cry of pain, that I may bring some men to consideration and decision in a right direction. My subject is the silent looks of the Saviour the silent looks of God and the method in which men are to return the glances of the divine eyes. Let me say that those who will not look now shall look! The great sight shall not perish from the horizon without their beholding it. Hear these words “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced! They would not look upon me, but they shall do so!” The great cross shall not be taken up and set away in the heavens as a centre of holy fellowship without those who despise it having one look at it! What will be the consequence of their looking? They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn! The look was too late; the look was not in time. You have put your fingers in your ears while the sweet music of the Gospel has been appealing for the attention of your heart; you have shut your eyes when the king has come in to show you his beauty. But he says he will not break up this scheme of things without every eye beholding! Every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him shall look upon him. Shall I add another word that no human tongue is fit to speak? How shall I utter it? If I could let my heart say it, I would. But it must be spoken with all the incompetence and brokenness of the voice. There shall be a cry in the latter time, and the cry shall be this “Hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne!” Hide us! What from? “The sword?” No. “The terrible phenomena?” No. But from the face that anguished face, that smitten face, that insulted face! Oh! I see the marks the thorns made! I see the red streaks upon it that I made when I smote him in the face and said, “Prophesy!” Oh, hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne! Shall it come to this? Is he not the fairest among ten thousand and altogether lovely? Is there any one whose beauty is to be compared with his? You say, “Our God is love.” Yes, “Our God is a consuming fire!” You say, “The eyes of the Lord are a comfort to his people.” So they are. But the eye of the Lord struck off the iron from the wheels of the Egyptians on the night I have just spoken about.

We shall have to look: the only question is, how? Are we prepared for his coming? How are we prepared for his face? By going to his Cross. He proposes that we should meet him in his weakness. He appoints the place. He says, “Meet me where I am weakest; when my right hand is maimed, and my left, when my feet are pierced with iron, and my side is gashed with steel, and my temples are crushed with cruel thorns, meet me there!” Then having met him there, when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, he will be the same Saviour, as gentle and as pitiful as ever. And now, the Lord’s hands are his again, he will use them for the opening of the door of his kingdom, and the lifting up of all who put their trust in him!

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

The Silent Looks of Christ

Mar 11:11

This is one of the passages of Scripture that the reader may easily pass without allowing his attention to be sufficiently arrested. The singularity of this act will not escape your notice now that the verse is read as a text. Jesus Christ entered into the city, and into the temple; merely looked round about upon all things, and went out. The comprehensiveness of this act will make you feel as if you were girt about with eyes. Jesus Christ entered into the city and into the temple, and looked round about upon all things. The great things, and things minute and obscure and comparatively worthless. If he thought it worth while to create the daisy, will it be beneath him to stop and look at the little beauty which he painted? We do not look upon all things. We look upon faces, surfaces, transient aspects of things; but Jesus looks into spirit, purpose, motive, heart, impulse, will, and all the secrets of that supreme mystery amongst us called human life.

The silence of this act will almost affright you. Jesus came into the city, looked round about upon all things, and did not say one word. That is terrible! When men speak to me, I can in some measure understand what they are aiming at. But there are some looks, even amongst ourselves, that are mysteries; there are some glances shot from human eyes that trouble the beholder! Can guilt bear the lingering enquiring gaze of innocence? Does not the corrupt man fear the eye of the just man more than he would fear the lightning at midnight? May not that look mean so much, even if it be a look of unsuspicion and of entire ignorance, so far as the immediate circumstances are concerned? Yet it may mean so much; and that potential mood is the hell of the bad man.

You see, then, that our text leads us to look, not at the miracles and words of Jesus Christ, but to study his looks, as indications of his character. And it may be profitable, after we have spent some time in examining the eyes of the Saviour, to enquire how we should return the looks that are so full of meaning. The subject is, The Silent Looks of the Son of God!

In reading the Evangelists, have you ever noticed that Mark above all the other writers, takes note of the looks of the Saviour? Different men see different phases of the same object. Luke began his Gospel by saying that he was going to tell Theophilus everything. Who can tell everything about the Son of God? I speak not only for myself, but for every minister in this house, and, I believe, for the whole Church of God, in saying that, after we have written our sermons and our books, the thing that strikes us most is their emptiness. We seem to have missed the very point we intended to indicate, and when we have ceased our talk and our effort, there comes upon us a sense of having ill done what we aimed to do, and we feel as if we had not yet begun the story that is as a centre without a circumference.

“And Jesus looked round about” ( Mar 10:23 ). It would appear that Jesus Christ’s look was, then, a circular look. Instead of fixing his eye upon one point, he fixed his vision upon all points, and, as it were, at the same moment of time. “And Jesus looked round about.” This is an action specifically by itself. “And having looked round he saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of heaven!” The look of the preacher should mean something. Earnest men should have a look peculiarly their own. What, my friend, if thy sermon has failed to take effect because thy face gave the lie to thy voice? There are looks and looks. When will men discriminate between things that differ? when will they cease to regard all things as alike? and when will the time come when men can see meanings even in unlikely things? I have seen on the plainest faces looks that had soul in them. I have seen poor people look at me, in telling the story of their trouble, in a way that has gone to my very heart, and melted it in tender sympathy with their sufferings. I have seen persons to whom intelligence of a startling nature has been brought intelligence of broken fortune, of expired friends who could not say one word, and yet I had rather seen a tiger than the look of disappointment and shame and fear and pity that I have seen upon some human faces. Go and tell a man who is laughing innocently laughing that his only child has been found dead on the roadside. The man does not talk to you, except with his eyes and his face. There is no storm so terrible as the darkening and the raining of grief! Jesus Christ accompanied his words with a look, and sometimes left his look unaccompanied by a word.

“But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter.” He looked them all into attention, and then gave them the lesson. Is he not looking here to-day? Should there be any turned heads amongst us, any indifferent eyes, any careless hearts? I thank God I believe that so many people as I see before me would not come together at twelve o’clock without earnestness in their hearts regarding this ministration of the gospel. Observe the peculiarity of the occasion. “When he had turned about, and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter.” The look was a general caution; the rebuke was an individual application. The look was as a common judgment; the rebuke was a personal law. Jesus looks when he does not rebuke, but he never rebukes without looking. My friend, thou wouldst see more of the eye of God if thou wouldst drop the scales from thine own. But my subject is the silent looks of the Saviour. Luke, in his twenty-second chapter, indicates a remarkable instance of such looks viz., ” The Lord turned and looked upon Peter.” Did he speak? No. Did he cry out, “Shame!” No. What did he do? He turned and looked upon Peter, and broke the man’s heart. May he break our hearts in the same way ere he cut us in pieces with the sword of his anger, and utterly slay us with the breath of his judgment! He had told Peter that before the cock crowed he would deny his Master three times. Peter had just given the third denial; immediately the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and Peter’s heart of rock melted into a river of tears. What was there in the look? Does the eye of Jesus look memories at us? broken vows, oaths, pledges? Is the eye of the Saviour like a mirror, in which a man may see himself? Is the eye of Jesus Christ terrible as a sword of judgment, that it can cut to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow of a man?

Mark gives us another silent look in his third chapter and fifth verse. “And when Jesus had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand.” He said nothing to the individuals themselves; he only looked round about on them with anger. I have heard of the sword that flamed in Eden, that moved from the east to the west, and back again, night and day. But oh, I could have run through that sword, methinks, compared with this circle of fiery anger which now surrounded the Son of God! anger of the most terrible kind, anger arising out of grief The anger of malice who cares for? The anger of mortified pride, vanity, ambition who heeds it? The anger of mere selfishness, what is the meaning of that? But when grief turns to anger; when love itself becomes wrath, who can abide the day of its coming? Is there anything so terrible as “the wrath of the Lamb ” that greatest contradiction in words, apparently, yet that consummation of purest anger in reality? “The Lord looketh on the heart.” The Lord is always looking. He looketh from heaven, and beholdeth the children of men. The Lord looked to see if there were any that feared him, and that honoured his name. There is no protection from his eye. This is a terrible statement to be delivered to the bad man! You are never alone! When you think you are alone, your solitude is but relative. You can take the thinnest veil and hide yourself from men, but who can hide himself behind impenetrable curtains and screenings from the eye of fire? All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do! “Whither shall I flee from thy presence?” The question is unanswered and unanswerable. God fills the universe, overflows infinitude, and thou canst not escape his eye! I think I have heard something before of this silent look. You may recall it. When I read in the Apocalypse, as I have just read our morning lesson, about John seeing, on the Isle of Patmos, eyes like a flame of fire, I felt that I had read something like that before. Where? Can you tell me? Young friends, who are supposed to have just read the Bible, you who have the youngest, tenderest, freshest memories, can you tell me? Where? You read something like it in the Book of Exodus. The eye of the Lord never dims. If you have once read of it, you never can forget it; if you have once seen it, it is an eternal presence!

When the Egyptians pursued Israel, and there was a halt made, a cloud came between the Israelites and the Egyptians; the one side was brightness that is on the side towards the Israelites and the other side was darkness; and the Lord looked out of the cloud and troubled the Egyptians! Have I your attention? Do you follow me? The Lord looked out of the cloud and troubled the Egyptians, and his glory struck off the iron from the wheels of their chariots, and they were dismayed! Not a word was spoken; there was no thunder in the air. What was it then that troubled haughty Egypt, proud of her resources, fat with the marrow of her accursed victories over a bound people, what was it that troubled the haughty queen? It was a look, a silent look! An argument could have been answered mayhap: if not answered, it could have been replied to. But a look! who could return it? When the lightning strikes a man, who can look at it? Ay, when the summer sun goes behind a cloud, as it were, and suddenly strikes down upon the lookers up, who can bear the sting of his fire. So, then, you will find that the eyes of the Lord are often spoken of in the holy Book. Are these eyes terrible then? May any one look at them? Herein is the mercy of the Lord seen. What is terrible is also gentle. “Our God is a consuming fire!” “God is love!” “He numbereth the stars!” “He bindeth up the broken in heart!” He walketh upon the wings of the wind, and the clouds are as the dust of his feet, and his utterance shakes the kingdoms and dominions of the universe! Yet not a sparrow falleth to the ground without your Father’s notice! If the looks are terrible they can also be benign. Hear the proof of this: “I will guide thee with mine eye.” Lord, what is the history of thine eye? the eye that troubled Egypt, and struck off the iron from the chariot-wheels of the host of Pharaoh? the eye that divided the waters, and made them stand back, that the Lord might pass in the person of his chosen one? “I will guide thee with mine eye.” The eye that makes day, and summer, and beauty, and the eternal light! Behold the goodness and severity of God! “I have heard,” said the Psalmist, “that power belongeth unto God!” And he trembled, and he took up his pen again, and wrote, “To thee also, O Lord, belongeth mercy!” Omnipotence in the hand of mercy is the idea of righteous government. So the eyes of the Lord are very terrible. Flames of fire are the only symbols by which they can be likened amongst us; but they are also gentle, melting with dewy tenderness, yearning with unutterable pity; looking out for us; watching our home coming, looking over the hills and along the curving valleys, if haply they may see somewhat of the shadow of the returning child!

Will it not be profitable for us now to enquire: If such be the looks of God the Father and the Son, how should we return looks that are so full of significance and purpose? Are we not able to use our eyes to advantage? Hear the Word of the Lord. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth.” How? Look not with the eyes of the body, nor with curiosity; but with reverence, with eagerness of heart, with determination of love, with all the urgency and importunity of conscious need. He asks us to look; to look at himself; to look at himself, not on the Throne of Judgment, but in his capacity as” Redeemer and Saviour of the world. Have you looked? Pause! There is no need to be in haste. Have you looked? Observe our earliest lesson this morning viz., there is looking and looking. I have seen a dog look towards the sun, but he saw it not! The beast always seems to be looking upon the flowers of the meadow, but it is not seeing them! Have you looked with your heart, with your hunger, with your urgent need? Have you looked with that expectant, piercing look that means, “I will see”? “Yes,” says one of my hearers, “I have looked, and I have a comfortable sense of having seen the Lord; but I get so weary, and jaded, and worn out by the difficulties, frets, temptations, and chafings of this earthly life, that sometimes I do not know what to do.” Then let me tell you what to do. If, for a moment, I have the advantage of you, I will use my advantage to teach and comfort you, if I can. You are weary, worn, dispirited, tempted, discouraged, and do not know how to go on. Go on thus looking unto Jesus! You will see how the various texts belong to one another, and constitute one piece of solid religious teaching. Looking unto Jesus. Returning the look of the Saviour. Not a hasty glance, but a steady, importunate, eager, penetrating “looking for.” And he is only behind a veil. If you did but know it, there is hardly a cloud between! He will come from behind, and say to the heart that has waited for him, “For a small moment I have forsaken thee, but with everlasting mercies will I gather thee.” It was better to have that small moment. There may be a monotony of kindness, a monotony of light. Better to have a momentary sense of orphanage, and then to be embraced with a still fonder clasp by the infinite love of the eternal heart!

Look unto Jesus even through your tears. Tears are telescopes. I have seen further through my tears than ever I saw through my smiles. Laughter hath done but little for me; but sorrow and a riven heart have expounded many passages in the inspired volume that before were hard, enigmatical reading. Blessed be God, we can see Jesus through our tears. He knows what tears are. Jesus wept! The eyes that John saw as a flame of fire the Jews at the grave of Lazarus saw as fountains of water. “And coming near unto the city, when he beheld it, he wept over it.” No man can fathom the depth of that river, or tell the bitterness of that sorrow. You have tears. Every man amongst us has his tearful times. But we use our fears wrongfully if we do not lift up our eyes and look through them unto Jesus in the heavens! So much for the comfortable side of this. Dare I turn to the other side? Surely, for I am a steward only. May I say another word that shall not be so tender? Surely, for I am an echo, not a voice. Am I here to make a Bible for the comforting and soothing of men, and not to expound a Bible that looks all ways, and pierces all things? If I now speak with apparent harshness, believe me that it is a cry of pain, that I may bring some men to consideration and decision in a right direction. My subject is the silent looks of the Saviour the silent looks of God and the method in which men are to return the glances of the divine eyes. Let me say that those who will not look now shall look! The great sight shall not perish from the horizon without their beholding it. Hear these words “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced! They would not look upon me, but they shall do so!” The great cross shall not be taken up and set away in the heavens as a centre of holy fellowship without those who despised it having one look at it! What will be the consequence of their looking? They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn! The look was too late; the look was not in time. You have put your fingers in your ears while the sweet music of the Gospel has been appealing for the attention of your heart; you have shut your eyes when the king has come in to show you his beauty. But he says he will not break up this scheme of things without every eye beholding! Every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him shall look upon him. Shall I add another word that no human tongue is fit to speak? How shall I utter it? If I could let my heart say it, I would. But it must be spoken with all the incompetence and brokenness of the voice. There shall be a cry in the latter time, and the cry shall be this “Hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne!” Hide us! What from? “The sword?” No. “The terrible phenomena?” No. But from the face that anguished face, that smitten face, that insulted face! Oh! I see the marks the thorns made! I see the red streaks upon it that I made when I smote him in the face and said, “Prophesy!” Oh, hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne! Shall it come to this? Is he not the fairest among ten thousand and altogether lovely? Is there any one whose beauty is to be compared with his? You say, “Our God is love.” Yes, “Our God is a consuming fire!” You say, “The eyes of the Lord are a comfort to his people.” So they are. But the eye of the Lord struck off the iron from the wheels of the Egyptians on the night I have just spoken about.

We shall have to look: the only question is, how? Are we prepared for his coming? How are we prepared for his face? By going to his Cross. He proposes that we should meet him in his weakness. He appoints the place. He says, “Meet me where I am weakest; when my right hand is maimed, and my left, when my feet are pierced with iron, and my side is gashed with steel, and my temples are crushed with cruel thorns, meet me there!” Then having met him there, when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all his holy angels with him, he will be the same Saviour, as gentle and as pitiful as ever. And now, the Lord’s hands are his again, he will use them for the opening of the door of his kingdom, and the lifting up of all who put their trust in him!

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

Ver. 11. See Trapp on “ Mat 21:12 “

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

11. ] See Mat 21:12 , and notes on Mar 11:1 . Also on Joh 2:13-18 .

I am by no means certain that the solution proposed in the notes on Matt. is the right one, but I cannot suggest a better. When Mark, as here, relates an occurrence throughout, with such signs of an eyewitness as in Mar 11:4 , it is very difficult to suppose that he has transposed any thing ; whereas Matt. certainly does not speak here so exactly, having transposed the anointing in Bethany: see notes on Mat 26:2 ; Mat 26:6 .

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Mar 11:11 . , etc.: the procession now drops out of view and attention is fixed on the movements of Jesus. He enters Jerusalem, and especially the temple, and surveys all ( ) with keenly observant eye, on the outlook, like St. Paul at Athens, not for the picturesque, but for the moral and religious element. He noted the traffic going on within the sacred precincts, though He postponed action till the morrow. Holtzmann (H. C.) thinks that the implies that Jesus was a stranger to Jerusalem. But, as Weiss remarks (in Meyer), Mk. cannot have meant to suggest that, even if Jesus had never visited Jerusalem since the beginning of the public ministry.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar 11:11

11Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

Mar 11:11 “the temple” This word (hieron) meant the whole temple area, not just the central shrine (Holy of Holies and Holy Place).

“it was already late” They had already walked 18 miles from Jericho. The temple area may have already been almost empty. Jesus wanted all to see His symbolic act of cleansing and restoration of the temple to its original God-given purpose.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

temple. Greek. hieron: i, e. the temple courts. Not the naos. See note on Mat 23:16.

when He had looked round about upon. There fore not the same entry as in Mat 21:12-16. Compare verses: Mar 11:15, Mar 11:16.

now the eventide was come = the hour already being late.

with = in company with. Greek. meta. App-104.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

11.] See Mat 21:12, and notes on Mar 11:1. Also on Joh 2:13-18.

I am by no means certain that the solution proposed in the notes on Matt. is the right one, but I cannot suggest a better. When Mark, as here, relates an occurrence throughout, with such signs of an eyewitness as in Mar 11:4, it is very difficult to suppose that he has transposed any thing; whereas Matt. certainly does not speak here so exactly, having transposed the anointing in Bethany: see notes on Mat 26:2; Mat 26:6.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Mar 11:11. , having looked round about) His visitation. [Which, on the following day, He followed up with a most weighty reproof. For if His expulsion of the money-changers had been repeated on each of the two days, Mark would use the verb with less propriety in Mar 11:15. In like manner, Luke assigns the plucking of the ears of corn and the healing of the withered hand to two distinct Sabbaths, though in Matthew and Mark that distinctness of the Sabbaths is less plainly marked. So Matthew sets forth at the same time, and together, all that happened in the case of the fig-tree; Mark divides the incidents respecting it between two days: so Matthew and Mark join the transfiguration with the account of the lunatic boy; Luke (ch. Luk 9:37) represents the lunatic as healed on the following day after the Saviours transfiguration.-Harm., p. 447, 448.]-, all things) What holy meditations He had respecting the sacrifices, and the types about to be so soon fulfilled in Himself.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

CHAPTER 48

Nothing But Leaves

And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city.

(Mar 11:11-19)

In this passage of Scripture the Holy Spirit uses a cursed fig tree and the corrupt religion of the Jews to teach us very important spiritual lessons.

Sinners Friend

And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve (Mar 11:11). The first thing Mark shows us here is that the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinners Friend, is just the Savior and friend we need.

The Lord Jesus loved to visit Bethany. After riding into Jerusalem on an asss colt and being publicly announced as Messiah the King, our Savior left the city with his disciples and walked out to Bethany. What a blessed town that was. It was about two miles out of Jerusalem. And it seems that the Master never missed an opportunity to go there. There was an elect family in Bethany, the special objects of Christs mercy, love, and grace. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus lived there. No doubt the Lord Jesus often spent a night with that chosen family. O blessed, indescribably blessed, eternally blessed is that home where the Son of God and his disciples are at home! Blessed is that home that entertains, feeds, and gives rest to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you ask, How can anyone do that today? Let me remind you once more that the blessed Book of God teaches us that that which is done and for the Lords children is done to and for him; and that which is done against the Lords people is done against him. Wherever there is an open door, a room, a chair, a plate, a bed, a welcome sign for Gods saints, the Son of God is present to bless.

Bethany was a blessed place, because Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, this elect family, lived there. As Gods elect are the salt of the earth, this family was the salt of Bethany. Bethany means House of Sheep, and it was that. Bethany means House of Obedience, and it was that. Bethany means House of Affliction, and it was that, too. Sheep, obedience, and affliction are always found in the same place.

And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry (Mar 11:12). With those words we are reminded that the Lord Jesus Christ really is both God and man. In verse seventeen, he speaks of the temple in Jerusalem, the house of God, and calls it, My house. Thus, he plainly declares his divinity. He could not have stated it more precisely and clearly if he had said, I, the man standing before you, Jesus of Nazareth, am the almighty God.

Yet, this great God really did assume our nature. He took into union with himself humanity. We read that, He was hungry. While he lived upon this earth, our blessed Lord Jesus had a nature exactly like ours, sin alone excepted. He wept. He rejoiced. He felt pain. He felt gladness. He got tired and needed rest. He got thirsty and needed to drink. He got hungry and needed to eat.

These are wonderful, amazing things upon which we should frequently meditate. He who is the eternal God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, He who feeds every sparrow and clothes every lily He who holds every beast of the field, every bird in the sky, and every fish in the sea in the palm of his hand He from who all things came and to whom all things go, when he came to save his people from their sins, was hungry!

God the Son condescended to become a man. He condescended to every weakness of humanity. He who thought it not robbery to be equal with God took upon himself the form of a servant and humbled himself! No wonder Paul speaks of the unsearchable riches of Christ!

Yet, his stooping to humanity and to all the infirmities of humanity is only the beginning of the story. This man who is God, though he knew no sin, though he was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, was willingly made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2Co 5:21; 2Co 8:9). Jesus Christ is God mighty to save. He is a man like us, able to suffer, bleed, and die. He is the God-man, who has redeemed us by a sacrifice of infinite merit. And, though he is now exalted to heavens highest glory, this great Savior is still a man, God in human flesh!

He who sits upon the throne of the universe, he who occupies the throne of grace is a man touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows the experiences of our humanity, all of them! He knows what pain, weakness, weariness, and hunger are. He knows the feeling of abandonment, isolation, betrayal, and slander. He knows what it is to visit the sick room of one who is dearly beloved. He knows what it is to stand by the graveside and weep. When we speak to the Lord Jesus Christ about these things, he knows what we are talking about. The Lord Jesus Christ is no stranger to trouble and sorrow. Surely, J. C. Ryle observed, this is just the Savior and Friend that poor, aching, groaning human nature requires.

What a Friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Fruitless Religion

The next thing taught in these verses is that nothing in all the world is so disgusting to the Son of God and so surely damning to our souls as fruitless religion.

And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. (Mar 11:13-14)

As our Lord and his disciples walked along, they saw this fig tree. It stood out from all the others because, though the time of figs had not yet come, this fig tree was in full foliage. The other trees were just beginning to shoot forth their buds; but this one was large, spreading its full foliage of leaves, and waving in the wind, as if to say, Look at me! But when our Lord walked with his disciples over to the tree to gather some figs, he found nothing but leaves, and immediately pronounced a curse upon the tree, and by sun up the next morning, it had withered in death from its roots (Mar 11:20).

Without question, this event is full of spiritual meaning. It is a parable as full of instruction for our souls as any of our Lords spoken parables. Without a doubt, this barren, cursed, withered fig tree represents apostate Judaism. The Jews, the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, all were rich in leaves. They possessed more leaves than anyone. Ceremony, creed, history, doctrine, show, tradition, and reputation they had in great abundance. And they did not mind calling attention to their beautiful leaves. But they were utterly destitute of faith toward God. They had no fruit. Therefore, that nation and their religion has been specifically cursed of God and forever abandoned (Mat 23:38)

This barren fig tree represents every apostate church and religious denomination in the world. I am talking now about churches which claim to be Christian, which claim to believe in and defend the Book, the blood, and the blessed hope, Churches which wear the name of Christ, but have departed from the doctrine of Christ. If I could get their attention, I would say to every man, woman, and child in such churches, Escape for your life! Flee from Babylon. Get out of Sodom. The curse of God is in that place you think is the house of God. The greatest missionary field in the world today is the professed church of God. Where can you find a church today where the Word of God is faithfully preached, the glory of God is paramount, the will of God rules, and the gospel of Christ is proclaimed? Robert Hawker wrote of such

Deceiving by the appearance of large full leaves of a profession without fruit, in the end (they) will be found dried up from the roots, with the curse of a broken law falling everlastingly upon them, untaken away by Christ.

Above all else, this barren fig tree represents religious hypocrisy: carnal, half-hearted, hypocritical professors of Christianity. All who are content with a name that they live, though they are dead, should see their faces in this mirror! Their fine, showy, impressive leaves, those things that impress them so much with themselves, mean nothing to God almighty. They stink in his nostrils! Their religion is their damning delusion! They may have great experiences, but no experience of grace. They may have a rich history, but no holiness. They may enjoy religious excitement and displays of emotion; but they possess neither righteousness nor expiation. Their doctrine may be precise; but it is precisely dead. Their religion may be rich in ceremonial tradition; but it is poor in comfort and truth. It is useless religion, because it is fruitless religion. It does not produce faith in Christ, hope in Christ, or love for Christ.

A sure way to go to hell is by living and dying without any religion at all. You may live like a beast, prayerless, godless, graceless and faithless. This is a sure way to go to hell.

Another way to go to hell is by taking up some kind of useless religion. You can live and die contenting yourself with a false christianity and rest on a groundless hope. This is probably the most common way to hell that there is today. There are many ways to hell, but only one way to heaven.

A religion is useless in which Jesus Christ is not the principle object. Most people today know nothing about Christ. Their religion is a few vague notions and empty expressions. They say, I am no worse than others. I go to church when it is convenient. I really dont do anybody any harm. I hope God will be merciful to me. But He wont! God shows no mercy apart from his Son. (J. C. Ryle)

Let us each one make our calling and election sure. Baptism, Church membership, religious ceremony, doctrinal orthodoxy, and deep religious emotions are not synonyms for Christianity! They are just leaves, nothing but leaves. They will no more cover the nakedness of our souls from Gods all-seeing eye in the day of judgment than Adams fig leaves covered his nakedness in the garden. Christianity is faith in Christ alone!

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (2Co 13:5) If Christ is in you, if Christ is in me, if he is dwelling in us by his Holy Spirit, if he is the life that is in us, he brings forth fruit, even the fruit of the Spirit in us (Gal 5:22-23).

I would rather stand before God in the day of judgment guilty of any crime known to man than stand before that bar of his august majesty guilty of self-righteousness and hypocrisy! If you die without Christ, your religion will sink your soul into the lowest hell! Your religion will be your greatest curse! The Son of God has pronounced his curse upon the barren fig tree and barren, fig-leaf religion!

The House of God

Here is the third thing taught in this passage. When we come to the house of God, we ought to behave as people who have come to the house of God.

And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city (Mar 11:15-19).

The temple in Jerusalem was typical and representative of the Church, which really is the house of God (1Ti 3:15). When the Bible speaks of the Church and House of God, it is talking about the assembled body of believers, gathered in one place for public worship. When we come together in the name of Christ, the Son of God meets with us (Mat 18:20), the Spirit of God dwells within us, and we are the Temple of God (1Co 3:16).

Let us attach no idolatrous superstition to any building or material place. The building in which we meet is not the church. The church just meets there. The auditorium is not a holy sanctuary. It is just a room in which the holy Word of God is preached. The pulpit is not a holy desk. It is just a pulpit in which a faithful man stands to preach the Holy Word.

The lessons taught in this passage of Scripture, with regard to the church, the temple, the house of the living God, are obvious. The church is Gods house. It does not belong to you and me. It is not our church. It belongs to Christ. It is his church. That means that Christ alone makes the rules, enforces the rules, and exercises rule. The only Ruler in Zion is the Son of God. His Word is our only creed. His revealed will is our rule of life. His glory is our guiding principle.

The function and business of the house of God is prayer, the worship of God our Savior in songs of praise and the preaching of the gospel. It is utterly abhorrent that anyone should make the house of God a place of trade, commerce, and entertainment. When we come into the church, the house, the temple of the living God, we should always behave ourselves reverently (Ecc 5:1-2; Jas 1:19-22).

Everything we say and do, when we come to worship God, ought to reflect reverence for our great God and Savior. We certainly ought never to be less precise, punctual, and reverent than Aaron and his sons were required to be. When they came to the house of God, they paid real close attention to things. It is nothing less than a lack of reverence for God that causes people to rush into the house of God at the last minute, or even worse, late! It is nothing less than a lack of reverence for God that causes people to come into Gods house with a flippant attitude, ignoring the solemnity of such a privilege and responsibility! It is nothing less than a lack of reverence for God that causes people to come to the house of God dressed like they were going to the beach or a ball game! David Pledger rightly observed

Even our dress should and will be governed by our thoughts about God. I know that God looks on the heart and we surely do not think to impress him by our dress, but we will show respect. A worship service is not to be like a sporting event. We do not have rules, and we never want to say anything that would keep one from coming to hear the gospel. Yet, Im of the old school and believe that we should wear modest and appropriate attire, and I prefer that women wear dresses. We live in a time when everyone wants to be casual, but there is nothing casual about the worship of God Almighty. I would not wear blue jeans to a friends funeral if I had something better. Out of respect for my friend I would wear my best, and why would I show less respect when coming to worship the living God? May God help us to always dress in a way that honors God wearing the type of attire that shows our love and respect for our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Let us ever be aware of the fact that the Son of God takes notice of the things that go on in his house. Profanity, irreverence, and indifference are an affront to him. Let us take heed, when we come to Gods house, that we do not offer the sacrifice of fools. When we start getting ready to go to church, let us try to remember whose house it is and why we are going there. Beware of empty religious formality! When you come to Gods house, bring your heart with you. Dont leave it in the world. Leave your business, your money, your politics and carnal levity at home. Let us beware, Ryle cautioned, of allowing any buying and selling in our hearts, in the midst of our religious assemblies. The Lord still lives who cast out buyers and sellers from the temple, and when He sees such conduct He is much displeased.

Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible

Jesus: Mal 3:1, Mat 21:10-16, Luk 19:41-45

when: Eze 8:9, Zep 1:12

he went: Mat 21:17, Luk 21:37, Luk 21:38, Joh 8:1, Joh 8:2

Reciprocal: Mat 21:12 – went Mar 11:19 – General Luk 22:39 – as Joh 12:1 – Bethany Joh 18:2 – for

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

1

This verse mentions only in general terms the visit of Jesus to the temple. In Mat 21:12-13, is the account of his casting out the moneychangers, and it is also mentioned in verse 15 of this chapter. Having purged the temple, Jesus went out to the nearby village of Bethany to stay over night.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

[And when he had looked round about upon all things.] Compare Mark with the other evangelists concerning the time of casting out the merchants of the Temple, and it will appear that the word he looked about; denotes not a bare beholding or looking upon, but a beholding with reproof and correction; admonition; among the Jews.

Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels

Mar 11:11. Into Jerusalem into the temple. He passed at once into the temple, and visited no other point. On the temple, see Mat 21:12.The other details of this verse are peculiar to Mark, and strictly accurate. The afternoon of Sunday seems to have been occupied with this solemn inspection of the temple, as if to take formal possession of it. The night, as well as the succeeding one, was spent in Bethany.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Some move the question here, how Christ came to curse a tree for want of that fruit which the season afforded not? It is answered, that naturalists observe, that the fig-tree puts forth her fruit as soon as her leaf; that tree is always bearing; and while one fig is ripe, another is green. And whereas it is said, that the time of figs was not yet; the meaning is, “That the time of in-gathering of figs was not yet,” but the tree having leaves, showing it might have fruit: accordingly Christ goes in expectation of it having fruit; but finding none, either ripe or green, he curses the tree for totally disappointing his expectation.

Besides, Christ was wont not only to speak, but to work parables; and this action of his was typical, an emblem of Jerusalem’s destruction in general, and of every person’s in particular, that satisfies himself with a withered profession; bearing leaves only, but no fruit; as this fig-tree was, so are they, nigh unto cursing.

From whence note, That all such as content themselves with a fruitless profession of religion, are in geat danger, of having God’s blasting added to their barrenness.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Mar 11:11. And Jesus went into the temple Having entered the city by the eastern gate, he alighted from the colt, and went directly to the temple, but did not drive the buyers and sellers out this first day; for Mark here tells us expressly, that by the time he got thither, and had looked round about on all things, even-tide was come; from which we may infer, that the market in the temple was over. It seems he stayed in the temple but a little while. Having made his public appearance in the metropolis, and received the title of Messiah openly from the multitude, and surveyed the temple, he left the city without doing any thing, to the great discouragement of the throng that had come in with him, expecting that he was immediately to have laid hold on the reins of government.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Verse 11

When he had looked, &c.; silently observing the abuses which he was to rebuke so decisively on the following day.

Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament

11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. 12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. 14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

To begin William Barclay (THE GOSPEL OF MARK; The Westminster Press; Philadelphia; 1975) mentions of this text “There can be no doubt that this, without exception, is the most difficult story in the gospel narrative. To take it as literal history presents difficulties which are well-nigh insuperable.” He goes on to mention that this is true because “the story does not ring true.” and that the account does not seem worthy of the Lord. The main premise he presents is that the Lord had never used His own powers for Himself. He continues to explain that Mark was correct to state that the time of figs was not yet and makes his second point “Why blast the tree for failing to do what it was not possible for it to do?”Barclay decides that it is what he calls an “enacted parable” to illustrate one of two truths.

“Promise without fulfillment or profession without practice.” I would suggest that the parable idea might well be true, but would choose some more relevant truths for it to illustrate. We will see my suggestions later.

A little background on trees along the way might be of interest. One author, George M. Lamsa in his “GOSPEL LIGHT” book by A.J. Holman Co.; Philadelphia; 1936 pp 196-197, mentions that the planter of a tree was the owner of the tree in the Lord’s time. Even if someone planted a tree on someone else’s property the tree belonged to the planter.

Trees along the roads were owned by the planters of the trees. However over the years the planter might die and the owner would be unknown and thus the tree became public property along the roads of the time. These trees were free game for any traveler or poor person who cared to pick the fruit. Since this is a little before Howard Johnson and Burger King the Lord was hungry so He went to one of these trees to find something to eat.

He also mentions that the leaves were full so there should have been fruit but there was not. The tree probably had been picked free by other travelers, or it may have been defective in some manner, but no matter, the Lord cursed it. The author seems to ignore the comment of Mark which tells us “for the time of figs was not yet.”

I am not an arborist, but my limited experience from observation is that blossoms appear before the fruit on trees in this country and are followed by fruit, however the fruit comes after the leaves are full and the fruit does not magically pop out fully mature, but comes on small and then develops over time.

This same author suggests that to curse was rather normal in the day when something did not go as one had anticipated and that this curse was not abnormal. I am not sure what the author would do with the fact that the tree was dead the next time by, but I would suggest that the curse was a little more that a run-of-the-mill curse out of exasperation.

Now, being the man that I am I can well remember a time in my life that I would curse in exasperation many times a day. If I was working on my car and things were going wrong I could curse very profusely, and could even be seen striking the poor defenseless car with any tool that I might have in hand. Even though I knew how to curse profusely, not once did I kill a tree with one of those curses.

If I pull out in front of someone and they curse me, I want it to be a run-of-the-mill curse rather than one like the Lord gave to the tree.

I had wondered if the death of the tree was not the result of the problem that caused it to not have fruit. This might have been but to have leaves and looking alive and normal and the next day be dead does not seem to be possible.

In looking for answers I went to some commentaries and the first one – Barnes Notes – ignoredthe passage. Lightfoot mentions that there was a type of fig tree that would bear fruit but it would drop off before it was ripe for the first three years of its existence and assumes this was the case here.

Several commentaries mention that this seemed to be a particular tree that caught the Lord’s eye. It may have been one of many and it was full of leaves indicating there might be fruit, though the rest of the trees were void of or of limited leaves.

Matthew Henry suggests that the comment about it not being the time for figs was a simple statement of fact; the figs were not due and were not present.

Robertson mentions of the tree, it had “promise without performance.” Not unlike many believers today who have a good game on when in church on Sunday but do not perform to their possibilities during the week.

In my mind it may well have been a tree placed there to allow the Lord to give His illustration to the apostles.

Now, if this was a parable or “enacted parable” as Barclay suggests, I would suggest five possible truths, all of which are quite striking but also they relate clearly to the context of the “parable.”

1. This may illustrate Israel. The Jewish leadership was dead at the roots and there was no fruit in Israel, and the deadness was from the root to the top – all living Israel was dead at this point of time (of course there were a few believing Jews but the majority were dead spiritually).

2. This may illustrate God’s sovereignty to the two that wanted to sit on the Lord’s right and left in the last chapter. This would show so clearly that God does as He wills and His will is far above our own understanding. He wills to do, He will do as He wills and His will is going to be done.

3. This may illustrate the unfruitfulness of the believer. The Lord came looking for fruit and found none and the clear message is that the believer is dead. A dead believer is of little use to the Lord.

4. This may illustrate the taking home of fruitless believers. John fifteen mentions the fact that the unfruitful branch will be taken away or taken home.

5. This may have been a clear message, to those that saw the occurrence. This was God that they were dealing with, this was the One sent to Israel, the Messiah come.

It is inconceivable to me that some of these thoughts did not run through the apostles minds as they considered the occurrence.

Then again, to consider the Lord’s application to the situation might be the wiser line of thought. He said that this illustrated the fact that the apostles needed to pray and receive their answers. Whatever the apostles prayed, they would receive. Christ cursed the tree and the tree withered. Seems simple enough to me, it seems that we often make way more of a passage than is really there.

Yes, this was out of character for the Lord, yes, it seems to be a curse for something the tree had no control over, and yes, it is unfair, but then it is God that is taking these actions and it is God that was teaching the disciples.

To think of it, the disciples had seen many miraculous things and were still in a fog as to the Lord and His coming trials. This may well have been one shocking act to try to wake them up to the fact of just whom He was – God.

As to this being a parable, there seems little to suggest it is; on the other hand it seems to be a completely normal day in the life of the little band of men making their way through the countryside, albeit accompanied with a little of the divine supernatural.

It most certainly would have been an act for them to remember in coming days when they would have tremendous needs and it would have brought them to pray with faith, knowing that their prayers were going to be answered.

No matter where you come down on the reason for this situation you must surely see a heavy dose of God’s sovereignty. Whether it relates to a sovereign act to demonstrate things to the apostles, or whether a sovereign act to demonstrate something else, it is an act by the perfect God-man Jesus Christ our Lord and we need to accept it whether we plumb its depths or not.

Personally the idea of it being a final declaration of His character and power to those that witnessed it seems the most viable and sensible.

Now remember verse eleven and the record that Christ had gone into the temple and had looked around. This day, He goes in but not for just a look, He went looking for action and action He gave them. In our next section He cleaned house.

In verse eleven He had just arrived in Jerusalem – what is called His triumphal entry into the kings city having been proclaimed king and He entered the temple – not to be received as king but to “look around.” (11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.”

I assume He came to see if there was any reaction from the Jewish leaders hearing of His being proclaimed King by the folks, but finding no reception and no acceptance He left planning His next move relating to the temple and the Jewish leaders. (“9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord: 10 Blessed [be] the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.”)We now see a premeditated act based on His viewing of the temple just prior. It is safe to say that He was not a happy camper.

Fuente: Mr. D’s Notes on Selected New Testament Books by Stanley Derickson

Having entered Jerusalem the crowd seems to have disbursed quickly, and Jesus proceeded to the temple area (Gr. hieron). He had been there many times before. He looked around and noted that the temple needed cleansing again (cf. Joh 2:13-22). Since the hour was late-the city gates closed at sunset-He departed for Bethany with the disciples to spend the night there.

"On the whole, it seems to be the most probable conclusion that the entry in this peculiar fashion into Jerusalem was deliberate on the part of our Lord, and was meant to suggest that, though He was indeed the Messiah and ’Son of David,’ yet the Messiahship which He claimed was to be understood in a spiritual and non-political sense, in terms of the prophecy of Zechariah, rather than in terms of the ’Son of David’ idea as interpreted by contemporary expectation (e.g., in the Psalms of Solomon). The time had in fact come for our Lord to put forward His Messianic claims, and to make His appeal to Jerusalem in a deliberately Messianic capacity. He does so, however, in a manner which is suggestive rather than explicit, and which was so calculated as to afford the minimum of pretext for a charge of quasi-political agitation." [Note: Rawlinson, p. 151.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)