Holy week happenings: Monday

Holy Week Happenings: Focusing on Jesus’ Last Days on Earth Monday: Mark 11:12-19 1. Read Mark 11:12-14. Speculate as to why Jesus would have cursed this tree. What could it symbolize? 2. Read Mark 11:15-19. a. What are some possible reasons for Jesus’ actions? b. Read Jeremiah 7:2-11. How does this verse lend to the interpretation of the cleansing of the Temple? c. What is implied by the phrase “den of robbers”? Borg and Crossan offer one possible explanation for Jesus action; they believe Jesus is upset that those he disrupts feel what they are doing in the Temple excuses them from their injustice and oppression. They are hiding in the Temple (“den of robbers” as a hideout, not a place of action) in hopes of those actions being overlooked. Remember, this is just one interpretation, but I think it is a good possibility. The overall themes from these two days are: 1) God’s Kingdom is not what people are expecting, it encompasses freedom and release from things beyond our expectation; 2) Talking and doing are not equal. We cannot simply claim to live for God, but our lives must show the fruit of what we do (unlike the fig tree); 3) That which is important to this world is often not important to the Kingdom of God. Reflect on these themes and write out some prayers for this season.