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Day 2 - Fig Tree Religion

It's Thursday morning...and I mean early morning!
Awoke in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. So I got up and began to read. 
It's the second day of Lent and I'm thinking of a passage in the book of Mark where Jesus stops on a walk, goes over to a fig tree and finds there are no figs growing - even though its the growth season. Then, remarkably, he says, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." (Mark 11:14).

Mark 11:12-19
12  The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13  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.
14  Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.

Hmmmm...seems strange to say that so abruptly.

Yet right after that he walks to the temple and there he overturns the money-changers tables and speaks of how they have changed the Temple from "a house of prayer for all nations" (what God intended it to be) to "a den of robbers" (what they have done).

 15  On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16  and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17  And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

The two incidents are connected. What was meant for life has instead died.
We don't know what killed the fig tree, but we do know what cause the death of the Temple's purpose - Religion.

 That is the nature of religion folks...an outward show, a superficiality of faith without the fruit. What can/should we do.
"Love the Lord Your God with all of your heart..." "Seek the Lord while He may be found."
Seek Christ, His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness...and rest in His love - be Genuine.
Jesus didn't die for religion! He died for our Sins...We Need HIM.

Peace

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