The triumphant entry into Jerusalem
1 When they drew near to Jerusalem and arrived at Beth phage and Beth any, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples with these instructions,
2 “Go to the village on the other side and, as you enter it, you will find there a colt tied up that no one has rid den. Untie it and bring it here.
3 If anyone says to you: ‘What are you doing?’ give this answer: ‘The Lord needs it, but he will send it back immediately.’”
4 They went off and found the colt out in the street tied at the door.
5 As they were untying it, some of the bystanders asked, “Why are you untying that colt?”
6 They answered as Jesus had told them, and the people allowed them to continue.
7 They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on its back, and Jesus sat upon it.
8 Many people also spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread leafy branches from the fields.
9 Then the people who walked ahead and those who followed behind Jesus began to shout, “Ho sannah! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David which comes! Hosan nah in the highest!”
11 So Jesus entered Jerusa lem and went into the Temple. And after he had looked all around, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Jesus curses the barren fig tree
12 The next day, when they were leaving Bethany, he felt hungry.
13 In the distance he noticed a fig tree covered with leaves, so he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14 Then Jesus said to the fig tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit!” And his disciples heard these words.
Jesus clears the Temple
15 When they reached Jeru sa lem, Jesus went to the Temple and began to drive away all the people he saw buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the stools of those who sold pigeons.
16 And he would not let anyone carry anything through the Temple area.
17 Jesus then taught the people, “Does not God say in the Scriptures: My house will be called a House of Prayer for all the nations? But you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law heard of this, and they tried to find a way to destroy him. They were afraid of him because all the people were captivated in his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus left the city.
The power of faith
20 Early next morning, as they walked along the road, the disciples saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
21 Peter then said to him, “Master, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.”
22 And Jesus replied, “Have faith in God.
23 Truly, I say to you, if you say to this mountain: ‘Get up and throw yourself into the sea,’ and have no doubt in your heart but be lieve that what you say will hap pen, it will be done for you.
24 There fore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it shall be done for you.
25 And when you stand to pray, forgive whatever you may hold against anyone,
26 so that your heavenly Father may also forgive your sins.”
By what authority do you act?
27 They were once again in Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests, the teachers of the Law and the elders came to him
28 and asked, “What authority do you have to act like this? Who gave you authority to do the things you do?”
29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you a question, only one, and if you give me an answer, then I will tell you what authority I have to act like this.
30 Was John’s preaching and baptism a work of God, or was it merely something human? Answer me.”
31 And they kept arguing among them selves, “If we answer that it was a work of God, he will say: ‘Why then did you not believe him?’”
32 But neither could they answer before the people that the baptism of John was mere ly something human, for everyone regarded John as a prophet.
33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know,” and Jesus said to them, “Neith er will I tell you what authority I have to act as I do.”
------------------------------------------------------------
Comments Mark, Chapter 11
• 11.1 See notes on Matthew 21:1.
THE SAVIOR
From Jericho to Jerusalem, Jesus “goes up” with the people who will celebrate the Feast. Many are from Galilee, the province of Jesus, and, on seeing him among the pilgrims, think he is about to proclaim himself as the Messiah.
Until then Jesus refused to be pro claimed, because many people expected from their Messiah a liberation very different from that which Jesus brought them. At this moment when he is finishing his mission, the time has come for Jesus to define himself publicly. He is the Anoin ted of God and there will be no other after him.
Jesus was sent by God to all people, but above all he came as Savior of the Jewish people. He came precisely when this people needed to be saved, because things were not working out well for them. The prophets had announced a conciliatory king who would visit the people on a donkey, as peaceful people did, not on a horse as the generals of that time did. That was why Jesus wanted to enter Jerusalem this way. Jeru salem was a big city. Though the enthusiasm of the Galileans shook the city, it did not conquer it.
The Jews did not expect their Savior to be so meek. Throughout their history, God had saved them from oppression, hunger, and the irresponsibility of their famous leaders. This time he came in person, to show them the real path to salvation through pardon and non-violence, but they did not recognize him. The people of Galilee, who spontaneously mounted a triumphant entrance for Jesus and hoped for a political announcement from him, would later deny him.
• 12. See notes on Matthew 21:18.
THE TEMPLE
• 15. The Temple of Jerusalem was, for the Jews, the only Temple of the only God. In each town they assembled in the synagogue to read the Bible and sing psalms, but only in the Temple did the priests sacrifice animals and celebrate true worship. A regular-sized building was at the center of the temple. Only the priests in charge of offering incense entered this building, while the multitude crowded together in the courtyards. In these courtyards stood vendors and exchange brokers who supplied animals and birds for the offerings.
While John stresses the prophetic character of the action of Jesus: “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will rebuild it” (Jn 2:19), Mark makes more of the purification of the Temple. In fact these sellers installed in the yards of the Temple, as well as many people who walked around, were scarcely interested in the prayer and cult of Israel. The priests were used to this and the High Priest Caiaphas made money by allowing vendors to stand in the very courtyards dedicated to prayer.
Jesus was not a priest or a Tem ple guard but this Temple was the house of his Father. That was why he made a whip from ropes and cast them all out.
My house will be called a House of Prayer for all the nations (v. 17). The courtyards where the vendors stood were pre cisely those intended for the foreigners. “Purify the temple” for Jesus is to give it back its true identity and also to allow the pagans to find in these courts a privileged place for meeting God.
See also John 2:14.
THE POWER OF FAITH
• 20. If you have no doubt in your heart but believe. See the same in James 1:6. Jesus refers in a more precise way to “the faith that performs mira cles” (see 1 Cor 13:2). Jesus does not say that this faith will be given to ev erybody and at every moment. It is a charism or gift of God that he gives to whomever he wishes (1 Cor 12:9). It is an interior certainty that God wants to per form a miracle, so that one dares act and com mand in his name.
At the same time, this promise of Jesus applies to all our prayer. Of course we should not think that God will always work the miracles we ask of him. When a sick person tries to convince himself that he will be cured, it is possible that consequently he does get better more quickly, but this mental exercise or hope does not necessarily mean faith. If I con vince myself that God will make me the winner of a lottery, he is under no obligation to think that my becoming richer will make me a better person.
Actually he who humbly loves God understands in the midst of his trials that God wants to lift him up. That is why he asks with faith, knowing that God wants to listen to him.
It is hard for us to ask big things, because if God re fuses to give them to us, how will we still believe in him? Surely it is very fine to ask of God only “his grace,” his inner strength, but many do so not because of their esteem for the interior life but because they fear they will see nothing coming as an answer to their prayer. Who dares to ask for rain or drought as Elijah did and as the poor still do, those whose prayers God hears?
Whatever you ask in prayer (v. 24). Jesus invites us to ask with faith and perseverance, until God assures us that our prayer has been heard or else helps us understand that what we asked for was not good for us, nor was it the will of God.
• 27. THE OPPORTUNIST PRIESTS
Jesus did not ask any authorization to teach in the Temple, or to drive out the vendors. He acted freely as prophets do. Since the priests were the ones in charge of maintaining the true faith, it was normal for them to check whether Jesus was a real prophet or not. But were they really concerned about truth? Were they ready to recognize that Jesus had come from God? Apparently they only thought to defend what was acceptable to them and, before even listening to Jesus, held him to be subversive.
That is why Jesus asked them about John the Baptist. Because John the Baptist’s preaching had been the most important happening in the previous two years, the priests should have taken a stand with regard to John. They had not done so nor were they ready for that. How could they make demands of Jesus if they spoke out only when it suited them?
Jesus’ attitude obliges religious leaders of all times to see if they deserve to have others re spect their declarations and condemnations.