Having a Bad Day?
If you had unlimited power, what would you do with it?
In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. Then Peter remembered and said to him, 'Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.' Mark 11:20-21
In today's Gospel reading, Mark shows us Jesus on a bad day.
First, he looks for figs on a tree off season and gets angry when he finds none. Then he goes to the Temple and chases out the money changers. And we catch up to him the next day, as he passes by the withered fig tree.
It is Peter who notices the tree and brings it to Jesus' attention. Whether he was looking for an explanation for Jesus' action, or was just amazed by his power, we do not know, but it invites a response from Jesus.
He tells them their faith can move mountains.
He doesn't explain why he cursed the tree, but the impact of his wrath must have shaken them a bit. It is a side of Jesus we may have trouble with. We like to see him peaceful, calm and in control of his healing powers, not losing it in the Temple or cursing a tree for failing to produce fruit off season.
We can write off the whole affair as a bad day, and fail to get the message that Jesus tries to teach in so many of his parables. We are here for a purpose, to love and serve one another, and our failure to produce good fruit, or our attempts to take advantage of others will not be ignored by God.
He knows our intentions and our abilities. So, perhaps we should do all we can to help each other, to be productive and engaged in our faith.
Sure, we can do anything through faith, if we truly believe, yet do we act on faith? For the most part, don't we stay at arm's length, leaving it to others to get involved?
Peter discovered the power of Jesus and pointed it out for us. Mark tells it in a way that makes us see the value of faith and the power of prayer. Whatever we ask for, if we believe we have already received it, it will come to pass.
We can take that to mean we can get what we want for ourselves, or we can see it as a way to help others. It's our choice. And that, I think, is the point of the story.
If when Jesus comes to us, we have produced no fruit, what do you think the outcome will be?
With the power to do anything, shouldn't we do something?
More to come...