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.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts 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.’”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
Following his brief sojourn in Jerusalem the night before, Jesus returns ready for action. Mark tells us that on the way he was hungry. This is the first time that the gospel has described Jesus with this human need. The final action taken at Jesus' crucifixion in Mark is the crowd giving him a sponge with liquid. In a way, these bookmark the story of the corruption of Jewish piety that provides neither spiritual food nor drink to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Jesus sees a fig tree in the distance. It is green and leafy as the growing season would be just beginning in Israel in April. Not able to discern if their are early figs present because of the leaves, Jesus is disappointed upon reaching it to find that there are no fruit present. This was not the season for fruit, Mark tells us, so we wonder why Jesus expected any. Does Mark want us to recall the struggles that Jesus has faced so far with the leaders of Israel in the gospel who have all of the appearance of devotion but no fruit of faith? Jesus pronounces that no will eat of this particular fig tree and is overheard by his disciples. This is the first record of a curse from Jesus. Although it may be that like the demons he has driven out before, it is a miracle that is destructive to the oppressor and freeing for the ones who suffer.
Jesus enters the Temple and drives out those who are buying and selling. The Temple courts were open to both Gentiles and Jews. The courts had become a marketplace where people did the business that kept the temple running. The buying and selling likely consisted of priest-approved animals for sacrifice. The priests had to approve an animal to be sacrificed as blemish free, so a thriving business consisted of priests (for a fee) approving animals (whether they were blemish free or not) and then being sold to religious pilgrims at a premium.
He also overturns the money changers tables. These tables were set up for convenience so that people could bring Roman money (which was used everywhere) for Temple money which was only valid in the Temple. A thriving Temple business grew based on selling the Temple money which was given to the Temple treasury and then sold back to other pilgrims the next day in a perpetual cycle.
Jesus anger would be very understandable. What often is misread here is that Jesus criticism of them as robbers refers to what is going on at the tables. But Jesus calls the Temple a "den" which is where the robber's live and count their ill-gotten gains, not where they practice their thievery. The Temple has become the place where people go to get forgiveness for their sins so they can go out again and sin some more. It is a tree without the fruit (of repentance).
Which is the point Mark drives home as Jesus leaves the Temple. Those he has exposed as hypocrites are understandably angry and anxious to get their revenge, so the plotting begins. They are thieves planning their next crime. But, we are told they fear public action because the populace at large seems to agree with Jesus diagnosis of what ails the Temple.
On their way back into town the next day, the disciples and Jesus pass the fig tree from the previous day. It is Peter who notices its withered condition that goes all the way to its root.
Jesus tells the disciples that with belief anything can be accomplished even throwing mountains in the sea. There are no conditions except certain total faith, which is in its own way a significant condition. True faith aligns itself with God's will. Jesus is not saying that perfect belief will put a Ferrari in your driveway, but that perfect faith will remove all the obstacles that keep a person from bearing fruit even when it is not the season for figs.
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