Gospel: Mark 11:11–26
So Jesus entered Jerusalem 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. The next day, when they were leaving Bethany, he felt hungry.
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. Then Jesus said to the fig tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit!” And his disciples heard these words. When they reached Jerusalem, 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. And he would not let anyone
carry anything through the temple area. 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.”
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 astonished by his teaching. When evening came, Jesus left the city. Early next morning, as they walked along the road, the disciples saw the fig tree withered to
its roots. Peter then said to him, “Master, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.”
And Jesus replied, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and have no doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will happen, it will be done for you.
Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it shall be done for you. And when you stand to pray, if you have anything against anyone, forgive, so that your heavenly Father may also forgive your sins.”Reflection
His humanity transcends his divinity.
This passage highlights various aspects of Jesus' experience, including his travels with his disciples, the fig tree episode, and the cleansing of the Temple.
It emphasizes the humanity of Jesus as portrayed in the Gospel. Like us, he experiences a full range of human emotions and encounters. Yet, even in these moments, we glimpse the divine. His humanity transcends his divinity, revealing what it truly means to be human. These layers of Jesus' experiences in today's Gospel show that we, too, can encounter the divine within our own humanity. Our limitations are not the end; rather, they are opportunities to experience God's salvation. We are like the fig tree, given numerous chances to grow, and we, too, may undergo a cleansing process in our lives,much like Jesus did in the Temple.
In all that we do, let us remember our calling as followers of Christ and strive to glorify God in our daily lives.
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