The Fig Tree and the Temple

Tonight we looked at Mark 11:1-26, which is a fairly eventful passage. It begins with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and recounts the cleansing of the temple.

But bookending the cleansing of the temple is the very confusing account of the fig tree. Why would Jesus curse a fig tree for not bearing fruit out of season? From a combination of commentaries, "cheater notes", the context, and a few targeted questions, we came to a couple of conclusions.

Fig trees apparently develop fruit and leaves at the same time. The tree was advertising fruitfulness while truly being barren. This helps us understand the cleansing of the temple--it advertised spiritual fruitfulness, but it was a marketplace, a shortcut, and much more profane than sacred. The temple had become spiritually barren.

Another conclusion (or maybe hypothesis) we developed was that Jesus was showing that seasons of spirituality would be obsolete in his coming kingdom. Israel had gone through seasons of worship and apostasy. But perhaps in the new kingdom, the seasons of falling away would stop.

I found an article about the fig tree that has more detail. It also cites references, for anyone that's interested in digging in deeper.

We had a great discussion tonight. The takeaway offered at the end was not to be like the fig tree and the temple: make sure what your outside (appearance, behavior, words) advertises matches your inward condition.

[Editor's note: I may or may not post back-notes on Mark 9 and Mark 10. If not, we studied Mark 10 a week ago, and Mark 9 the week before that.]

An Eternal Mindset

In our discussion of Mark 8, one theme kept coming up. From the "yeast of the Pharisees" to Jesus's rebuke of Peter, that theme was the importance of focusing on eternal things.

It's not an easy thing to do. Jesus warned his disciples against the "yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod". He was warning them not to focus on the things of the world--gaining acclaim, wealth, leisure, or power, for example. His disciples missed the point, and focused on a basic earthly need--food.

Later, Jesus predicted he would be killed. He also predicted he would rise three days later. Peter took him aside and rebuked him. Most likely, Peter had a cultural idea of what the Messiah would be: a conquering king in the mold of David, a mortal favored by God who would set up an enduring kingdom of Israel. Dying didn't fit into that picture.

Jesus responded to the rebuke by saying "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Let's focus on the things of God. Taking up your cross daily (or in modern terms, strapping into your electric chair daily) might not be easy, but it's the price Jesus asked for the reward he offered.

Honor, Worship, and Your Marriage

In the passage we discussed tonight, Jesus responded to a challenge from the Pharisees by pointing out that, as Isaiah said,

These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain...

After discussing what it means to worship in vain (going through motions to make oneself look or feel good; external behavior that doesn't come from the heart, and so on), we changed the context.

Instead of God's relationship to people, we talked about the marriage relationship. Is it possible to honor your spouse with your lips while your heart is far from him/her, and to love him/her in vain? After talking about what that might look like, and what it might feel like, the group came up with some good suggestions for avoiding or breaking out of that selfish mode.

• Be mindful of selfish behavior, and practice replacing "love in vain" with genuine love.
• Reviewing things you like/appreciate/love about your spouse when tempted to "love in vain".
  
• Confessing (to your spouse and to God) when you catch yourself loving in vain.

I think I may have forgotten a suggestion. If anyone remembers what it was, please post it in the comments.

An Open and Closed Case - The Two Sides of Community

Marriage Matters took a break from our study of Mark to take a look at the two sides of community. Pastor Kim was our guest speaker and shared about his passion: community and inclusiveness. The rest of these notes are pretty much copied from his handout in class.

Biblical Basis for Community

• The Triune God exists in community and we are made in His image (Genesis 1:26)
• The cross levels all barriers and is the basis for our unity and community (Acts 10:34-35; Ephesians 2:11-12; Ephesians 3:6)
• The church is made up of members who are interdependent on one another (1 Corinthians 12:12)
• Spiritual growth takes place as we interact with God's Word in the context of community (Ephesians 4:15-16)

Community Spaces

Type of Space	Public	Social	Personal	Private
Size of Group	100 Plus	13 - 100	2 - 12	1 - 2
Jesus' Example	Crowds	70	The 12 disciples	Peter, James, and John
Connecting through sharing...	A common experience	Snapshots of who we are	Private experiences, feelings, and thoughts	Intimate experiences, feelings, and thoughts
New Covenant Environments	Front Porch	Living Room	Kitchen Table
New Covenant Ministries	Worship Service	Adult Bible Fellowship	Small Group
Ratio	8	4	2	1
Relationally	Open - Bridging	Closed - Bonding

Assumptions

• People grow best in healthy community.
• People connect in all four spaces, not just in one or two.
• All four spaces are valued and important.
• Harmony among all four spaces builds healthy community in individuals and organizations.
• Community happens spontaneously. People search for spontaneous community, not forced belonging.
• We can facilitate environments that help people connect.
• People are looking for friends, not a friendly church.

Hospitality

• Leviticus 19:33-34
• Luke 15:1-2
• Romans 12:9-16
• 1 Peter 4:8-10

Application
As an ABF, how can we practice hospitality?

• Intentionally look for people who you can invite to your ABF
• Use name tags
• Acknowledge guests
• Use ice breaker questions to help new guests get snapshots of who you are
• Invite guests to return
• Go first, set the pace, and be real
• Send a note to first time guests, thanking them for coming
• Get to know those who are new and connect them with others who have like interests
• Don't huddle with your friends
• Handle prayer time with sensitivity
• Provide meals, care, notes, personal touch
• Host an ABF Open House and invite guests

We shape environments, as opposed to creating groups. When the environment is healthy, people will find connection on their own and form groups spontaneously. This approach gives freedom and responsibility to individuals, because people will experience belonging and a sense that this helps them with their life. It also helps keep our controlling nature at bay. - Joseph Myers, The Search to Belong

Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate. The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground and strength and promise of all our fellowship is in Jesus Christ alone, the more serenely shall we think of our fellowship and pray and hope for it. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

Kim gave us a challenge tonight--not that he necessarily meant it as a challenge, but as a statement of fact: In open social spaces, Christ-followers should be the most inclusive people on Earth.

How's that work? For some ideas and to get infected with excitement for community, check out Kim's blog. Or throw out your ideas and questions in the comments.

Kim, thank you for investing your time in our class--both the preparation and the time you spent teaching us.

Does God Care?

Mark 4:35-5:43 is a series of 3 or 4 stories, depending on how you count them. But all of the stories address one common doubt: does God care?

Before Jesus calmed the storm, he was asleep in the stern of the boat. The disciples, experienced fishermen, were afraid. The storm surely had something to do with it, but their real fear was that Jesus didn't care.

After Jesus drove the legion of demons out of the man and into the herd of pigs, the pigs drowned themselves. The people in the town didn't doubt that Jesus had power, but after seeing their economic loss, they did doubt that he cared about them.

The synagogue ruler, Jairus, came to Jesus out of desperation. His daughter was dying. Jesus agreed to go with him, but stopped in the street to find out who touched him. Jesus spent time talking with the woman he had just healed, and meanwhile, Jairus was told that his daughter had died. The text doesn't say what Jairus did or said, but I would certainly have doubted that Jesus really cared if I had been in Jairus's place.

As for the woman that Jesus healed, I would not be at all surprised to discover that she had, at some point in her twelve years of suffering, doubted that God cared about her.

In all of these stories, Jesus showed that he really did care. He calmed the storm, left the worried townspeople alone, healed the woman, and raised Jairus's daughter.

Then again, the woman's story had been twelve years in the making. Mark just wrote about the end of it. The takeaway from our class discussion is that God really is in control of your situation, and that God really does care, even if things are getting worse.

The Kingdom of God Grows

Jesus tells four parables (and explains one) in Mark 4:1-34. They're fairly familiar parables, about sowing seed on different soils, putting lamps on lampstands instead of under baskets, seeds that grow while you sleep, and mustard seeds.

Parables are stories that are intended to make an impact on and stick with an audience, in a way that a list of bullet points can't. For a story to have an impact, we need to understand the point of the story--much like we need to understand a joke to find it funny. There has been a lot written about interpreting parables, but here are two important tasks:

1. Identify points of reference: the parts of the story with which the audience would identify as it is being told.
2. Identify audience: how the original hearers would have identified with the story (i.e. what they would have heard).

All four parables we looked at had something to do with growth, and the Parable of the Mustard Seed made it clear that the thing growing is the Kingdom of God. As part of the Kingdom of God, we contribute to that growth--not by our own self-efforts, as Pastor Bob preached tonight--but by following the promptings of the Holy Spirit and through the new nature that we have in Christ.

How does knowing that you are a part of the growing Kingdom of God, and will somehow contribute to that growth, affect the way you will live your life?

What is not Forgivable?

In Mark 3:28-29, Jesus says that all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.

What's blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? How is that different than other sorts of sin or blasphemy?

Here are four resources that dig deep into the answers to these questions:

• An answers to the question, "What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?"
• John Piper preached a sermon on the topic
• Three schools of thought on interpretation
• Notes from a sermon by Dave Redick of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Oregon

If you read just one, read the John Piper sermon.

So now that you've had a chance to dig deeper, what effect do these answers have on your life?