Mark 11 & 12

***Mark 11***

What did the fig tree ever do to Jesus?

This is a weird story. Jesus never performs a miracle for his own sake. He doesn't turn stone to bread when he is hungry and he doesn't save himself from the cross... so why does he curse the fig tree? It doesn't make sense.

This must be a parable which is lived out. From a distance Jesus can see leaves on the tree, but when he gets to the tree there is no fruit. Because there is no fruit, because the tree is not what it appeared to be (leaves no fruit) Jesus curses the tree.

In Matthew 7 Jesus says that "by their fruit you will recognize them."

Those Jesus came to save appear to be holy, they are a tree with leaves, but in reality they are more concerned with their power and status than they are with what God is doing, they bear no fruit.

They were so blinded by their own selfish desires that they could not see God standing in front of them... that is their curse. Instead, they treat Jesus like an enemy and nail him to a tree.

As Christians, the most inportant thing we can do is be who we say we are. Ghandi once said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians, your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

What good is having a Jesus fish on the back of your car if you cut people and give them the finger? What good is reading the bible if you ignore what it says? What good is a tree without fruit?

Lord, help us to bear fruit, help us to be the people you have called us to be. Amen.

***Mark 12***

Money, money, money...

2,000 years ago money was a sign of dominion. When a king conquered a new land, the king's money became the only money that was good. The person that you were ruled by was the same smiling face on all of your coins.

God did not create money, human beings did. In God's economy there was no need for money, everyone had what they needed. But human's felt a need for money so that they could barter, and then money started to become more than just something to barter with but something to save and collect.

I am reminded of one of my favorite cartoons, Ducktales. Uncle Scrooge McDuck is a character that has a building where he stores all of his gold coins, he loved his coins and he loved to swim in his coins... Growing up I always wanted to swim in a million dollars worth of quarters, but I realized that quarters are solid and it would hurt to jump into a pile of them.

Today our money no longer belongs to a king but to a nation. We have pictures of great men on our money and in small words we write "In God We Trust." But money is neither about America or God... Money itself has become king. Whoever has the most money has the most power. And it is in money that we as a nation really trust.

God is not really interested in all that... God is interested in what God created, you and I. God wants our hearts, not our wallets. God wants us to be in a loving relationship with us, and will do anything to make it happen, even send His only begotten Son.

As we grow in relationship with God our priorities change; the way we treat money, the way treat each other, and the way we treat the earth.

Change us Lord.