Page 48 - Living Light 89

Monday July 21 - Cheering the Messiah
Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Mark 11:9
When Taylor Swift toured Britain last year she was given a police escort through London, because the crowds were so large that her personal safety was considered threatened. When Jesus enters Jerusalem he does so also in the midst of cheering crowds, but he is not given a police escort. If the Roman authorities had been there to witness Jesus coming to Jerusalem they would have arrested him rather than protected him. The reason for this is that the crowd are not simply cheering, “Hip, hip hooray!” They are shouting out dangerous political slogans, quoting from Israel’s psalms. It would be as if someone other than the rightful king entered Windsor Castle to cries of “Long live the king!”; he would be apprehended as a charlatan and an imposter.
The Jewish people had been longing for the Messiah – the heir to David’s throne – to come and give them back their freedom. The crowds cheering Jesus were expecting him to lead a rebellion against the occupying Roman empire, but Jesus’ way was not that of a military conqueror but as the Saviour of the world. When the Jewish and Roman authorities realise who the crowds think Jesus is, they plot to kill him. By doing so they are fulfilling Jesus’ mission. As you pray today, what are your hopes and expectations of Jesus?
Gracious Father, help me grow in my understanding of the love of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tuesday July 22 - A fruitless fig tree
Then he said to the tree, “May no-one ever eat fruit from you again.” And
his disciples heard him say it. Mark 11:14
Well, this is a very strange story. I wonder what you make of it. Mark tells us that it is a wrong time of year to get figs and so it’s no surprise that the fig tree that Jesus passes has no fruit. And yet Jesus curses it so that it will never bear fruit again. It almost sounds as though Jesus is having a temper tantrum! We can be sure, though, that something else is going on here.
Jesus often told parables to illustrate truths about the kingdom of God and Israel. Sometimes he acted out illustrations (we will see another example of this tomorrow). The cursing of the fig tree is an acted-out illustration. Fig trees are huge spreading trees. I have a number of them outside my office window and they take up the whole of the riverbank. As well as providing fruit, people can find shade under them. The fig tree stands as a good illustration of Israel – a people whom God had called to be a fruitful sign of his spreading kingdom (e.g. Jeremiah 24).
And yet Israel has not lived up to her calling. Jesus sees that the religious leaders are not bearing fruit. They have failed to see the kingdom of God come in Jesus’ own ministry and so time is running out for them. A fruitless fruit tree is of no use to anyone.
Heavenly Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I may bear good fruit for you. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
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PRAYER FOR TODAY