LIVING STONES

May 28, Friday

EIGHTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME

 

The first reading praises the forefathers, as good people, known by name or unknown, whose lives were fruitful, and who therefore live on in the memory of people and of God.

The Gospel of today speaks of several things – the Temple as a place of worship and prayer, not of business, the need for faith, prayer, forgiveness. And we must bear fruit. Let us also drive out in our life what does not belong there so that we can serve God better.

 

First Reading: 

Sir 44: 1, 9-13

Let’s praise the giants who’ve gone before us and our parents who’ve begotten us. The Lord has provided us such a splash of talent since we left the garden!

Let’s remember the early governors and judges, men and women of great authority, empowered by their own prudence, encouraging the prophets. They ruled the people with good counsel, knowledge gained from Scripture, words of wisdom from everyday life-accompanied by lots of singing and psalms and Scripture stories.

We have had famous leaders known for their ability, and yet they ruled with a sense of beauty, living quietly in their homes.

All these gained fame in their own generation. They were held in high esteem, and their children left behind the same sort of reputation.

Then there were those who have no memorials; they died, and their reputation died with them. They were born, yet it’s as though they were never born. The same happened to their children. But these were people of mercy; their pious practices were not in vain. Their real wealth is with us still in their descendants. When the genes are good, the inheritance has to be good.

God made covenants with these people; and because of this their chil- dren and their children’s children will live forever—their glory won’t be dimmed. Their bodies rest in peace; their reputations will live forever. They appear, by name or anonymously, in the wisdom collection. Their praises will be sung wherever religious people gather.

 

Gospel: Mark 11:11-26

 

He entered Jerusalem, then entered the Temple. He looked around, taking it all in. But by now it was late, so he went back to Bethany with the Twelve.

 

As they left Bethany the next day, he was hungry. Off in the distance he saw a fig tree in full leaf. He came up to it expecting to find something for breakfast, but found nothing but fig leaves. (It wasn’t yet the season for figs.) He addressed the tree: “No one is going to eat fruit from you again—ever!” And his disciples overheard him.

They arrived at Jerusalem. Immediately on entering the Temple Jesus started throwing out everyone who had set up shop there, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of the bankers and the stalls of the pigeon merchants. He didn’t let anyone even carry a basket through the Temple. And then he taught them, quoting this text:

My house was designated a house of prayer for the nations;
You’ve turned it into a hangout for thieves.

The high priests and religion scholars heard what was going on and plotted how they might get rid of him. They panicked, for the entire crowd was carried away by his teaching.

At evening, Jesus and his disciples left the city.

In the morning, walking along the road, they saw the fig tree, shrivelled to a dry stick. Peter, remembering what had happened the previous day, said to him, “Rabbi, look—the fig tree you cursed is shrivelled up!”

^22-25 

Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.”

 

Prayer

Holy God,
we often turn our hearts
into houses of pride and greed
rather than into homes of love and goodness
where you can feel at home.
Destroy the temple of sin in us,
drive out all evil from our hearts
and make us living stones of a community
in which can live and reign
your Son, Jesus Christ,
our living Lord, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

 

Reflection:

 

To its roots

Mark presents two stories to express the dryness and barrenness of the religiosity of the people of Israel; these signs express the infidelity of the chosen people to their God. The fig tree that had no fruit when Jesus “felt hungry”; and the expulsion of the business people from the temple – both signs highlight the lack of faith among the chosen ones.

The Prophets of the Old Testament had already denounced such “empty” and barren cult of “people honouring God with their lips but their heart is far from Jesus .” The fig tree with full of leaves is an image of the Jewish religion – It looked so lively and in good shape, but they had no fruits! Mark is trying to present the state of the religion of the time – it appeared full of life and thriving – like the green fig tree, but a closer look tells that it is barren! And Jesus even “curses” the fig tree to express the radical dryness and sterility of this chosen people.

Saint John says: “whoever says that he loves God and does not keep his commandments is a liar”; St. Matthew would remind us: “by their works you will know them; a good tree does not bear bad fruit ”. A religion is useless if it has only prayers, devotions, religious associations and apostolic movements, but they do not contribute to solving the problems of the poor and marginalized.

It is not enough either to give bread to the hungry, drink to the thirsty and clothe the naked, but we should also care for the dignity of these people. Jesus’ action of disrupting the regular activities of the temple was deliberately provocative. He took on the priestly establishment right at their seat of power. His actions were not directed particularly against crooked dealings, but at the essential requirements for any worship in the temple

By splitting the comments of Jesus’ on the fig tree and placing them before and after the cleansing the temple, Mark intended his readers to see the fate of the fig tree as throwing light on the meaning of his actions in the temple.

“Should people say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea, it would happen.’ Mountain to which Jesus was referring to, was about the whole religious, social and cultural system centred on the temple. The previous day Jesus had symbolically stopped the activities of the temple. Now he was referring to overthrow of the whole system. The system had been cursed, and had withered radically – to its roots. For all its outward show, it had failed to produce fruit, the fruit of genuine inclusiveness.