02.16.25 - Mark XX - Missing the Point

In our journey with Jesus through the Gospel of Mark we have recently arrived in Jerusalem after Jesus' triumphal entry on a donkey. (Mark 11:11-25) As Mark's structure passes from Act II to Act III, the joyful pilgrims who'd shouted Hosanna! to Jesus have gone their separate ways and He is now concerned with the Jewish leaders and with how the worship of the entire nation has been structured so as to be as unwelcoming as possible to outsiders. Jesus renders judgment by overturning the tables of commerce, aiming His ire not only at transactional worship but at their disregard of those to whom they were called to witness. To make sure we understand, Mark and Jesus structure this story as the meat of a sandwich, with Jesus' judgment of a fig tree before and after to make clear the meaning at the temple. We are faced with our own ease and convenience in worship, tailored to our preferences and our frame of reference, in ways that can be quite inaccessible to someone from "outside" coming in for a visit. Just as Israel's prime directive was to "be a light to the Gentiles," so we are called to be ambassadors for Christ whether we are out in the world or comfortably snuggled at home.

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