Gospel (Mk 11:11-25)
Jesus entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he taught, and said to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and sought a way to destroy him; for they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city.
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Master, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Commentary
Today we contemplate Jesus and are amazed by his authority. He is the Teacher who teaches with both actions and words. He is coming from Jericho, where he has just restored Bartimaeus’s sight. When they enter Jerusalem he goes to the Temple and observes everything that is happening there, perhaps with sadness in his heart. But it is getting late, and he goes to the nearby Bethany to rest. In the morning, he returns to the Holy City. On the way there Jesus curses a fig tree that didn’t have any figs to satisfy his hunger. Then, upon entering the Temple, he does not restrain his zeal that his Father’s House be a “house of prayer,” fulfilling what the prophet had announced: “On that day there will be no more traffickers in the Temple of the Lord of hosts” (cf. Zech 14:21). The next day, seeing the withered fig tree, Jesus assures us that whoever prays to God with sure faith and free of all resentment towards their neighbor will be heard.
All this takes place in the days before the Passion. That is why the authority and teaching of Jesus, the Messiah, “the prophet who is to come” (cf. Deut 18:15), stands out clearly. Jesus shows no concern for the plans of the leaders of the people to put an end to Him. For he is consumed by his desire to fulfil his Father’s will for the salvation of all mankind.
Jesus strongly invites us to be souls of prayer. Certainly, a privileged place for conversing with God is the “house of prayer,” where everything is arranged to assist adoration of the only God, present in the Eucharist. In those times of prayer, our faith grows until it becomes invincible, and bears the expected fruit. But we need to make our requests with a heart that forgives those who have offended us. In the end, Jesus is teaching us how much is at stake when a disciple prays with faith. As Saint Josemaría stressed: “If we Christians really lived in accordance with our faith, the greatest revolution of all times would take place. The effectiveness of the co-redemption depends on each one of us! You should meditate on this.”