Who’s really in charge?

(A) The blind and the lame came near to him (Jesus AD 30) in the temple (Jerusalem AD 30). He healed them. But then the chief priests and scribes, seeing the wonderful things that he did, and the children shouting in the temple and stating “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, were indignant. They said to him, “Do you hear what these are stating?” Jesus stated to them, “Yes; have you never read that, ‘You (the LORD God) arranged praise from the mouth of little children and nursing babies?’” (B) Leaving them behind, he went out away from the city to Bethany (meaning “House-of-depression”) and stayed the night there. Returning early to the city, he was hungry and, seeing only one fig tree alongside the way, he came alongside it and found nothing in it except leaves only. To it, he stated, “No longer may fruit come from you - forever” and the fig tree withered at once. (C) Seeing this the disciples were amazed, stating, “How did the fig tree wither away suddenly?” Then Jesus made his discerning assessment, saying to them, “Truly, I state to you, if you have belief and do not make counter assessment, you will not only do this fig-tree-thing, but also, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be raised up and be thrown into the sea,’ it will be so. Indeed, all things that you may ask in the place of prayer, you, believing, will receive.” Matthew 21: 14-22

Last week’s “Info” looked at (A) above. “The blind and the lame came near to him (Jesus AD 30) in the temple (Jerusalem), and he healed them. But then the chief priests and the scribes, seeing the wonderful things that he did, and the children shouting in the temple and stating “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, were indignant...”
The authorities, religious, legal and political, could not replicate the healing of the blind and the lame. But they could – and did - strongly object to Jesus being called, by tiny children, “Son of David” They were very clear about this. They were in charge of the use of this Messianic name.	‘Authority forgets a dying king.’ (Alfred Lord Tennyson, poet, 1809-1892)
Last week’s “Info” then looked at (B) above. “Leaving them behind, he went out away from the city to Bethany (meaning “House-of-depression”) and stayed the night there. Returning early to the city, he was hungry and, seeing only one fig tree alongside the way, he came alongside it and found nothing in it except leaves only. To it, he stated, “No longer may fruit come from you - forever” and the fig tree withered at once." The “Info” noted the awful judgment which was to fall upon those represented by the “fig-tree”. Those of that generation who rejected Jesus as their Messiah not only had not produced fruit for His name but none would never produce that fruit again – “forever”. … The opening words of (B) are awful. Jesus left the powerless Jerusalem authorities behind. He went away out of (their) city. He spent the night (yes, night) in the village called “House of depression”. There wasn’t a silver-lining in sight. Or was there? Look at (C) above. (C1) “Seeing this the disciples were amazed, stating, ‘How did the fig tree wither away suddenly?’ (C2) Then Jesus made his discerned assessment, saying to them, (C3) ‘Truly, I state to you, if you have belief and do not make a counter assessment, (C4) you will not only do this fig-tree-thing, but also, (C5) if you say to this mountain, ‘Be raised up and be thrown into the sea,’ it will be so. (C6) Indeed, all things that you may ask in the place of prayer, you, believing, will receive.’” (C1) How could it come about that the “fig-tree” – the Jerusalem authorities – would suddenly wither away? Good question. (In AD 70 Jerusalem was totally destroyed.) (C2) Jesus sets out God’s assessment, not a human assumption. (C3) His assessment was that all human acts (we all have authority over our own ways) have ordained consequences – like smoking and lung cancer. If his disciples sow belief and don’t go their own ways, God’s consequences will follow. That’s what’s prescribed. To believe is life.
(C4) Those who believe and don’t formulate their own counter-judgments become part and parcel of his decision that all actions be repaid or rewarded according to his ways. God’s justice begins now and is finalized later. And consequences are not only external; they are internal too. For the Jerusalem authorities; for all authorities; for me.	‘God does not despair of you, therefore you ought not to despair of yourself.’ (C C Grafton, 1830-1912)
(C5) The believing disciples would be on God’s side also in the matter of forgiveness and mercy. “This mountain” was the mount of Olives, a refuse dump, a corruption centre and (as still today) a cemetery. A mirror of all that’s bad in the world. Believers in Jesus would “do” the total removal of that from human experience. (C6) And more...... Tell me - who is really in charge?

Sinner Syvret

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