Sermon Tone Analysis

Mark: The Tree and the Temple {part 2: the tree} []

Last week we began looking at this section in Mark, where Mark uses what is called in Hebrew literature an inclusio, which is a literary device where two teachings are wrapped around one central lesson.

The cursing of the fig tree story is bracketed around Jesus cleansing the temple.

The purpose being the bracketed material, the fig tree, is an enacted parable, as it were, for the purpose Jesus cleanses the temple.

Enacted parables were common to the prophets of the OT as well [ex.

The broken flask].

Last week we came to a section in Mark, where Mark uses what is called in Hebrew literature an inclusio, which is a literary device where two teachings are wrapped around one central lesson.

The cursing of the fig tree story is bracketed around Jesus cleansing the temple.

The purpose being the bracketed material, the fig tree, is an enacted parable, as it were, for the purpose Jesus cleanses the temple.

Enacted parables were common to the prophets of the OT as well [ex.

The broken flask].

While these two accounts [from Mark’s gospel] are difficult for us to deal with, in that if you look at one account by itself you might be tempted to think this is Jesus acting out of character, but when placed together they help us understand the lesson of what is going on here.

Last week we focused on the temple this weeks focus will be on the fig tree and hopefully we’ll see a little better and with more clarity why these two events are so important.

While these two accounts [from Mark’s gospel] are difficult for us to deal with, in that if you look at one account by itself you might be tempted to think this is Jesus acting out of character, but when placed together they help us understand the lesson of what is going on here.

Last week we looked at the temple while this weeks focus will be on the fig tree and hopefully we’ll see a little better and with more clarity why these two events are so important

Stand for the reading of the word of God []

Stand for the reading of the word of God []

As pastor my primary job is the preaching and teaching of the word of God.

While preaching and teaching go hand in hand, many things go into preparing a sermon or a lesson.

Prayer, study, meditating on the word…one of those aspects is interpretation…interpretation of the bible.

The Pastor/teacher is not only called to prepare a meal from the word of God for the people but also to help the people eat from the word of God for themselves…i.e.

cook for themselves.

Popular today is cooking shows, there are a ton of them, where someone goes through the steps of preparing a meal so that audience can cook it for themselves…well that’s one of the purposes of the pastor/teacher as well.

As pastor my primary job is to preach and teach the word of God.

While much goes into the teaching and preaching of God’s word…there is prayer, study, meditation, etc. one of the aspects of preparing a lesson is interpretation of the bible.

Interpretation of the bible is key to clearly relaying the word of God to others.

While my job is to prepare a meal for others to eat from out of the word of God, it’s also my job to help people eat from the word of God for themselves…i.e. to cook for themselves.

Today there is a plethora of cooking shows where someone shows how to prepare a meal so you at home can do it for yourself…the same is with the pastor/teacher helping to understanding the word of God.

So I want to give you 5 principles for interpretation, you’ll notice these 5 are what I used on this particular passage.

[this is not an exhaustive list]

In saying that I wanted to share with you 5 principles for interpreting the word of God [not exhaustive list] you’ll probably notice I used these 5 in our text today

Interpret the obscure text by the clear text: some texts are difficult to get so we need the clear texts to help us in our understanding of the obscure

Interpret the obscure text by the clear text.

some texts are difficult to understand, so we need to use what is clear to understand what’s not clear.

interpret the partial text by the complete text: You’ve heard me say it many times…context is king!

Our passage today is a good example of not only looking at the partial but at the whole.

interpret the partial by the complete: you’ve heard me say it over and over again…context is king!

This text is a good example of not looking at only a partial part of the text for understanding.

Compare scripture with scripture: the best commentary on the bible is the bible itself.

[the next point goes along with it]

Use the OT as a guide to understand the NT and the OT is subject to the NT i.e. it’s fulfillment is in Jesus.

Remember the OT anticipates the NT and the NT is the fulfillment of the OT.

You need them both to fully understand God’s word.

compare scripture to scripture: the best commentary on the bible is the bible itself…which leads into the next point

Work to understand the particular meaning of the particular text: is what’s being said literal or figurative?

Are there other places where this happens?

This is another text that is often taken very generally when there is a particular point.

use the OT as a guide to understand the NT and the remember the OT is subject to the NT fulfillment in Christ.

The OT anticipates the NT the NT is the fulfillment of the OT.

You need both to fully understand God’s word.

Work to understand the particular meaning of the particular text.

Is what’s being said literal or figurative?

Are there other times this has happened?

This text today has been taken often too generally and not understood by the particular meaning it portrays.

That particular meaning is…Jesus comes to Jerusalem, the center of religious life, looking for spiritual fruit and true worship and what does he find?

He finds a tree that makes a promise it can’t fulfill and a temple that is full of activity that incurs God’s wrath.

i.e. there is no fruit and false worship where there should be fruitfulness and true worship.

Three things that should be evident in the lives of God’s people, fruit, faith, and forgiveness…Jesus finds none…and His divine judgment is announced.

You’ll find in the OT the fig tree is often used to represent the status of Israel.

[; ] {hence our principle #3&4} So Jesus comes into the center of religious activity and finds and empty fruitless people that have no consideration for the things of God.

This fig tree gives the appearance that it is able to satisfy hunger but it failed to deliver that promise.

Israel had made that same promise, with all their religious activity but the truth was there was no substance in all that activity…i.e.

it’s useless!

This should serve as a warning to us in the church today as well.

If God did this to Israel, the natural branches, what makes us think He will not do the same to us, the unnatural branches, if we are fruitless, faithless, and unforgiving?

Let’s learn...

The Lesson of the fig tree []

The danger of appearance without reality.

As I said, there was a lot of religious activity going on in Jerusalem at that time, but it was fruitless.

There was the appearance of fruit but the reality was it was all for show there was no fruit at all…just like this fig tree.

Tree-huggers of our day may have a problem with what Jesus did here, the poor tree didn’t do anything wrong.

Remember this miracle is used for an acted parable in teaching the disciples about fruit, faith, and forgiveness.

You may look at verse 13 and say, ‘well it wasn’t time for figs yet.’

True, figs usually ripen from June-August so it wasn’t that time yet…though on occasion fig trees will bear fruit earlier.

However fig trees bear fruit first and then the leaves come on.

So the fact that this tree had leaves but no figs is an indication that it will never bear fruit, it’ll only give the deceitful appearance that it bears fruit.

You see the lesson?

It’s quite clear actually.

The same is true for the people of God, there is a danger in appearing to be religious but only in outward appearance.

If we recall this lesson was taught by Jesus to the Pharisees who were consumed with the outward appearance in chapter 7, washing the cups and kettles.

They were so consumed with rules and regulations they missed the true purpose of God, to worship Him in spirit and truth and to love others as yourself.

There are still those today who play church, come to church regularly, give money to the church, do things that Christians are supposed to do but it’s all just appearance and not reality.

They are more concerned with rules and regulations than God’s word and sharing the gospel.

There is a necessity of fruit.

Jesus told His disciples they will know you are my disciples by your love for one another.

Jesus taught in , any branch that does not bear fruit will be cut off and thrown into the fire.

There is a necessity of fruit in the life of the believer.

All through Mark we’ve seen Jesus teaching the disciples this basic lesson.

Being a follower of Jesus is not about keeping this or that rule…it’s about true repentance and belief in Jesus as savior and out of that comes a life that, like Jesus obey’s God’s word and serves God’s purpose.

This week at boys camp I taught the boys about service one night.

I taught the boys that we should serve not because where asked to but because Christ came and served us and gave His life a ransom for us therefore our response should be to serve God however we can.

Many of those boys took that to heart as throughout the rest of the week several boys would pick up trash, sweep, help set up things, assist the cooks.

It always blesses me more than you can know when I spend my time down there with them boys to see God working in young peoples lives.

The same should be said of us…is it evident that God is working in your life?

The authority of the creator to judge.

So we can easily get the first two points, the danger of appearance without reality, the necessity of fruit, but I think we can sometimes miss this third lesson…the authority of the creator to judge.

John’s gospel tells us that,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.3

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it