Mark 11 Devotional
by Pastor David Groendyk

As Jesus enters Jerusalem just a few days before his death, one of his great concerns is to identify, judge, and purge dead religion from Israel. It should cause us to reflect on our own spiritual state and examine ourselves for the signs of true faith.

The fig tree (vv. 12–14, 20–26) Jesus passes ought to have been filled with figs. Although it wasn’t the season for figs, the tree was filled with leaves, which should’ve been accompanied by the fruit too. Because the tree has no fruit, Jesus curses it and it dies. It’s a common teaching in Scripture that a believer who has been made alive by Christ must also bear fruit. If there is no fruit, the tree is not really alive. The fruit that Christians are supposed to bear is faith, prayer, forgiveness, and love. If you are not actively trusting God and praying to him, and if you are unwilling to forgive others of their sins, your heart may still be dead in its sin. Are you simply going through the motions of Christianity? Do you really see these evidences of true faith in your life? If you are struggling to these fruit, how can you stir up your heart to begin producing them again?

The same lesson is taught when Jesus drives out the money-changers in the temple (vv. 15–19). In the minds of the money-changers, it was quite convenient that so many out-of-towners needed to buy animals for sacrifices or had to exchange their currencies during the Passover week. It was easy to charge a little extra tax so that they could make a little extra profit. But the fact that these people in the temple were more concerned about money than worship was a sign of dead religion. The temple was to be a place where people of all nations could seek God, but instead it was filled with opportunists seeking to make a profit. The point of Christianity is being united to Christ, dwelling with God, and freely bringing the message of the gospel to all nations. It is not a tool for getting ahead in this life. What an abominable thing to try to take advantage of God for your own personal gain at the expense of outsiders. Is your Christianity a means of keeping up your reputation in your community, gaining political power, or increasing business revenue? Be careful that your religion has not become a tool for earthly gain.

Jesus does not stand for hypocritical religion. He knows our hearts, and he knows when we’re putting on a show. True religion must come from your heart and be evidenced by real, spiritual fruit. Christ is our Lord, Savior, and King who demands true love and worship. Do you see evidence of Christ working in your life? If you do, praise the Lord! If not, remember that he is the Savior who takes dead, hypocritical sinners and gives them life. He is your hope today!