Suggestions for leading a study:

• Familiarize yourself with the passage in context, including the book itself.  Who wrote it to whom, and why?
• Read through the study guide a couple times to get the “big idea” as well as the flow of the argument
• Have the group read through the passage in it’s entirety before beginning the study.  One of the goals is to try to get your members to learn how to study Scripture methodically, and this is an important step.
• Be prayed up
• Have fun!

All Leaves, No Fruit

                ¹²The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
             ¹⁵On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. ¹⁷And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written:
   " 'My house will be called
      a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"
             ¹⁸The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
             ¹⁹When evening came, they went out of the city.

            ²⁰In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"
             ²²"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. ²³"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. ²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Discussion Questions

-In this passage Mark ties together the cursing of the fig tree with the cleansing of the temple.  In both instances, Jesus appears to be pretty upset.  What do you think the text is telling us about what got him so angry?

-In verses 15-17 Jesus acts out a prophetic judgment on the activities that were going on in the temple.  What were they, and what did Jesus really want to happen there?

            -If Jesus returned today, would he find anything to pronounce judgment on as he did at the temple?

            -How can we be passionate in our church about the same things that God is passionate about?

-This passage uses the fig tree as a metaphor that stands for the religious leaders who were in charge of the temple.  What do you think Jesus was trying to get across by using that image?

-The business transactions taking place in the temple courts actually had a legitimate purpose: to accomplish the sacrifices that God required of his people at the time. Nevertheless, Jesus does not see “fruitfulness” taking place, and tells them they are robbing God.

            -Do you think that we rob God when we go through the rituals at church, but don’t bear fruit?  If so, how?

-In vv. 22-25, Jesus underscores once again the issue of prayer.  In the context of a story on spiritual fruitfulness, what do you think he means when he says we will receive from him anything we ask for? 

-Why is forgiveness so critical to this promise?

Leaders' Guide                            

All Leaves, No Fruit

Mark 11:12-25

This lesson looks at why Mark ties together the cursing of the fig tree with the cleansing of the temple, and addresses God’s passion for spiritual fruitfulness over religious ritual.

-In this passage Mark ties together the cursing of the fig tree with the cleansing of the temple.  In both instances, Jesus appears to be pretty upset.  What do you think the text is telling us about what got him so angry?

            This is an introductory question to encourage people to look at passages in context and ask why they were constructed by the authors in the way that they were.  It is just meant to get discussion going rather than come to specific conclusions, which the rest of the lesson will investigate.  Another interesting discussion starter might be to ask why Jesus curses a fig tree for not bearing fruit when, according to the text, it wasn’t even the season to do so.  At a very superficial level, it could make Jesus look very petty.  The real meaning, of course, is what we move on to. 

-In verses 15-17 Jesus acts out a prophetic judgment on the activities that were going on in the temple.  What were they, and what did Jesus really want to happen there?

            Jesus is being presented here as similar to an Old Testament prophet, people who would often times “act out” what it was they were trying to get across, using visual aids that were readily available.  The temple activities were buying and selling and money changing, so pilgrims could purchase animals that were considered  appropriate for sacrifice.  There are a host of issues attached to this: the religious leaders would deliberately turn down animals pilgrims brought with them as blemished, so they could over-charge them for others.  Money changers would inflate exchange rates, because animals had to be purchased with particular currency. 

            The issue in Jesus mind no doubt had to do with all of these things, but primarily he was concerned with what wasn’t happening: prayer.  The temple of the Lord was supposed to be a place to pursue a relationship with God, and that did not appear to be what was occurring. 

            -If Jesus returned today, would he find anything to pronounce judgment on as he did at the temple?

            No specific modern day equivalents exist to this situation, of course, but people may be aware of situations where church leaders have appeared to be more concerned about money then enhancing the spiritual growth of their flock.  High visibility Television and Radio preachers who flaunt the trappings of wealth, claiming that they are given to them by God, would be an obvious example. 

            -How can we be passionate in our church about the same things that God is passionate about?

            What God is really passionate about is prayer: not just as an activity we do, but especially in regards to what it is meant to accomplish.  That is, to connect us with God and pursue a real relationship with him.  A discussion on prayer in the church is certainly appropriate, but underscore the reason for prayer and how to make sure the church is getting about the business of connecting people with God.  

-This passage uses the fig tree as a metaphor that stands for the religious leaders who were in charge of the temple.  What do you think Jesus was trying to get across by using that image?

            This question revolves around the issue of “fruit.”  The problem isn’t that Jesus was hungry and the tree didn’t give him something to eat.  Jesus knew good and well that there wasn’t going to be any fruit on a tree out of season.  He is using it as a picture to state that the  people who were running the temple were not “bearing fruit” in the ways that God intends.  The next question probes what that might actually mean a little deeper.

-The business transactions taking place in the temple courts actually had a legitimate purpose: to accomplish the sacrifices that God required of his people at the time. Nevertheless, Jesus does not see “fruitfulness” taking place, and tells them they are robbing God.

            -Do you think that we rob God when we go through the rituals at church, but don’t bear fruit?  If so, how?

            The other synoptic gospels put much more emphasis on the cheating that was going on.  Mark simply states that what they were doing (the sacrificial system) was not accomplishing what God intended.  When our worship is superficial and ritualistic, we “rob” God of what he really wants and deserves: real spiritual growth with his people and a dynamic relationship with them, both of which are illustrated by the emphasis on prayer in this passage.  Fruit in Scripture refers both to character growth as well as ministry accomplishments, neither of which happen if we just show up and go through the motions.  Try to probe for specific ways in which people could grow in either aspect of their faith.

-In vv. 22-25, Jesus underscores once again the issue of prayer.  In the context of a story on spiritual fruitfulness, what do you think he means when he says we will receive from him anything we ask for? 

            Many “name it and claim it” preachers have taken this statement and mis-used it for their purposes.  Clearly, Christians don’t go around moving mountains or getting anything they ask for that they might want from their own selfish motivations  (See James’ comments on this in James 4 for confirmation).  The key, as always, is to put this into the context it is in.  Jesus is talking about spiritual fruitfulness that develops out a of relationship with him, especially as it is empowered by the leaders in the church when they are doing what they should be.  Any prayers along this line can be assured that they are in God’s will, and so will be conduits for bringing his power as prayers are meant to be. 

-Why is forgiveness so critical to this promise?

            This seems like a random tag, but Scripture is very clear that being in right relationship to God (accepting his forgiveness), as well as others (being willing to offer forgiveness) is a pre-requisite for effective prayer.  For confirmation of this, take another look at the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 (v.14).  This lesson is all about what God is passionate about:  relationships that are healthy both between his people and himself, and his people and each other, rather than just doing religious rituals and thinking that everything is all good because you went through the motions.