THE GOSPEL OF MARK,Ch.11,v.17ff.

    Should Christian worship premises be used only for worship activities, and not for trading purposes also ? –Isaiah ch.56,v.7.  Are Christian premises sacred in the same way that the Temple was in Jerusalem ?

v.18… Who was likely to lose income as a result of the cleansing of the Temple ?

v.20…Did Jesus use the miracle of the cursing of the fig tree to provide a teaching point for the disciples, – as a comment on a barren and corrupt religion in Israel, and an example of faith in action – Micah,ch.7,.v.3ff.

v.23… Is faith a belief that God can do what we ask of Him in prayer, or is  it a firm conviction that God WILL do what we ask ?

  Does doubt destroy the possibility that God will act in response to our prayer, even if there are seeds of faith present in our prayers ?- Mark,ch.9,v.24.

v.24.. Are we asked to keep on believing that God has already given what we prayed for, and to expect the answer to appear ?

Is it necessary to know that what we ask for is in God’s will and purpose before we ask in prayer ? Does this knowledge encourage us to pray and to expect to receive what we ask for ?

v.25. Jesus was speaking to His believers and followers , but what might break the fellowship with Him and create a barrier to our prayers /

.26…Does unforgiveness for those who offend us destroy our basic position as a child of God ? What action is needed in an unforgiving heart towards others ?-Matt.ch.18,v.21-35.

MARK,Ch.11,v.12ff.

  v12-14…There are some who not have a high view of scripture and object to this account and say : that this is a parable , not an actual event; that this truly occurred and Jesus “ got it wrong “ here; that is was unreasonable to expect figs because it “ was not te season for figs”; or that God ( Jesus ) would never curse anything or anyone.- See however… Gen.ch.3,v.14ff; 1 Samuel,ch2,v.30-36.

   Could Jesus have cursed the fig tree as a symbolic act to show the unfruitfulness of Israel’s religion ? ..Jeremiah,ch.24,v.8-10.

   What was making Israel’s religion unfruitful and barren ?…v15-17 may give some answer

   Could a person or nation bring curses upon himself /itself , and for what causes ?- Deut,ch.11,v.27; Deut.ch.27,.v.15; Mal.ch.1,v.14.

THE NATURAL SEQUENCE OF GROWTH FOR A FIG TREE;-

NOV…the leaves fall; JAN…the buds appear and swell…(Song of Songs,ch.2,v.13); MARCH…the leaves appear ( Mark,ch.13,v.28)- together with the early fruit, which could be eaten. If the early fruit does not appear it shows that the tree is barren..Isaiah,ch.28,v.4; MAY…. the young summer figs are visible, and the early fruits will already have fallen or been eaten; JUNE…the ripe figs will be falling from the tree= Rev.ch.6,.v13.

   Could Jesus have seen the barreness of the tree already as He arrived in Jerusalem in March, before the time of Passover ?

v.15-17…What aroused Jesus’ anger in the temple …Isaiah,ch.56-v.7.

    Had Jesus intervened in the temple activities much earlier in His ministry ?- John, ch.2,v.13ff.

  A heart of a Christian believer is like ..?/ 1 Cor.ch.3,v.16-17. Is it possible to misuse or defile that heart.? How might this occur ?-Mark,ch.7, v.20-23.