The day our son was born, I was astonished.
The mere reality of birth was a surprise. One minute, there were four people in the room, and the next, there were five. He looked nothing like I’d expected, and his birth didn’t go anything like I’d planned. I was shocked by how immediately I felt the pride and protective instincts of a mother. The whole experience was unexpected, yet wonderful—astonishing.
Fast forward six years. I was at the grocery store when I heard the news that Sandy Hook Elementary had been attacked by a gunman. Children my own child’s age were terrorized, injured, even killed. When my son came home from school that afternoon he was fine—but I was not. I was not astonished that day; I was afraid, weeping into the night, praying for protection for my own son and comfort for those in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, whose lives would never be the same.
Astonished and afraid. There’s a big difference, isn’t there? When I read Mark 11, I notice both of these reactions to Jesus upon His arrival in Jerusalem. Just after Jesus overturned the tables and chairs in the temple, the chief priests began “looking for a way to kill him. For they were afraid of him” (Mark 11:18). But the crowd? In that very same moment, they were “astonished by his teaching.” Later, the chief priests weren’t able to give an answer to Jesus’s question about John’s baptism. Why? Because “they were afraid of the crowd” (v.32).
This dichotomy appears often in Jesus’s ministry: the crowds were astonished and the religious leaders were almost always afraid. In Mark 1, when Jesus cleansed a man of an unclean spirit, the crowd was “astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority” (v.22). As we read about Jesus’s authority and those who hoped to explain it away, I wonder, How do I react when I encounter Jesus’s authority in my own life?
Am I afraid? Does it compel me to hold tight to the things I love, afraid He’ll shake up my plans? Do I feel astonished at His power, like I was when meeting my son? Am I surprised and delighted by the way Jesus works in ways I don’t expect?
As we read Mark 11 today, let’s notice the authority with which Jesus rides into Jerusalem like the King that He is, and how He surveyed the temple quietly, then commanded the fig tree to wither. Let’s watch the unexpected, yet wonderful way Jesus cleanses His Father’s house and answers the chief priests as they attempt to usurp Him.
Because Jesus is God’s Son and our King, His authority doesn’t have to make us afraid. We can simply watch, astonished by the King of kings, who has all authority in heaven and on earth. We can praise Him, saying, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9).
‘Prayer is the mightiest of all weapons that created natures can wield’ Martin Luther
Two things stood out from today’s devotion for me. The first was Mark 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgives you your wrongdoing.” This verse reminds me of my sister because she doesn’t blame my niece’s boyfriend for the accident that killed my niece even though he was drunk. She says she can’t blame him because she used to drive drunk. The second thing that stood out to me is when Raechel says “Because Jesus is God’s Son and our King, His authority doesn’t have to make us afraid.” Those words just wowed me.
Have a great weekend sisters and be blessed.
I too wondered about this incident. Here are a couple of explanations I have found. Bottom line there is no definite answer. But these might help process your thoughts.
1. Jesus’s sovereignty. Present & active in creation, Christ was given the power to hold “All things together”, he has the right of a king to pass judgment on his creation (fig tree).
2. Jesus knew that this would become a future teachable moment needed for his disciples on the power of prayer.
3. A Professor (now deceased) named Kelso who taught on Palestine noted: “in that in that particular area there are many varieties of fig trees – but one variety was highly prized because it bore fruit “out of season“. A sure indication of fruit for this variety was that it would be fully leafed.”
Kelso hypothesis: If that was the case then this tree was guilty of a false & misleading display.
@churchmouse…..thank you for sharing your thoughts. I have been thinking along those same lines a lot lately. Never have I had to deal with anxiety but I can feel it creepy up often. We must trust in Jesus. I worry about my 4 grandsons and how this world will be when they become adults, even teenagers. It’s frightening to think about, but God has a plan for them and He loves them more than I ever could.
Katie, I’ll be praying for you this weekend, that you will have special bonding time with your sweet girl, and your time with God would be extra special.
Praying for you this weekend, Katie B.
@churchmouse I am so with you and how you feel. I feel so fortunate that I have a Pastor who preaches on current events and how it relates to biblical teaching such as the things you wrote. God always has the last say!
Joanna after reading your comment I looked up the shooting in Dunblane. Am I correct that you still can have a handgun? I feel that people in the US would be accepting of that law. I see no reason someone needs an assault rife, but to do significant harm. I’m fearful every time we have a shooting. I live in Colorado and the are happening more and more here. I’m always looking around me to see if someone looks suspicious. I know I need to pray and trust that God will keep me safe, but me fear overtakes me.