Pure Monday

As Jesus journeyed back toward Jerusalem Monday morning He became hungry. In the distance His eye caught a full-looking fig tree, but as He approached He found no fruit. 'May you never bear fruit again,' Jesus cursed. He and the disciples then proceeded toward the temple. The temple was, no doubt, impressive to the eye as well. The disciples would later say of it, 'What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!' Jesus, however, was as unimpressed with the temple as He had been with the fruitless tree and answered their praise with a description of its coming destruction. 'Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.'

But before the prophecy of its external destruction was fulfilled in A.D. 70, Jesus exposed its ghastly contents. What was designed to be the capital building of the 'city on a hill' had turned into a glorified back alley. Jesus would have none of that. Throughout His ministry, nothing seemed to upset Him more than hypocrisy. The grandeur of the temple screamed of sacredness, but its guts screamed of secularity.

God...keep me from being that fig tree. Don't let me become a deceptive temple. "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."