Daily Gospel Reflection for May 28, 2021

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Mark 11:11-26

In today’s Gospel, the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple is sandwiched in between the parable of the fig tree. They are both prophetic and symbolic actions of Jesus that Mark presents here, after Jesus, the expected Messiah, triumphantly enters Jerusalem on a donkey - another prophetic, symbolic act. In the Old Testament, the fig tree represents Israel (Jer 8:13) who fails to produce good fruit in living according to the commandments of God. The Temple is cleansed of the “bad fruit” and a curse is put on those who choose to close their hearts to God’s prophesies come true—Jesus, the Messiah and Savior of the world! In one way, this whole passage is about the persistence in sin through human stubbornness to believe not in God’s superabundant love, but in our own insignificant self-preservation of the status quo.

God likes to shuffle things up in our lives. The more we try to hold onto things as they are, the less likely they are to remain that way. The Israelites at the time of Jesus did not want to change. They could not see how a poor man from Nazareth can affect their lives for the good. Sometimes we say we want to follow Jesus, but we don’t want to give up our stubbornness to always be right, our frustration with those who are significantly less intelligent or cultured than we are, or our anger with those who think differently than us. We are called to constantly change and surrender to God’s design for our lives. That takes faith that moves mountains. When we do, our lives bear fruit in joy, serenity and hope. We do not want to be the cursed fig tree that does not bear fruit, but instead the follower of Jesus who accepts him as Messiah and King.

Ponder:

In what area of my life do I need to change and let go of right now, in order for God to act in and through me?

Pray:

Master of my heart, I ask you now for an increase of faith so that I will not prevent You from working in my life, but always open myself to change so as to bear good fruit. Give me the grace of a humble, trusting heart.

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God likes to shuffle things up in our lives. The more we try to hold onto things as they are, the less likely they are to remain that way. #dailygospel

Copyright 2021 Sr. Nancy Usselmann, fsp