Palm Sunday, the withering of the fruitless fig tree

Holy Sunday is devoted to the creation of  the world – the Heaven and the Earth. The gospel readings of the day are: the proverb of the withered barren fig tree (Mat. 21.18-22, Mar. 11.12-14, 20-25) and the purification of the Temple of Jerusalem (Mat. 21.12-17, Mar. 11.15-19, Luke. 19.45-48, Jn. 2.13-22).

Returning to Jerusalem from Bethany Jesus was hungry. Seeing a fig tree along the way, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves and said: “Let no fruit grow on you forever”. And immediately the fig tree withered away. By cursing the fig tree which had leaves but no fruit, Jesus was referring to the Pharisees who had outer devoutness but didn’t have its spiritual fruit – good deeds and mercy.

The fruit symbolizes human good deeds and virtues and those who are devoid of these features will be punished like the fig tree because as Apostle James says: “that faith apart from works is barren.” (James 2:20).

In the next reading it should be noticed that the purification of the Temple of Jerusalem was done for the purification of faith. Jesus entered the temple and overthrew the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves, He cast out all those who sold and bought in the temple. And He said to them, It is written, “My house shall be called the house of prayer”; but you have made it a den of thieves” (Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11, Matthew 21:12-13). God’s Temple is a place for prayer and worship and it shouldn’t be turned into a place for buying and selling. Through such behaviour our Lord teaches us to develop proper attitude towards the sacredness of the Church.

Date/Time
Date(s) - 20th March 2016
11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Location
St. Yeghiche Armenian Church

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