[stephenkhoo]

LEAVING BEHIND A LASTING LEGACY
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [SIRACH 44:1.9-13; PS 149:1-6,9; Mk 11:11-26]

After praising the marvelous work of God’s creation, the author gave praise to the “illustrious men, our ancestors in their successive generations.” But he noted that “others have left no memory, and disappeared as though they had not existed, they are now as though they had never been, and so too, their children after them.” Not all of us leave a legacy behind when we leave this world. Indeed, this is tragic because it means that we have not lived a fruitful life. We have not made this world a better place when we leave. More tragic still if we have caused the world to be in a worse shape than before we were born. Truly we are all called to be fruitful.

This is the theme of today’s gospel story on the fruitless fig tree as well. Jesus “went out to Bethany with the Twelve. Next day as they were leaving Bethany, he felt hungry. Seeing a fig tree in leaf some distance away, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it, but when he came up to it he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season for figs. And he addresses the fig tree. ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again’ he said.” Leaving aside the historicity of this event as it does not agree with the picture presented by the gospels of Jesus, we must look for the meaning behind this incident. It seems totally unreasonable for Jesus to condemn the tree to wither simply because it did not bear fruits as it was still not yet time. It was in spring and the plants just came back to life after a long winter period of hibernation.

To understand the story of the Fig Tree we must look for the meaning in the Cleansing of the Temple, since Mark sandwiched it between the story of the Fig Tree. When they reached Jerusalem, Jesus “went into the Temple and began driving out those who were selling and buying there; he upset the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who were selling pigeons. Nor would he allow anyone to carry anything through the Temple. And he taught them and said, ‘Does not scriptures say: My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples? But you have turned it into a robber’s den.'”

Indeed, the reality was that Israel was that fruitless tree. Like the fig tree, it seemed to be growing and prospering, full of green leaves but it bore no fruit. This was because Israel was hiding behind the Temple “worship.” Instead of truly a place for genuine prayer and worship, Jesus, quoting from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah (Jer 7:11), condemned the leaders and people of Israel for making it into a den of robbers. The priests were more interested in power and wealth, making use of the worshippers to enrich themselves by forcing the people to buy the animals for worship from the licensed Temple merchants and to use the Temple money for that purpose, where they charged high exchange rates. The sacrifices they offered on behalf of the people were simply external rituals performed without sincerity and truth.

As for the rich who were able to afford the sacrifices, it was all for show. Their hearts were not with God because the sacrifices were just nice rituals performed to impress others how faithful they were to the covenant. But in their life, they cheat and oppressed the poor. They had no love of God in their hearts. This was the common lamentation of the prophets because their hearts were far from loving God and their neighbours. So much so, God said to them, “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?… I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more; bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me.” (Isa 1:11-13) The Lord said, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hos 6:6)

As a consequence, the Temple worship will eventually come to an end because Christ has come to purify the true meaning of worship. As the Lord told the Samaritan woman, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. (Jn 4:21-23) At the moment of His death on the cross, “the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” signifying that man in Christ and through Him now has access to the Father without the need for Temple sacrifices. (Mt 27:51) Eventually, of course, the Temple was reduced to ruins when the Roman army besieged Jerusalem in AD 70 and overran the capital.

Today, we are given the same warning as to how we conduct our lives. We will have to face the reality of judgment at the end of our life. Not only will history judge us but more importantly, we will have to face the judgment of God. We can seek false hope, thinking that just because we are baptized, we are guaranteed of salvation when we continue to live our lives in contradiction to the gospel teaching of Christ. The temple incident is a reminder that we do not allow our worship of God and our faith to degenerate into a safe hiding place, regardless how we live our life. All the worship and sacrifices we do will do us no good if we continue to life a life of corruption, dishonesty, greed and violence.

This is what the Lord taught us when He said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.” (Mt 7:15-19) At the same, He warns us of self-deception. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'” (Mt 7:21-23)

So, what kind of life will ensure that our legacy will last through history? Sirach says they are those who have been generous “whose good works have not been forgotten. In their descendants there remains a rich inheritance born of them. Their descendants stand by the covenants and thanks to them, so do their children’s children. Their offspring will last for ever, their glory will not fade.” Truly, the widow was remembered for the mite she gave to the Temple but none of the rich people who gave were known at all. (Lk 21:1-3) People will not remember us for our achievements and our successes. But they will remember how we have touched them, helped them when they were down and out, when we were there for them when they needed help most, when we have made a difference in their lives and they are what they are today because we have been there for them.

So to ensure that we are living a life of wisdom, truth and charity, we must pray with faith and total receptivity to His will. He said, “Have faith in God. I tell you solemnly, if anyone says to this mountain, “Get up and throw yourself into the sea,” with no hesitation in his heart but believing that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. I tell you therefore: everything you ask and pray for, believe that you have it already, and it will be yours. And when you stand in prayer, forgive whatever you have against anybody, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your failings too. But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your failings either.” It is not enough to pray, but pray with faith for the good of our brothers and sisters, including our enemies. Such a heart of charity will win God’s ears and heart to answer our petitions. This is what it means to build our house on rock. (cf Mt 7:24-27)