Mark 11:1-19

Christ's Royalty

[An Analysis]

Mar 11:1-19

For homiletic purposes the narrative may be used to show the features which will characterise the day of Christ's recognised royalty. When Christ's royalty is fully recognised

(1) All possessions will be consecrated to his service. Jesus Christ gave his disciples a word whose power was to overcome all hesitation on the part of the owners of the colt; that word was "The Lord hath need of them." The expression itself is peculiar. Why should the Lord have need? Strange combination of ideas lordship and necessity! Yet, on the other hand, what necessity can he have who has but to express it in order to have it satisfied? By a legitimate exercise of fancy, we may amplify the idea and include all orders of men, all degrees of talent, all capacities of endurance and activity. Say to the poet, the painter, the musician, the orator, the rich man, the man of influence, "the Lord hath need of thee," and there will be instantaneous and grateful response!

When Christ's royalty is fully recognised

(2) All the services of Christ will become the subjects of ardent and universal praise. According to Luke, "the whole multitude began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen." (1) The true worker will eventually be recognised; (2) works will be the basis of just and permanent elevation; (3) God will be praised as the fontal source of all true benefaction, the multitude praised God.

When Christ's royalty is fully recognised

(3) His essential greatness will overcome his momentary humiliation. "Blessed be the King that cometh." (Trace Jesus Christ's life, and show how much there was in it to depress and crush; yet, through all, there is a shining of his divine lustre.) In addition to doing this a contrast may be drawn between what is transient and what is permanent in the Messianic life: poverty, sorrow, humiliation, all kinds of social and temporal disadvantage, on the one hand; on the other, riches, rapture, exaltation above every created height, and all the honour and homage of the universe.

When Christ's royalty is fully recognised

(4) Religious enthusiasm will overwhelm or absorb all Pharisaic formality. According to Luke, "Some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples; and he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." Enthusiasm is natural; stoicism is unnatural. When the soul is inspired, the lips must speak. About enthusiasm three things should be remarked: (1) That it is essential to success in all pursuits; (2) that it reaches its highest intensity in the development of the religious life; (3) that its suppression would excite the reproaches of nature.

The whole scene shows the effect of a true view of Jesus Christ upon the heart of man. Such a view transports the soul with the holiest delight, and draws the worshipper, even while in the poverty and feebleness of the body, nearly into the ecstasy of the heavenly worshippers. The scene gives a hint of the joy which shall one day fill the hearts of all men.

12. And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13. And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

14. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

This incident may be homiletically used to show: (1) The doom of those things which do not meet the wants of the time; (2) the terrific prospect of meeting a disappointed Christ; (3) the perfect dominion of the spiritual over the material; (4) the vast possibilities of undoubting prayer.

Olshausen has some striking observations as to the cursing of the fig-tree: "The difficulty is diminished here, if we understand by it that kind of figs which remain hanging on the branches all winter, and are gathered in early spring. In that case, the sense of the words would be this while the common kind of figs were not yet ripe, and the time for gathering them in had not come, Jesus yet perceived that this tree on which he sought for figs belonged to that other kind, which bore at that time ripe and refreshing fruit, and thus he could rightly expect figs on the tree."

15. And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16. And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17. And he taught, saying unto them. Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

18. And the scribes and chief priests heard it. and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

19. And when even was come, he went out of the city.

These verses, taken in combination, present a vivid view of Christ's twofold method of conducting his ministry: that method was first destructive, then constructive. About the cleansing of the temple four things are noticeable: (1) Jesus Christ did not connive at abuses for the sake of securing popular favour; (2) Jesus Christ did not allow abuses to be continued on the ground that the circumstances were temporary, he knew that the temple was soon to be destroyed; (3) Jesus Christ showed that man's convenience was to be subordinated to God's right, "my house is the house of prayer" ( Luk 19:46 ); (4) Jesus Christ showed in this, as in all other cases, that the right one is morally stronger than the wicked many. The healing "the blind and the lame" ( Mat 21:14 ) occurs most impressively in this connection; after anger came peace; after an assault upon strength came a gentle ministry upon weakness. The incident may be separately treated, as showing: (1) That the temple is spiritual not in an exclusive but in an inclusive sense, the wants of the spirit include the necessities of the body; praying included healing, but money-changing did not include praying; and (2) that society should be taught to connect the temple with the most benevolent, practical, and spiritual ideas. It is a great error in any community to shut up the house of God six days out of seven. When society is penetrated with true Christianity, the house of God will be a library, a hospital, a school, and a prayer-house, all in one.