Mark 11:12-24

Amplified Bible

¹²On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He was hungry.^(A) ¹³Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if He would find anything on it. But He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴He said to it, “No one will ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening [to what He said].

Jesus Drives Moneychangers from the Temple

¹⁵Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple [grounds] and began driving out [with force] the people who were ^[a]selling and buying [animals for sacrifice] in the temple area, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers [who made a profit exchanging foreign money for temple coinage] and the seats of those who were selling doves;^(B) ¹⁶and He would not permit anyone to carry ^[b]merchandise or household wares through the temple [grounds, using the temple area irreverently as a shortcut]. ¹⁷He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.”^(C) ¹⁸The chief priests and the scribes heard this and began searching for a way to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, since the entire crowd was struck with astonishment at His teaching.

¹⁹When evening came, Jesus and His disciples would leave the city.

²⁰In the morning, as they were passing by, the disciples saw that the fig tree had withered away from the roots up. ²¹And remembering, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi (Master), look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered!” ²²Jesus replied, “Have faith in God [constantly]. ²³I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and ^[c]does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will].^(D) ²⁴For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.

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Footnotes

Mark 11:15 These vendors could charge pilgrims inflated prices for animals designated for sacrifice because OT law forbade the use of animals with blemishes or defects (Deut 17:1 etc.), and the religious leaders had dictated even more stringent requirements. For example, they ruled that a blemish on an eyelid disqualified an animal for sacrifice (according to the Talmud).
Mark 11:16 Lit a vessel. The Mishnah declared that one should not enter the temple mount with his staff (walking stick) or wallet, or with his shoes on, or with dust on his feet (according to the Talmud). Carrying merchandise through the temple showed even greater disrespect.
Mark 11:23 Jesus used this moment to emphasize to the disciples that a person’s confident, abiding faith combined with God’s power can produce absolutely amazing results, if the request is in harmony with God’s will. God is fully capable of doing that which man regards as impossible (cf 14:36; James 4:3).