Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple and looked round on all that was going on. And then, since it was already late in the day, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. On the following day, when they had left Bethany, Jesus felt hungry. He noticed a fig tree in the distance covered with leaves, and He walked up to it to see if He could find any fruit on it. But when He got to it, He could find nothing but leaves, for it was not yet the season for figs. Then Jesus spoke to the tree, "May nobody ever eat fruit from you!" And the disciples heard Him say it.
   Then they came into Jerusalem and Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of the dove-sellers, and He would not allow anyone to make a short cut through the temple when carrying such things as water pots. And He began to teach them and said, "Doesn't the scripture say, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? But you have turned it into a thieves' kitchen!"
   The chief priests and scribes heard Him say this and tried to find a way of getting rid of Him. But they were in fact afraid of Him, for His teaching had captured the imagination of the people. And every evening they left the city. One morning as they were walking along, they noticed that the fig tree had withered away from the roots. Peter remembered it, and said, "Master, look, the fig tree that You cursed is all shriveled up!"
   "Have faith in God," replied Jesus to them. "I tell You that if anyone should say to this hill, 'Get up and throw yourself into the sea,' and without any doubt in his heart believe that what he says will happen, then it will happen!
   "That is why I tell you, whatever you pray about and ask for, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, you must forgive any grudge that you are holding against anyone else, and your Heavenly Father will forgive you your sins."
   So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth.

Taken from Mark 11, Hosea 6, The Phillips Translation and The New American Standard.
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