A sandwich is usually made up of two slices of bread (or at least two halves of bread in the case of rolls) with a filling inside.
Jesus often taught people using stories or parables, which can seem a little like a sandwich in the sense that the ‘filling’ or ‘substance’ of His teaching can be wrapped in other things which mean we have to delve deep to understand. In Mark 11:12-25, we see how the story of a fig tree forms the ‘bread’ of this narrative, with an incident at the temple the ‘filling’. At first, it’s not easy to see how these things connect together, but at the end of this passage, Jesus shows us how these incidents combine to give us a hearty prayer snack!
Jesus, travelling towards Jerusalem, sees a fig tree in the distance and is hungry. The fig tree looked ripe and ready for eating, but on closer inspection, despite having foliage, there was no fruit to be seen and Jesus cursed the tree. The journey continues, and Jesus finds that the temple – that place where people were encouraged to meet with God, which should have been a ‘house of prayer’ – is being used as a common marketplace (‘a den of robbers’). Angry at this outrage, He causes turmoil, overturning the tables of the money changers and driving out the traders.
On leaving Jerusalem, his disciples see the withered fig tree and are surprised that this has happened so quickly; it’s as if the tree has withered from the roots up. Jesus teaches them that it’s important to have that right ‘filling’ in life, having faith in God, and then the impossible can happen. The temple should have been the place where prayer and communion with God were encouraged, but people were distracted from God. If we have faith, however, then mountains can be moved and the impossible can become possible: bad things can be removed from our lives, good things can be restored and we can know the satisfaction that only God brings.
We need to understand that faith in God is the only truly substantial filling we need in life. We need to talk to God, to be cleansed from all distractions and to seek the true purpose of life, which is only found through knowing Him.