AT 141 - 16th August [277.1]

 

Full Goose Shelter

Shortish hike today but it was really tough. We moved from New Hampshire to Maine and it certainly gave us a good welcome!!! Really steep and large boulders to climb down. Also steel steps/ladder for the first time. Really boggy sections with old broken board walks. I’m glad we only planned a short day. We got to shelter early and setup tent on wooden tent pads. The trick is to bring screw eyes to attack tent cords. 

Thought for the day. 

Mark 11:12-14

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

I think the fig tree defo has a bad day. It isn’t the fruiting season but Jesus still looks for fruit. Maybe there could have been last years fruit still hanging on the branches or maybe Jesus is using this as a teaching aid for his disciples. In the middle passage Jesus clears the temple of money changers. The area they were using was reserved for the gentiles and they were being squeezed out. Also the leaders of the temple were not leading people to God but were self-centred. I think the judgement of the fig tree is also the judgement of the temple leaders. Their services would no longer be needed once Jesus died and rose again. 

Mark 11:20-25

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Also Jesus uses the fig tree to teach the disciples about faith. I know my faith is like the father of the child who came to Jesus for healing. I believe, help my unbelief.