1Keď sa priblížili k Jeruzalemu a stúpali na Olivový vrch, zbadali pred sebou dedinky Betfage a Betániu.2Ježiš poslal dvoch zo svojich učeníkov dopredu a povedal im: „Choďte do tamtej dediny pred nami. Hneď na kraji uvidíte pri plote oslíka, na ktorom ešte nikto nejazdil. Odviažte ho a priveďte ku mne.3A keby sa vás niekto spýtal, čo to robíte, odpovedzte mu: Pán ho potrebuje, no čoskoro ho vráti.“4Učeníci odišli a naozaj našli pred jedným domom priviazaného oslíka.5Odviazali ho, ale niektorí ľudia, čo tam stáli, sa ich spýtali: „Čo to robíte? Prečo odväzujete osla?“6Odpovedali tak, ako im poradil Ježiš, a ľudia im dovolili zviera odviesť.7Priviedli ho k Ježišovi, prehodili mu cez chrbát plášte a Ježiš naň vysadol.8Mnohí ľudia zo zástupu, čo ich sprevádzal, prestierali pred neho svoje plášte, lámali zelené konáre zo stromov a vystielali mu nimi cestu.9Pred ním i za ním sa utvoril veľký sprievod a všetci volali:10„Nech žije kráľ! Sláva tomu, kto prichádza v Božom mene! Nech žije Dávidovo kráľovstvo! Sláva Bohu na výsostiach!“11Tak vstúpil Ježiš do Jeruzalema a pobral sa do chrámu. Všetko si tam pozorne prezrel. Keďže bol už večer, odišiel so svojimi dvanástimi učeníkmi na noc do Betánie.
Uschnutý figovník
12Na druhé ráno, keď vyšli z Betánie, Ježiš bol už veľmi hladný. Z diaľky zazrel figovník bohato obsypaný lístím.13Pristúpil bližšie, či by na ňom nenašiel nejaké figy. Ale zistil, že má iba lístie, lebo v tomto ročnom období na ňom figy ešte nerástli.14Tu počuli učeníci, ako hovorí stromu: „Nech nikto už z teba neje ovocie!“
Ježiš vyháňa kupcov z chrámu
15Vrátili sa do Jeruzalema a Ježiš vošiel do chrámu. Keď na jeho nádvorí videl stánky s obetnými zvieratami a stoly zmenárnikov, poprevrhoval stánky predavačov i stoly zmenárnikov a kupcov a povyháňal aj kupujúcich.16A nedovolil ani, aby niekto prechádzal nádvorím s nádobou.17Rozhorčoval sa: „Neviete, že je napísané: ‚Môj chrám bude pre všetkých domom modlitby‘? Ale vy ste ho premenili na brloh lupičov.“18Počuli to aj veľkňazi a učitelia Zákona a začali kuť plány, ako by sa ho zbavili. Naháňal im strach, lebo ľud bol nadšený jeho učením.19A keď nastal večer, opustil Ježiš s učeníkmi mesto.
O sile viery
20Na druhé ráno, keď šli zasa popri tom figovníku, videli, že je úplne vyschnutý.21Peter si spomenul, čo včera povedal Ježiš, a zvolal: „Majstre, strom, ktorému si včera zlorečil, vyschol!“22Ježiš na to odpovedal: „To vás prekvapuje? Božia moc je omnoho väčšia.23Keby niekto napríklad povedal tomuto vrchu: Zdvihni sa a hoď sa do mora, stane sa tak. Ale podmienkou je, aby nemal nijaké pochybnosti a bezvýhradne veril, že Boh jeho prosbu splní.24Pamätajte si: všetko, o čo s pevnou vierou prosíte, Boh vám naozaj dá.25Ale keď sa za niečo modlíte, najprv musíte odpustiť ľuďom to, čo proti nim máte.26Lebo ak vy neodpustíte ľuďom, ani Boh neodpustí vám vaše previnenia.“
Odkiaľ má Ježiš moc?
27Ježiš a učeníci zasa prišli do Jeruzalema. Keď Ježiš prechádzal chrámom, zastavili ho veľkňazi, učitelia Zákona a židovskí vodcovia28a spýtali sa ho: „Kto ťa poveril takto si tu počínať? Kto ti dal takú moc?“29Ježiš im odpovedal: „Aj ja sa vás na niečo spýtam. Ak mi odpoviete, aj ja vám poviem, od koho mám tú moc.30Povedzte mi: Jána Krstiteľa poslal Boh alebo ľudia?“31Začali sa dohadovať medzi sebou: „Ak mu odpovieme, že ho poslal Boh, spýta sa nás, prečo sme mu teda neuverili?32Ale ak poprieme, že ho poslal Boh, pobúrime si proti sebe ľud, lebo všetci sú presvedčení, že to bol prorok.“33A tak napokon odpovedali Ježišovi: „Nevieme!“ Nato im Ježiš povedal: „Ani ja vám teda nepoviem, akou mocou všetko konám.“
1Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus[1] sent two of his disciples (Zach 9,9; Zach 14,4; Mt 21,1; Mt 21,17; Mt 24,3; Mt 26,30; Mk 14,13; Lk 19,29; Lk 24,50; Jn 8,1; Jn 11,18; Jn 12,12; Sk 1,12)2and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. (Lk 23,53)3If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’”4And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.5And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”6And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.7And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.8And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. (2 Kr 9,13)9And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! (Ž 118,25; Ž 118,26; Mt 23,39)10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Ž 148,1; Ez 37,24; Mk 11,9; Lk 1,32; Lk 2,14; Sk 2,29)11And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. (Mt 21,10; Mt 21,17; Mk 11,19)
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
12On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. (Mt 4,2; Mt 21,18)13And 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. (Mk 13,28; Lk 13,6)14And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
15And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. (Ex 30,13; Lv 1,14; Lv 5,7; Lv 12,8; Mt 21,12; Lk 2,24; Lk 19,45; Jn 2,14)16And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.17And he was teaching them and saying 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 den of robbers.” (Iz 56,7; Jer 7,11)18And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. (Mt 7,28; Mt 21,46)19And when evening came they[2] went out of the city. (Mk 11,11; Lk 21,37)
The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree
20As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. (Mt 21,19)21And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” (Jn 1,38)22And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. (Ef 3,12; Flp 3,9)23Truly, 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. (Ž 46,2; Mt 17,20; Mk 16,17; Jn 14,12; Rim 4,20; Rim 14,23; 1 Kor 13,2; Jak 1,6; Zjv 8,8)24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received[3] it, and it will be yours. (Iz 65,24; Mt 6,8; Mt 7,7; Mk 11,23)25And 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.”[4] (Mt 5,23; Mt 6,5; Mt 6,14; Mt 6,15; Mt 7,11; Lk 18,11; Kol 3,13)
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
27And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, (Mt 21,23; Lk 20,1)28and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” (Ex 2,14; Jn 1,25; Sk 4,7)29Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.30Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” (Lk 15,18; Lk 15,21; Jn 3,27)31And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ (Mt 21,32; Lk 7,30)32But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. (Mt 11,9; Mt 14,5; Mt 21,46; Jn 5,35)33So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”