What do we do with weird stories in the Bible? Do we breeze right on past them, or pretend they don’t exist? Or are we willing to dive a little deeper, learn what exactly is going on, and be challenged? In this week’s text, we read an odd story, one which involves Jesus cursing a fig tree and overturning tables in the temple courts. This might not seem like typical Jesus behavior! It might cause us a little confusion or concern when reading! However, like most passages in the Bible, there is a lesson to be learned. When we look beyond the appearance of the text, and do the same reflective work in our lives – we may begin to see clearer what Mark’s words mean for us today.