14. So Jesus said to the tree, “People will never eat fruit from you again.” His followers heard him say this.
15. When Jesus and his followers came to Jerusalem, they entered the Temple area. Jesus began driving out the people who were buying and selling things there. He turned over the tables that belonged to those who were exchanging different kinds of money. And he turned over the benches of those who were selling doves.
16. He refused to allow anyone to carry things through the Temple area.
17. Then Jesus began teaching the people and said, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.’ But you have changed it into a ‘hiding place for thieves.’”
18. When the leading priests and the teachers of the law heard what Jesus said, they began trying to find a way to kill him. They were afraid of him because all the people were amazed at his teaching.
19. That night Jesus and his followers left the city.
20. The next morning Jesus was walking with his followers. They saw the fig tree that he spoke to the day before. The tree was dry and dead, even the roots.
21. Peter remembered the tree and said to Jesus, “Teacher, look! Yesterday, you told that fig tree to die. Now it is dry and dead!”
22. Jesus answered, “Have faith in God.
23. The truth is, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen, then God will do it for you.
24. So I tell you to ask for what you want in prayer. And if you believe that you have received those things, then they will be yours.
25. When you are praying and you remember that you are angry with another person about something, forgive that person. Forgive them so that your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins.”
27. Jesus and his followers went again to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking in the Temple area. The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the older Jewish leaders came to him.
28. They said, “Tell us! What authority do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
29. Jesus answered, “I will ask you a question. You answer my question. Then I will tell you whose authority I use to do these things.
30. Tell me: When John baptized people, did his authority come from God or was it only from other people? Answer me.”
31. These Jewish leaders talked about Jesus’ question. They said to each other, “If we answer, ‘John’s baptism was from God,’ then he will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe John?’
32. But we can’t say that John’s baptism was from someone else.” (These leaders were afraid of the people, because the people believed that John was a prophet.)
33. So the leaders answered Jesus, “We don’t know the answer.” Jesus said, “Then I will not tell you who gave me the authority to do these things.”