17. Then Jesus taught the people. He said, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple will be a house where people from all nations will pray.’ But you are changing God’s house into a ‘hideout for robbers.’”
18. The leading priests and the teachers of the law heard all this. They began trying to find a way to kill Jesus. 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 passing by with his followers. They saw the fig tree, and it was dry and dead, even to the roots.
21. Peter remembered the tree and said to Jesus, “Teacher, look! Yesterday, you cursed the fig tree. Now it is dry and dead!”
22. Jesus answered, “Have faith in God.
23. I tell you the truth. You can say to this mountain, ‘Go, mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that the thing you say will happen, then God will do it for you.
24. So I tell you to ask for things 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, then forgive him. If you do this, then your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins.”
26. [But if you don’t forgive other people, then your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.]
27. Jesus and his followers went again to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking in the Temple. The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders came to him.
28. They said to him, “Tell us! What authority do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
29. Jesus answered, “I will ask you one question. You answer it. Then I will tell you whose authority I use to do these things.
30. Tell me: When John baptized people, was that from God or from man? Answer me!”
31. They argued about Jesus’ question. They said to each other, “If we answer, ‘John’s baptism was from God,’ then Jesus will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe John?’
32. But if we say, ‘From man,’ then the people will be against us.” (These leaders were afraid of the people. All the people believed that John was a prophet.)
33. So the leaders answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”Jesus said, “Then I will not tell you what authority I use to do these things.”