Gospel

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Now the next day,
when they had
come out from Bethany,
He was hungry.
And seeing from afar
a fig tree having leaves,
He went to see
if perhaps
He would find something
on it.
[Mark 11:12-13]
************************
"WHY didn't those ladies
give Him somethin' to
EAT,
LORD?"

[SMILE!]
"Who,
child?"

"Ya know:
those sisters,
and the BROTHER......
He was staying
with, in BETHANY?"

[SMILE!]
"Who."

"Ya KNOW:
Lazarus,
and
MARTHA...
and..
Mary!"
(Irritated squint.)
"WHY didn't they
give Him some
BREAKFAST?"

[SMILE.]
"Who,
child?"

(Squirm.)
"They didn't
have a refrigerator,
in those days
but....
couldn't they have
left a BAG out -
a cloth BAG:
with some BREAD
in it,
and a jug a' WATER,
and some FRUIT?"

[PATIENT, LOVING GAZE.]

"You think,
they could'a
at least put some
FRUIT, out."
(Mumble.)
"Didn't they eat
any BREAKFAST,
in those DAYS?"

"Who,
child?"

(Munch on a mini-bagel*.)
"Is that why He was in
a bad MOOD?"

[CHUCKLE!]
"Read It
to Me,
precious."

(Squint.)
(Put on reading glasses.)
"Yeah; SURE!
It's right HERE:

When He came to it,
He found nothing
but leaves,
for it was not
the season for figs.
In response
Jesus said to it,
Let no one eat fruit
from you
ever again.
And His disciples
heard it.
[Mark 11:13-14]

SEE?"

[SMILE.]
[GENTLE NOD.]

(Munch.)
(Squint.)
(Shake scruffy head.)
"I get like that,
in the morning too,
Lord.
How did the
world EXIST,
in those days....
before COFFEE?"
(Sip some root beer.)
"Maybe, the world
would'a turned out,
a whole lot more
DIFFERENT....
if COFFEE had
been INVENTED,
a whole lot EARLIER!"

[CHUCKLE.]

(Thoughtful squint.)
(Wipe mouth.)
"But....I don't think
coffee was INVENTED,
until the AMERICANS."

[PATIENT SIGH.]

"The AMERICANS
invented the CHERIO,
too,
DIDN'T THEY?
And.....
the frosted WHEAT CHEX!"

[PATIENT GAZE.]
[WATCH SOME
FOLKS CHATTING
ABOUT BREAKFAST,
ON THE SPACE STATION.]

"So, WHAT'S
the MORAL
of this STORY?
That NOBODY
ever ate BREAKFAST,
till the AMERICANS
came ALONG?"

[PATIENT PAUSE.]
"Of which story,
My beloved?"

"Ya KNOW!
This STORY about
the FIG TREE!
WHY didn't those
people,
He was staying with...
give Him some BREAKFAST?"

[PATIENT NOD.]
"Who,
child?"

(Look away.)
"Ya know:
JESUS."

[SMILE.]
[NOD.]
*********************
Now in the morning,
as they passed by,
they saw the fig tree
dried up
from the roots.
And Peter remembering,
said to Him,
Rabbi, Look!
The fig tree
which You cursed
has withered away!
(Mark 11:20-21)

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*The plain kind;
they also have the
ones with cinnamon
and raisins,
but, I was raised
on the plain kind.

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