And you thought you were all put-together.

It is really amazing what having children does to you. Most of these things are wonderful, like when feeding your baby and she reaches out and grabs your hand while she’s sucking on the bottle. Or when your little boy begins to walk wobbily all over the house, a look of sheer delight on his face. Or when your son gives you a hug and kiss every time you leave the house. These are the thing for which people become parents.
But, at least with me, being a parent also opens up vaults in your soul you thought were closed for good. Places where dark emotions pour out into your veins and you feel like exploding. You feel impatience and irritation and anger at such deep levels, it frightens you. You haven’t felt so enslaved by your emotions since adolescence.

Mark 11:12-11:33
“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. 15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"  18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. 19 When evening came, they went out of the city. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" 22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." 

Fig trees are supposed to bear fruit at the same time as their leaves. So when Jesus saw the fig tree in leaf, He assumed there would be figs as well. It had the appearance of production, but nothing to show for it. The cleansing of the Temple was really the same issue – the appearance of religious life, but without real substance. People had set up shop in the Court of the Gentiles, the only place non-Jews could worship in the Temple, preventing people from coming to God. God does not like it when people get in the way of those who seek Him. As people mature, they learn through experience that their emotions can be controlled. But when they become parents, they are forced to deal with a whole range of emotions that come flooding in. Caring for children requires you to put aside your own climate-controlled environment and take on the emotional chaos of childhood. You realize you are not as put-together as you thought. Think of it as an opportunity to really get a handle on your emotions, to mature and grow in a way you would never do if you didn’t have kids. Instead of putting on a display of maturity, now you can truly produce the fruit of maturity as well, tested and approved.