Dealing With Your Mountain: Leaves or Figs?
We Have Come This Far By Faith
Part Four - “Dealing With Your Mountains: Leaves or Figs?”
Mark 11:12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.
20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. [“Be faithful to God and fruitful. Don’t be like this tree, putting out leaves, but showing no fruit.” 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Faith in God is not all about getting stuff, it is about doing God’s will. Don’t forget this statement: Faith begins where the will of God is known. Jesus' teaching in Mark 11 is dealing with personal character and doing the will of God.
Important question: Why did Jesus curse the fig tree, if it was not the season for figs?
It appears shocking that Jesus cursed the tree and made it wither from the roots, never to yield fruit again. This seems stunningly out of character for Jesus. What should we learn from this story?
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