Mark 11:20-24, CEB - Early in the morning, as
Jesus and his disciples were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered from
the root up. Peter remembered and said
to Jesus, “Rabbi, look how the fig tree you cursed has dried up.”
Jesus responded to them, “Have faith in God! I assure you that whoever says to this
mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea’—and doesn’t waver but believes
that what is said will really happen—it will happen. Therefore I say to you, whatever you pray and
ask for, believe that you will receive it, and it will be so for you.
As we
noted in our last reflection, Mark uses the story about the fig tree as
metaphor for the fruitlessness of the Temple and its leaders. In today’s reflection, it serves another
purpose. The day after Jesus condemns
the confronts the money-changers and Temple leaders, Jesus and His disciples
are walking by the tree Jesus had cursed the day before. Peter notices aloud that the tree has
withered and dried up. Jesus uses the
observation as an object lesson on prayer.
His words bear repeating:
“Jesus responded to them, “Have
faith in God! I assure you that whoever
says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea’—and doesn’t waver
but believes that what is said will really happen—it will happen. Therefore I say to you, whatever you pray and
ask for, believe that you will receive it, and it will be so for you.”
These words from Jesus have been woefully misused over the
years. Jesus is not saying that we can ask
for literally anything and it will be done.
As we have discussed, hyperbole (purposeful exaggeration) was a common
oral and literary device used by Rabbis in Jesus’s day. No one since these words were uttered have
cast a mountain into the sea (and you know there have been people to attempt
it). Jesus’s point here is that the combination
of faith and prayer is very powerful. This
combination accomplishes miraculous things that would otherwise be
impossible.
When we
pray with faith in Jesus, we bring the power and authority of Jesus into the
equation. Prayer is not a way to control
this power and authority, but rather it creates a partnership. We invite Jesus to be involved in the issues
we are facing. This is important because
way too often, we don’t invite God into our affairs. Many people tend toward two approaches in
which neither is healthy or effective. Either
we actively work to accomplish things on our own and exclude God or we just let
things happen as they will, not really believing that we can have any effect on
the outcome. The first is a lack of
prayer and the latter is a lack of faith.
Jesus invitation is to engage both.
Prayer invites Jesus to be involved and faith trusts that doing so
changes what is possible. The miraculous
becomes more commonplace for people who live engaging this powerful combination.
Question: When have
you witnessed the miraculous as result of faith-filled prayer?
Prayer: Lord, You
know the challenges I face right now. I invite
you into a partnership in facing them. I
believe that You getting involved will make all the difference! Amen.
Prayer Focus: Invite
God into “the impossible” in your prayers today.
Song: All Things are
Possible – Hillsong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GQwqnwVeSk
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