In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” ”Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “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. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:20-25)
There are some passages of Scripture which are hard to understand. This is one of them. The first difficulty is trying to understand why Jesus cursed the fig tree. The second is trying to reconcile Jesus’ promise that whatever you ask in faithful prayer will be answered with the reality that some of our prayers, seemingly offered in faith, go answered. I can’t say that I fully understand either difficulty but as I reflected on this passage this morning, here are the two thoughts that came to me.
1. The fruitless fig tree represents the fruitless nation of Israel during Jesus’ day. The context of the cursing of the fig tree makes this clear. One day Jesus approaches a fig tree that is full of leaves but has no fruit. He curses it and it withers. Sandwiched in between this event is the story of Jesus cleansing the temple area and shouting, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations and you have make it a den of robbers!” Mark ties the two events together for a reason. Israel is the fig tree. They have lots of leaves but no fruit. They look good but are far from God. The Jewish temple was the center of activity but none of the activity was truly centered on God. It had become an empty routine for the people and a source of pride and money for the religious leaders. Because of their fruitlessness, God’s judgment would fall on them and they would wither. This happened in AD 70 when the temple and the religious system was completely destroyed by the Romans.
It is a good reminder to us that in the midst of all our good activities it is possible to totally lose sight of God. We become so engrossed in the routine that we forget the Savior. How do we know we’ve lost sight of God? Jesus gives us a clue when He says that His house is to be “a house of prayer for all nations.” When our prayer life is non-existent or self-centered it is an indication that our lives are all leaves with no fruit. Prayer demonstrates our dependence on God. And prayer “for all nations” indicates that our heart is in tune with the heart of God who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2. True God-centered prayer will be answered. Jesus begins His instruction on prayer with four words: Have faith in God. Put your trust in Him. Have your focus on Him. Believe on Him. When our faith is directed toward God, then nothing can stand in our way. In the Jewish culture, moving mountains was a symbolic way of saying removing difficulties and obstacles. However, I do not believe Jesus is speaking primarily of our personal problems and difficulties. In light of the context of Mark 11:12-19, I think Jesus is emphasizing the fact that “the prayer for all nations” will be answered. Christ will build His church and the gates of Hell will not stand against it. In other words, I do not think Christ is saying that whatever problem you have in your personal life will be removed when you pray. Certainly God promises strength and peace in the midst of trials but He never promises a problem-free life. In fact, Jesus promised the opposite: “In this world you will have tribulation…but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The prayer life entirely focused on self indicates a life that is all leaves and no fruit. True prayer must move beyond our personal comfort and desires and connect with God’s purpose for the nations. This kind of prayer will not be hindered.
I needed this reminder on prayer today. With the anniversary of 9/11 it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the events that are happening in our world. Things seem out of control and a nagging sense of insecurity still hangs in the air. In the midst of all this, my tendency is to focus on my own comfort, security, and wants. But God wants me to move beyond that and to see this time as an opportunity for His gospel to go forth. In a world of uncertainty, people need to understand that there is only one Rock, only one Refuge, only one Redeemer. And I must faithfully pray to the God of all nations and ask Him to work in powerful ways around the world, through my brothers and sisters in Christ, and through me right here in the U.S.
Lord, give me a heart for the nations. May my prayers fall in line with Your desire for all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.