Matthew 21:18-22 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
In talking about God and his goodness with a little girl that we were babysitting, the question of God and his answering of our prayers came up. This little girl of strong belief in God, innocently and openly said, if God does not answer my prayers, “I would not believe in him.” She was very young, but she had a firm belief in God. She knew her God would answer prayers. Her simple faith that God would always be there to answer her wishes revealed a strong faith. Sometimes adults view God and prayer in the same way. If God is real, he has to answer our prayers, meet our concerns. Does not Jesus say explicitly, If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. No ambiguity in that statement for sure. Consequently, people possessing this understanding of God and his will for us often struggle when disaster hits their lives. They become confused because should not a good God keep them from life’s struggles. A good God would not allow wars, tornados, hurricanes, devastating fires, abuse, accidents, and the like to happen to good people. A loving God would protect people of faith from calamities, especially if the people of faith prayed earnestly to escape the natural vicissitudes of life. People who were raised with this attitude about God and his protection sometimes find it difficult to still believe in the existence of God when disasters hit their lives. How can one understand when a tornado swirls through a community, destroying some homes but leaving others unscathed. Some people are praising God for saving their homes from destruction, but others are mourning their loss of a home. One testifies of God answering prayer, while others reflect in tears the loss of their dwelling places, their prayers unanswered. Is God capricious, caring only for some and not others? Does God not care? Or do some have stronger prayers of faith than others, causing their houses to be saved? Does God only answer some little girls who believe in him, and leave other young children’s prayers unanswered? Where is God in the vicissitudes of life?
Jesus cursed a fig tree for not providing the fruit He desired. We do not know if this tree was a mature tree, capable of producing ripe figs or a young tree less than 3 years, unable to produce ripe fruit. That is not part of the story, but we do know that Jesus was not pleased with the tree. He causes it to wither from the roots. The fact that the tree dies so quickly startles the disciples. They had seen other miracles such as the calming of the wind and the waves, but to see this tree die so quickly impresses them. As Mark tells the story, 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. (Mark 11:20-22) This tree reacts to Jesus’ words immediately, revealing that life comes from the will of God. Nothing can exist without the blessing of God, and without God’s blessing, death is the result. This is a major focus of the story of the fig tree. God determines life and death; therefore, we must have faith in the God of existence. Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:1-5) God determines existence. Unless we repent and get right with God, our eternal souls will not experience eternity with God in his household. Eternal life, of course, comes through Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes IN HIM shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes IN HIM is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-17) The fig tree did not provide Jesus what He wanted, so He cursed the tree and it died. The disciples’ amazement at this quick transition from life to death caused them to ask the question: How did the fig tree wither so quickly? Jesus deflects their question to what He wants them to know. Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. This life and death question was in their hands. His power caused this fig tree to wither. The same power was in them if they had faith in him as Lord and Savior. In the eternal sense, Jesus was saying, you can move mountains that impede life in people. You can cause their fruitless lives to die and to experience a fruitful life that satisfies God. Jesus was not telling the disciples to be landscape artists, choosing locations for mountains. He is not telling them to specialize in agriculture, making trees produce better figs more quickly. He uses these human concepts of mountains and trees to explain how to help people find God by releasing them from sin and death. Calamities happen: people experience wars, accidents, divorces, sicknesses, hurts of all kinds; but God deals with people to deliver them, to save them from eternal death. God loves people. Whether He answers their immediate and sometimes desperate prayers or not, He is still the giver of life. He wants every fig tree (person) to produce abundant fruit. Jesus desired the disciples to know that their faith in him would bring them power. Whatever they asked in Jesus’ name under the will of God would be done. Christians under the authority of God and his will possess power that changes lives. If we wholeheartedly believe IN JESUS CHRIST and if we abide IN JESUS, we contain the power of God to move mountains, to elevate the valleys, to make the path smooth so that people might find God and enter the promised land.
Some use today’s scriptures as one might use a Monopoly card for getting out of jail free. All we must do is pray hard and nothing bad will happen to us in this life. They believe calamities of this world will not happen to Christians of strong faith. They are like the little girl in some ways, believing God has to come across when they pray. Sadly, implied in this kind of belief is that if God does not protect them at all times, they will question God in their faith. However, faith must endure as God’s love endures. God has never quit on his creation. Even though man is intractable in his rebellion to God, even though his wickedness is intrinsic in his nature, God has never quit on mankind. In Jesus’ death, God pays a ransom for the souls of men. Jesus on the cross is completely in the hands of Pilate, owned by Pilate, the Roman. Jesus was sold to the world by God. Now, Pilate after the crucifixion could do whatever he wanted with Jesus’ body. The ransom for the deliverance of people from sin was completed, Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. (John 19:38) God released us from the bondage of sin through Christ on the cross. He freed us not so we might have lives free from the struggles of life, but to rescue the sick and dying from the hands of the evil one. At the funeral of Lazarus, Jesus wept about the hopelessness of the human condition: all will die, all will struggle through adverse circumstances of life. But we do have a hope, not yet realized, eternal life. Jesus told the disciples, If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. If you believe what? That eternal life is on the horizon. Jesus is not informing the disciples that a mountain should be moved, or that a tree should produce plentiful fruit. He is not telling them they should be landscape experts or agricultural specialists. He is talking about life and death. He is sending them to the people of the world, to preach the Good News. Most of them will die a martyr’s death. Paul was beaten, stoned, ostracized, abused, mistreated in every way; but his faith in God never wavered. We too follow the disciples. Life is not always fair, justice is not always a part of our lives: the Bible says that in this life there are many trials. We also feel the sting of ostracism when we talk to the world about our Savior Jesus Christ. They do not recognize the need to know Jesus as their Savior. But Jesus said, Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:12-14) Jesus came to do the will of the Father, that in his name all mankind could be redeemed to God. Therefore, everything we ask in Jesus’ name should come under the will of the Father to save mankind from eternal death. Jesus could only reach a few with this message of eternal life; but we, his followers, have reached billions with this message of Good News. Jesus went back to the Father and sent us the Holy Spirit. Through the power of the Spirit many have found Jesus Christ as Lord. In lands and areas of great darkness, places of demonic control, supernatural miracles from God’s hands through the faith of his servants have brought freedom to the captives. Friends around this breakfast table, perform God’s work with power and authority. Release the mountains in people’s lives. Give their shriveled lives, eternal life for the glory of God.
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