Forgive, so that...

Day Three  Mark 11:20-26   from Jesus Last Days, A Model For Our Days

²⁰ As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. ²¹ Being reminded, Peter *said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.” ²² And Jesus *answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. ²³ Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. ²⁵ Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. ²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” 

This is where it becomes difficult to attempt to select which of the many events and teachings, that occurred over the last few days of Jesus ministry on earth, to focus and reflect on in this brief study. As I have said, Jesus last days, that final week of His life here on earth which we are following this week, was filled with such richness of wisdom that a lifetime of study and reflection would only scratch the surface of what we can learn and apply to our lives. Every word spoken and every act performed in those days that Jesus was living in our finite time, were carefully said and done. Through the words and accounts of those last days Jesus speaks and teaches for eternity.

The story of Jesus cursing the fig tree is familiar to many. Mark and Matthew tell the story differently. In Matthew's account, Matthew 21:18-22, he depicts the cursing and the withering as happening in a single moment. In our text , Mark relates the events as being separated by one day. This is not a case of inconsistency in scripture as doubters would argue. Mark does not say that the fig tree did not wither immediately. The lesson he is retelling is simply one that happened the next day. What Mark is focusing on here is not about the fig tree but rather, about our faith and the power of our words. Peter, and I am sure the rest of the disciples, were amazed at how the tree which Jesus had cursed withered and died. Jesus wanted them to see beyond the tree. Peter is focused on and amazed by what he sees and says "look at the tree". Jesus responds with, "have faith in God". Isn't that how we tend to operate, we respond to what we see. God wants us to operate by and respond in faith. In the faith chapter Hebrews 11, the writer begins in verse 1 saying, Faith is the substance of things hope for the evidence of things not seen.   Jesus wants the disciples, and us, to take our eyes off the tree. We are not to be controlled by the way things look , by circumstances either good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says: For we walk by faith, not by sight. In today's text it says:  Whoever says...and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.   Faith requires that we get our eyes off the tree and begin to see the unseen, with the eyes of our heart. Faith's witness comes from the heart. It is not dependant on what it sees.

Jesus made a tremendous statement of truth in verse 24. He says whatever you ask for in prayer believe you have it and it will be yours. What keeps us then from having the faith to operate in this promise? How do we develop the faith that can move mountains or uproot trees?  The command of verse 25  is critical  to exercise the truth or promise of verse 24.It says:  Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.   Our faith is hindered by unforgiveness. Unforgiveness causes blindness in our spiritual eyes because it blocks our view of and our connection to God. Harboring unforgiveness causes such a blockage of our connection to God that verse 26 says: "But if you do not forgive neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."   Repentance of our unforgiving hearts is a key to faith and  powerful prayer. We all need to daily search our hearts and pray as Jesus taught us to pray. Father forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Unforgiveness is one of the most crippling forces in the lives of Christians and in the church today. Only through genuine repentance and unconditional forgiveness, can we see beyond the tree to walk in faith and power. What is unconditional forgiveness?  Jesus said on the cross:  “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) 

That's not the end of the key to our mountain moving faith, but it is where we must begin.   

I recently had the privilege of sharing a message on faith and God's faithfullness at Rock Cafe in Harleysville Pa. Here's a link if you would like to hear the message.