Ask in Faith

“And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."” (Matthew 21:21-22 ESV). The context of our verses is about the fig tree Jesus cursed when he found nothing but leaves on it. Jesus said to the tree, “May you never bear fruit again!” and immediately the tree withered. As the disciples watched the tree wither, they asked Jesus how it withered so quickly? Our verses contain the answer to their question.

Jesus tells them it is the result of faith that does not doubt and if they had enough faith they could do the same thing, even move mountains. How much faith do you have? Jesus was able to do this, but for us there has to be a different meaning. Paul uses the same expression, “if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2 ESV) as an emphasis of great faith. The idea is not to move physical mountains, but to accomplish great things through faith.

Looking at the general context of our verses, we find the Jews bound to the law with their lives bearing many leaves but no fruit. In cursing the fig tree, Jesus is demonstrating how strongly he opposes the one whose life is barren of fruit, like the Jews. The mountain that need to be removed by faith is that which hinders us from bearing much fruit to God’s glory. Does our faith leave us in the condition of the fig tree or does our faith result in a tree that bears much fruit like the tree planted by streams of water?

Prayer

Father, I pray that we would have the faith to remove the mountains that stand in our way of bearing much fruit to your glory.

See "The Commands of Jesus" Index to view other commands.