4. THE FIG TREE FOUND Mark 11:20-26 (Matthew 21:20-22) 20 And as they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.--This must have been the first time they had seen it after Jesus pronounced a curse upon it. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance--From this we learn that it was Peter who made the remark attributed by Matthew to the disciples as a body. (Matthew 21:20.) saith unto him, Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.--Matthew's record is, "How did the fig tree immediately wither away?" It seems that the disciples were surprised that the tree had died and especially so soon. 22 and Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.--Have a strong abiding faith and confidence in God. A strong belief that he is able to accomplish things even through the weakest and most insignificant agents and means that appear most difficult with perfect ease, as the fig tree was made to wither away by a word. Here we learn that one of the designs of cursing the fig tree as related to the disciples was to strengthen their faith and prepare them for the great trials soon to come upon them. 23 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart,--Faith, doubts, and fears are not located in the fleshly lobe of the breast which pumps the blood through the veins, but in the mind, the intellect. Nothing can be availed when the heart is filled with unbelief and doubt. but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it.--He must believe that what he says will come to pass. He must have no doubts. No doubt this was literally true, that if they had the miraculous faith they could remove the mountain as easily as Jesus withered the fig tree by a word. God could move the mountain through them as readily as to heal the sick, or raise the dead. [No faith that will enable people to remove mountains or perform any miracle exists now. The reason is that the day of miracles has passed. "Whether there be prophecies, they shall be done away; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge (miraculous), it shall be done away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away." (1 Corinthians 13:8-10.)] 24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for,--True prayer, either miraculous or common, is always in harmony with God's will (1 John 5:14), and in the name of Christ (John 14:13). believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.--This no doubt was very encouraging to his apostles to whom it was spoken. The promise of this verse in connection with prayer and faith relates to all things whatsoever ye pray and ask for. This faith which Jesus was pointing out to his apostles, a lesson passed upon, and drawn from, the withered fig tree, was something that they would need all through their ministry, and especially under the great trials and darkness of the week before them. This promise was evidently a special one, and given to the apostles in regard to working miracles. To them it was true. But it is manifest that we have no right to apply this promise to ourselves. It was designed especially for the apostles; nor have we a right to turn it from its original meaning. Miraculous faith and miracle working power were gifts of the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11.) Common or justifying and saving faith which is common to all God's people (Titus 1:4) comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). The miraculous or uncommon faith which worked miracles and was a gift of the Spirit was limited to inspired men. But the common or saving faith produced by the word of God, common to all God's people, never did and never will work a miracle. This is the faith that all Christians have today. There is no uncommon or miraculous faith now. This explains why we have no miracles at present. 25 And whensoever ye stand praying,--[I think the word "stand" in this and other passages does not refer to the erect position or mean to stand on the feet. "Stand" has different meanings; the dictionary gives a dozen different senses. One is to stand erect on the feet, as opposed to a prone or sitting or lying posture; the other is to be fixed and permanent, as opposed to being in motion. Standing water is opposed to running water. Then there is standing on the knees, as distinct from standing on the feet; to stand on the knees is the way of standing for prayer. To stand in prayer is to stand on the knees. I doubt if there is a single example in the Bible of a person's fixing himself for prayer that the kneeling or prostrate position was not assumed. To stand in prayer, as used in the Bible, does not mean to stand on the feet, but on the knees. Example: "And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven." (1 Kings 8:22.) Then followed the prayer he prayed. This standing was upon his knees. Verse 54 says: "And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto Jehovah, he arose from before the altar of Jehovah, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven." A literal translation of Act 7:60, "He, Stephen knelt down," is "standing upon the knees." The hypocrites who stood "in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men" must have stood on the knees. When they stood on their knees and stretched forth their hands toward heaven, people saw that they prayed.] forgive, if ye have aught against any one;--Ill will or any cause of complaint--all must be forgiven if we expect God to forgive us. that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.--Our forgiving those who trespass against us opens the way for God to forgive us. Until we do our part the door of forgiveness towards us is closed. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses.--This verse, taken from the Authorized Version, is omitted in the American Revised Version. [To forgive a man is to hold him as if he were guiltless. No one can do this until he repents. Until he repents he is guilty. God does not forgive a man until he repents. He cannot hold him guiltless while he persists in his wrong. To overlook a wrong is not to forgive it. To forgive is to hold him guiltless. While no one can forgive in the sense of holding him guiltless until he repents, yet he must hold himself in a forgiving spirit--ready to forgive when he does repent, and anxious to show him kindness that he may be brought to repentance. God is our example in this. While he could not forgive man in his sin, he loved him, did him kindness, and gave his only begotten Son to die for him, that he might be brought to repentance. When we pray we must forgive those who turn from their trespasses, and pray that those who have not repented may repent that we may forgive them. We are to forgive others as God forgives us.]