Have faith in God

Christ cursing the fig tree, monastery fresco

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."

- Mark 11:12-25

On Saturday we read that Jesus and the disciples came to Jericho, as they were on the road toward Jerusalem.  As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.  Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer.  Rise, He is calling you."  And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.  So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus aid to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.  In between Saturday's reading and today's is the text on the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, which we also know as Palm Sunday.  See Mark 11:1-11.

 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.  And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it.  When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.  In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."  And His disciples heard it.  This next day is the day after Christ's Triumphal Entry, which we celebrate as Palm Sunday.  My study bible says that it was not the season for figs means that this fig tree showed an early fall foliage, but it had not borne any fruit.  As Jesus found not a single fig on it, He condemns it.  It says that in Scripture a fig tree is frequently a symbol of Israel (Hosea 9:10).  Spiritual fruitfulness is not produced in response to the visit of the Christ, the Kingdom will be taken from her and given to another people called to bear spiritual fruit (see Matthew 21:43, Galatians 6:22-23).

So they came to Jerusalem.  Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.  And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?  But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "  And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.  When evening had come, He went out of the city.   Those who bought and sold in the temple traded in live animals used in sacrifices.  The money changers are those who traded Roman coins for Jewish coins, as Roman coins, bearing the image of Caesar, were considered defiling in the temple.  Those who sold doves sell the least expensive of the sacrificial animals, thus they are charging the poor who often come as pilgrims for the Passover.  Jesus quotes passages from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.  My study bible also comments that the cleansing of the temple points to the need that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits.  As each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19), this is also a sign that our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters, another reminder of the importance of the Lenten period.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."  My study bible tells us that the cursing and withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act signifying the judgment of Israel.  It says that the disciples need to learn that the old covenant with Israel is becoming "obsolete" and will "vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13.  Ultimately, they will establish Christ's Church, which will be filled with both Gentiles and Jews -- and will need assurance that they are following Christ's will.  This fig tree, serving such a purpose, will be an indelible image in their minds. 

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.  And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."   My study bible comments that while nowhere is it recorded than an apostle literally moved a mountain, commentary by Church Fathers is clear that they had this authority if the need had arisen (there are saints whose legends say that they made crevices appear in mountains as necessary).  Moreover, it adds that not all the things that the apostles accomplished were written down.  But beyond this literal understanding, the promise is an illustration of the power of faith and prayer in all areas of life -- and let us keep in mind that Jesus' speech often serves to illustrate starkly to make a point.  Theophan comments:  "Whatever we ask, without hesitation and believing in God's power, we shall receive" when we ask for spiritually profitable things.

Jesus illustrates the power of faith with a memorable remark.  It is interesting also that this remark is tied to the withering and cursing of the fig tree -- another very memorable illustration for the disciples.  It's important when we "hear" these words that we understand the operative word in Greek -- which is translated as "believe" -- really means "trust."   (The Greek word for faith also is rooted in this same word for trust.)  In this midst of our current lockdown (so to speak) due to the coronavirus pandemic, I have been presented with a problem that has proved difficult:  a needlessly noisy neighbor with apparently no time restrictions on loud music that interferes with my sleep, as well as my spouse's and my ability to work at home.   Although I have spoken to her several times, as well as the employees in my apartment building requesting her to turn it down, this problem still has not been resolved.  While we do not pray necessarily for God to control other human beings, I have used prayer to ask with help for forgiveness, help for me to place the circumstances in God's hands, and for right-relatedness to prevail (especially on my part).  This has been an ongoing spiritual problem, and not just an academic or pragmatic one.  What I have discovered through the process is how much help prayer has been in simply trusting God that in some way this circumstance will be resolved not only in terms of the physical problem of noise (or of rudeness as the case may be), but in terms of my own need and desire for control.  Possibly I can learn some patience, or maybe better trust in God who knows my circumstances.  To my relief and surprise, the problem is gradually improving, and without angry confrontation.  Needless to say, my problem is nothing compared to the problems people currently face around me:   besides the fact that many are sick, or their loved ones are sick, we face the very real problem of deaths, overcrowded or stressed hospitals, our healthcare workers risking their lives, and countless people out of jobs.  Those who are still working are also risking their health to provide goods and services to all the rest of us, while our governments struggle to cope.  At this time, I think the word "trust" is operative in aspects of our faith upon which we really and truly need to focus.  It really doesn't matter what the problem is, to learn to "hand it over," to trust God first in prayer and then keep our minds and eyes open for pragmatic solutions to problems which may present themselves, is a crucial first step in approaching anything in our lives.  It resolves a great number of problems, including our own rising tempers, nervous responses, and anxieties over that which we cannot control.  Having to put this particular problem in spiritual perspective has helped me to keep my cool through the coronavirus pandemic, as well as a sense of humor.  (Note I said "helped."  I do not say I am perfect!)  We'll see how it all turns out.  Let us consider in Jesus' words the emphasis on spiritual fruitfulness, and couple that with St. Paul's teaching that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  Already we have seen the heroism of every day workers and service people.  We know we can work together, even on a global scale, as individuals all contributing to an effort to stop the spread of a virus and to save public health to the extent that we can.  Let us consider our own circumstances, every aspect of them that we can think of, and place them all in the hands of God with trust -- also trusting that the right solutions to whatever comes up will come our way, especially if we follow the prescription of our Lord to stay vigilant and awake to our duties and to His commands.  This is the way we follow our Lord into our own battles and struggles, in faith.  Let us note also that Jesus adds, as command, that when we pray we seek to practice forgiveness.  It is one more way in which we "give up" all things into the hands of God, and seek God's guidance for our lives, every step of the way.