Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses

 

 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 hears it and sought how they night 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 will receive them, an 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 your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

 

- Mark 11:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; and He said to them, "Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat.  Loose it and bring it.  And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it,' and immediately he will send it here."  So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it.  But some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, loosing the colt?"  And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded.  So they let them go.  Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.  And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:  "Hosanna!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest!  And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple.  So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

 

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.  My study Bible explains that it was not the season for figs means that this fig tree had sprouted an early fall foliage, which would be a sign of a first crop, but without bearing any fruit.  Jesus, therefore, find not even one fig, and so he condemns the tree.   A fig tree, in Scripture, my study Bible explains, is often a symbol of Israel (Hosea 9:10).  Her fruitfulness has ceased, so the Kingdom will be taken from her and given to another people, who are called to bear spiritual fruit (see Matthew 21:43; Galatians 5:22-23).  

 

 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 hears it and sought how they night 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.   My study Bible explains that those who bought and sold were trading in live animals to be used for sacrifices.  The money changers would trade Roman coins for Jewish coins, since Roman coins bore the image of Caesar and were therefore considered defiling in the temple.  (Caesar, we should remember, was worshiped as a god.)  The cleansing of the temple also points to the necessity that the Church be kept free from earthly pursuits, my study Bible tells us.  Remember that each person is considered to be a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19), and so our hearts and minds must be cleansed of earthly matters.  As He does elsewhere, Jesus puts together two quotations from Scripture to make His point (Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11).

 

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 will receive them, an 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 your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."  My study Bible says that the cursing and withering of the fig tree is a prophetic act which signifies the judgment of Israel  It explains that the disciples need to learn that the old covenant with Israel is becoming "obsolete" and will "vanish away" (Hebrews 8:13).  They will establish His Church, which is ultimately to be filled with Gentiles and Jews, and and they need assurance that they are following Christ's will.  This fig tree will be an indelible image in their minds.  This withering of the fig tree is also a sign to people in every generation regarding what will befall anyone who fails to listen to His message.

 

 Jesus speaks about effective prayer in today's reading.  He makes the following promise to the disciples:  "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 will receive them, an you will have them."   We must note, of course, that this promise of effective prayer comes with a clause, a sort of premise that must be fulfilled if we are to be effective and the promise of powerful prayer fulfilled.  He teaches us, "Therefore I say to you, whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."   We must therefore ask, why this condition?  Why does Jesus submit this requirement for effective prayer?  What does forgiveness have to do with it?  What does it have to do with faith in what we pray for?  These are important questions, for Jesus lays down a law with this saying, and it is a solemn statement we must all pay attention to.  One thing that happens when we forgive is not so much about what we do.  One would think -- in our very common modern assumptions about forgiveness -- that forgiveness means that we no longer think about the wrong someone has done us.  "Forgive and forget," the saying goes.  But in Matthew 18, Jesus gives a prescription for forgiveness and reconciliation and correction in the Church, and this includes the very important step of repentance on the part of the person who has trespassed against another.   In that context, Jesus teaches about naming the sin or trespass, witnesses, and also reconciliation.  He teaches, "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."  So this concept of reconciliation, which is not just a simple matter of overlooking a sin or pretending it didn't happen, is worth an infinite number of times to forgive ("seventy times seven"), but there is a process to it.  It's similar to our reconciliation to God, and the requirement of repentance in being so reconciled.  We don't expect to carry on sinning, and place the responsibility for the sin on God or others; we do our part for forgiveness.  In this context, we should think, then, about what Jesus means when He teaches that "whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses.  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."    It is within this sense of reconciliation that we are bound to one another.  Our forgiveness in this case, to which Christ refers, is our reconciliation to God.  When we forgive, we "give up," as the word literally means in Greek.  And so, whatever way we feel someone has trespassed against us is given to God for God's judgment, and not ours.  In this way, we are reconciled to God, we "give up" our control, and accept that we need to follow the Lord's way -- regardless of what has happened and what anyone else has done.  Note that this does not mean we pretend an unrepented trespass never happened, full reconciliation is only possible through acknowledgement.  But nonetheless, we are free to give things up to the Lord regardless of what someone else does.  Why does this make for effective prayer?  Because this is the foundation of covenant, and there is no covenant without the acceptance that God is the judge of all things.  We are always free to reconcile to our Lord, even if another person does not accept repentance for a bad act -- and thus, we are free in this covenant.  We are not bound to the trespass; we are bound instead to God.  Neither does Christ say, in Matthew 18, that we are required to accept continuing abusive behavior.  Let us think about what covenant means, for covenant and forgiveness are the foundations of effective prayer.  We place our trust in God, letting nothing stand in the way, and that is the faith that moves mountains. The fig tree stands as a symbol of violated and failed covenant; let us take notice.

 

 

 

Take heed, watch and pray

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"

- Mark 13:28-37 

 

In yesterday's lectionary reading, Jesus warned His disciples:   "So when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not" (let the reader understand), "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  And pray that your flight may not be in winter.  For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.  Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven." 

 

 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree:  When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near -- at the doors!  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  Once again, the two events of the destruction of the temple at the Siege of Jerusalem and the tribulation through the entire period of history to follow seem to be mixed here.  My study Bible says that this generation refers to all believers at all times (i.e., it is the generation of the Church), and not simply those who were alive at the time of Christ.  His prophecy is that the Church will continue to thrive until His return, regardless of how desperate things might sometimes appear.

 

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming -- in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning -- lest, coming suddenly he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all:  Watch!"   Although Jesus declares that the Son does not know the day of His own return. my study Bible says that St. Chrysostom teaches that this is not to be understood literally, but rather as a figure of speech.  The meaning here is that Christ won't reveal the exact day to anyone, and that believers should not be so brazen as to ask it of Him.

 

 As my study Bible emphasizes in its comments, the real byword in Jesus' warnings about end times is His final word here:  "Watch!"  The command to "Take heed, watch and pray" gives us a picture of the condition in which He leaves us.  These are the things He tells us to do, the attitude He wants us to have in His absence, and until His return.  The warning in the parable of the fig tree is clear:  we're supposed to keep our eyes open for the unfolding of these events and the signs He's given that they are coming.  This clearly applies to the people to whom He's directly speaking, as the "abomination of desolation" or the defilement of the Holy of Holies in the temple was something they would understand.  But it also applies to us ("And what I say to you, I say to all"), as we're told of deceivers who come in His name, of "wars and rumors of wars," of natural disasters such as "earthquakes in various places," and "famines and troubles," and that these are but "the beginnings of sorrows" (see Saturday's reading).  He also prophesies persecutions, tribulation, and betrayal by even believers' closest family members.  We can think of worldwide catastrophic events in which all of these things are present, including the persecutions and betrayals of events in recent history such as revolutions and the rise to power of those who would persecute the Church on both far right and far left.  But what Jesus essentially teaches us is that it is our job not to put on rose-colored glasses but always to be aware of our surroundings and to note the events that we see happening.  We are not to live in denial of the reality and possibility of all of these things, but rather to watch for them and be alert to them.  He teaches us to "watch out for yourselves."  Moreover, Jesus also emphasizes our preparedness for the day of His return, also known as the Second Coming.  We're to remember what it is we are supposed to be about as servants and disciples who follow His commands.  He's the Master who leaves the house for a long journey, and expects those whom He's instructed to follow His commands while He's gone, and to find them watchful upon His return -- no matter what unexpected time that occurs.  Our whole attitude is supposed to be one of watchfulness, and to take heed, watch and pray.  This is an effort He asks of us, and one that asks for constant vigilance, not forgetting who we are and what we're to be about, and for Whom we await while we knowingly go about the business of discipleship.  We're to put energy and effort into keeping our Master's house in order the way He wants it to be, our lives working at the things that He's told us are important, caring for the way in which our household runs and the ways in which we treat one another according to His expressed desires.  This attitude of watchfulness extends to mindfulness in prayer and awareness of our surroundings and situations.  In short, He gives us a life plan, a concept for living in these times as He's leaving the world, and we are preparing for His return.  In Luke's Gospel, Christ characterizes the day of His return as one that "will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth" (Luke 21:35).  As He indicates, we each have our work we're given, and He doesn't want to find us sleeping on our watch.