Today's Verse: Mark 11:23 (ESV)
lTruly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, m‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not ndoubt in his heart, but obelieves that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
l Matt. 17:20
m [Ps. 46:2; 1 Cor. 13:2; Rev. 8:8]
n Rom. 4:20; 14:23; James 1:6
o [ch. 16:17; John 14:12]
This passage is contained in the lesson from the withered fig tree. Jesus used this lesson to show His disciples the power of faith in God. According to The Teacher's Commentary , the true power of religion has nothing to do with buildings or ritual but exists in the personal relationship that one has with God and is expressed in faith. And if we trust God completely, even we can move mountains.
Today's Comments: When we read about Jesus cursing the fig tree, our first thought is to ask "why." According to The Bible Reader's Companion, fig trees near Jerusalem were fully leafed out by March or April, but had no fruit till June. Jesus cursed the fig tree as a teaching tool, acting out a parable. The tree represented Israel, in full leaf but fruitless (cf. Hosea 9:10; Nahum 3:12; Zech. 10:2). The cursing of the tree represented the withering away of the nation which rejected its Messiah. Jesus used the phrase "I tell you the truth" to emphasize the importance of this lesson (Richards, Lawrence O.: The Bible Readers Companion. electronic ed. Wheaton : Victor Books, 1991; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996, S. 643).
What kind of faith is Jesus talking about? He is talking about faith that moves mountains. According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, it is the faith in which doubt is absent and belief and trust in God is total and unwavering. However, The Bible Exposition Commentary reminds us that true faith is based on the Word of God, and the purpose of our prayers should not be to have God do man's will in Heaven, but to have God's will be done on earth.
lTruly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, m‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not ndoubt in his heart, but obelieves that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
l Matt. 17:20
m [Ps. 46:2; 1 Cor. 13:2; Rev. 8:8]
n Rom. 4:20; 14:23; James 1:6
o [ch. 16:17; John 14:12]
This passage is contained in the lesson from the withered fig tree. Jesus used this lesson to show His disciples the power of faith in God. According to The Teacher's Commentary , the true power of religion has nothing to do with buildings or ritual but exists in the personal relationship that one has with God and is expressed in faith. And if we trust God completely, even we can move mountains.
Today's Comments: When we read about Jesus cursing the fig tree, our first thought is to ask "why." According to The Bible Reader's Companion, fig trees near Jerusalem were fully leafed out by March or April, but had no fruit till June. Jesus cursed the fig tree as a teaching tool, acting out a parable. The tree represented Israel, in full leaf but fruitless (cf. Hosea 9:10; Nahum 3:12; Zech. 10:2). The cursing of the tree represented the withering away of the nation which rejected its Messiah. Jesus used the phrase "I tell you the truth" to emphasize the importance of this lesson (Richards, Lawrence O.: The Bible Readers Companion. electronic ed. Wheaton : Victor Books, 1991; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996, S. 643).
What kind of faith is Jesus talking about? He is talking about faith that moves mountains. According to the Bible Knowledge Commentary, it is the faith in which doubt is absent and belief and trust in God is total and unwavering. However, The Bible Exposition Commentary reminds us that true faith is based on the Word of God, and the purpose of our prayers should not be to have God do man's will in Heaven, but to have God's will be done on earth.
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