May 20th, 2012
MP3 Audio
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Was Jesus Being Unreasonable? (Mark 11:12-14, 20-25)
A. What we can learn from this strange miracle
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. (12-14) In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" (20,21)
B. 2 things Jesus wanted to teach
1) To believe
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (22-24)
2) To forgive
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. " (25)
Summary Prayer is not a process of wish fulfillment, but something we do to understand God's will, which is ultimately what is best for our lives. Living in faith is not about pushing our will through and getting our way. It is about following God and submitting to his authority. People who feel that Jesus was too moralistic in dealing with the fig tree may have trouble understanding other things that God does. Why does God allow disasters? Why do some people die young from accidents or disease? As beings who were created by God, we don't have the right to question when or how our lives come to an end. Jesus came into the world to show us that death is not the ultimate end. Our earthly bodies may fail, but if we believe God's word, which tells us that we will not be forsaken or forgotten, when or how our lives come to an end is not particularly important.
For Discussion
1) What did Jesus mean when he said, "[anyone who] does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him."?
2) Why do we need to forgive when we pray?
A. What we can learn from this strange miracle
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. (12-14) In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" (20,21)
B. 2 things Jesus wanted to teach
1) To believe
"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (22-24)
2) To forgive
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. " (25)
Summary Prayer is not a process of wish fulfillment, but something we do to understand God's will, which is ultimately what is best for our lives. Living in faith is not about pushing our will through and getting our way. It is about following God and submitting to his authority. People who feel that Jesus was too moralistic in dealing with the fig tree may have trouble understanding other things that God does. Why does God allow disasters? Why do some people die young from accidents or disease? As beings who were created by God, we don't have the right to question when or how our lives come to an end. Jesus came into the world to show us that death is not the ultimate end. Our earthly bodies may fail, but if we believe God's word, which tells us that we will not be forsaken or forgotten, when or how our lives come to an end is not particularly important.
For Discussion
1) What did Jesus mean when he said, "[anyone who] does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him."?
2) Why do we need to forgive when we pray?