21 Days: Day 18

Devotional:

This week we’re talking about faith that first asks and then receives. Today we’re going to look at a story from Jesus’ life found in Mark 11. The story that we’ll be looking at today follows Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and takes place right before and after Jesus chases corruption out of the temple.

Among these accounts is a lesser-known part, and a somewhat odd story. As Jesus and His disciples are walking along, Jesus sees a fig tree in the distance with leaves and goes to see if it has any figs. When he gets close enough to determine that it has no figs, he curses the tree and goes on his way.

If you’re one of the disciples, you’re probably taken aback by this a bit and perhaps they chalk it up to Jesus being a bit “hangry” in the moment. Later in the evening, after Jesus has cleared the temple of the corrupt vendors and money-changers, Jesus and the disciples return on the same road and Peter points out the fig tree that is now withered to its roots.

Jesus then seizes the moment to teach on faith. He says: ““Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Jesus’ frustration with the fig tree was likely more symbolic than just a case of being “hangry.” The fig tree was supposed to produce fruit. Instead, this fig tree only had leaves and looked as if it had life. The temple was supposed to be a Holy place for worship, but instead corruption prevailed, and the leaders were more concerned with appearing holy than actually having a relationship with the one true God. Things that were supposed to be full of real life only had the appearance of life.

Jesus demonstrated that something new and better was in the works. Faith was rising up and the faith that Jesus demonstrated was a faith that changed things. It didn’t just look nice from a distance, but it was a faith with real power that produced fruit because it is connected to the true source of power: God himself. Jesus was paving the way for faith to grow, for people to experience a relationship with God, a life that is filled with the Spirit, and a life that produces fruit. Best of all, this type of faith is not out of reach, it is accessible to all, and this type of faith only requires one to ask.

As you continue on your 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting journey, my hope is that you will know that God is accessible. He wants to be in relationship with you, and He wants you to FIRST ask him to increase your faith, and THEN receive the abundant life that God has for you. God stands ready to move mountains in our own life and increase our faith and trust in Him. I encourage you to be courageous and trust Him to do just that.

Prayer:

God, we are so thankful that you care about and love us. You are someone who wants to move powerfully in our lives and make us full of abundant life that only you can offer. I pray that as we continue through these 21 days that you would help us find our purpose and calling. Help us live that out, that we would not care about how we look on the outside, but that we would be concerned about having a true, living faith that is working on the inside. We give you thanks for what you want to do in our lives and give us the courage to ask, believing that you will give. Amen.