When you have true faith, you can achieve whatever God wants you to do.
Jesus cursing the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-22, Mark 11:20-25 can be confusing at first. However, I would suggest that it isn’t as tricky to understand as Jesus’ follow up teaching, in which he discusses the importance and significance of faith. Specifically, Matthew records in verses 20-22 that when ‘the disciples saw this (the withered fig-tree), they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.’In Marks version of events, he adds, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Verses 24-25).Can faith literally move a mountain?Even more curious to me than Jesus cursing the fig tree are these comments about faith and the moving of mountains. I mean, how should we even understand what He means? Should we take His comments figuratively or as hyperbole? Or should we take Jesus’ words as literal? Is He suggesting that the moving of a mountain by faith is something that only His disciples or Christians in the first century could accomplish? Or is His teaching still relevant for us today?Regarding whether to take Jesus literally or not, in this instance, I am inclined to take Jesus at His word. For starters, nothing in the context indicates that Jesus is speaking figuratively or using hyperbole. Secondly, Jesus in Matthew relates the idea of faith moving mountains to literal things – the cursing of the fig tree and “this mountain”. Perhaps Jesus was pointing to the Mount of Olives or even Mount Zion when He spoke about “this mountain”. Whatever the case, the context indicates that Jesus meant what he said and that a faith that doesn’t doubt can move a literal mountain. Another reason why I believe Jesus is speaking literally about moving mountains is because God is quite capable of doing such a thing. God has performed feats that are just as great or even greater than moving mountains through people who had faith in Him before. For example, think about the saving of Noah and His family in the great flood, the ten plagues, the crossing of the red sea, the conquering of Canaan, keeping Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego alive in a fiery furnace etc. So, when it comes to this passage, I believe Jesus means that faith can move literal mountains. Of course, that should naturally lead us to conclude that if faith can move mountains, then faith is significant and has the potential to allow us to do great things by the power of God and be the type of people He wants us to be.That said, we need to interpret this verse in light of the rest of the New Testament and realise that the one caveat that Jesus doesn’t refer to in this context is the will of God. Faith won’t affect anything if something isn’t part of God’s revealed or even unrevealed will. Jesus says in John 15:7, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you”. 1 John 5:14 says, “Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for” (1 John 5:14-15). Consider the apostle Paul. Paul had faith in God as strong as any other godly character in the Bible. Yet, as much faith as he had, he still could not remove the thorn that was in his flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Consider Jesus. In the history of this world, there has been no one as godly and full of faith as Jesus. Yet even Jesus, despite praying for His cup of suffering to be removed, could not change His Fathers will on this matter. So instead, He chose to submit to His Heavenly Father and go to the cross. In coming back to Jesus’ comments about faith moving mountains, in no way is Jesus suggesting that this can be done contrary to God’s will simply because you have a strong faith. True faith is always aligned and submissive to God’s will (James 2:14-26).Is there any certainty about what faith can accomplish?When it comes to God’s will, some things are clear, and some things are not. Although we have everything we need to know about salvation and living a godly life through the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 1:3), certain things about God and His purposes have not been revealed. In this case, there will be times when we approach God in prayer and have no idea whether He will respond to our request or not. In this situation, we should pray as Jesus did at the Mount of Olives and say, “Father, if you are willing…” and then trust and submit to whatever answer He provides (Luke 22:39-42). That said, there are some things about God’s will we can know for sure. For instance, God states that He will save anyone who receives the gospel through belief, repentance, confession, and baptism (Romans 1:16, Acts 2:38, Romans 10:9). Since God has clearly stated what He wants and what He will do, we know for sure that as soon we are plunged into the waters of baptism, God completely forgives us. On a side note, let me suggest that being raised to spiritual life is a much more incredible feat than moving any physical mountain. Another thing we can know for sure is if we have faith and put the kingdom of God first, then our material needs will be looked after (Matthew 6:19-34). Also, the Bible says that God wants us to forgive others who hurt us. As impossible as that might seem in some cases, it is God’s will and, therefore, can be achieved with faith. Interestingly, in Marks version of the discussion on faith moving mountains, Jesus mentions the need to forgive others (Mark 11:24-25). Perhaps Jesus is indicating that the most prominent mountain that needs removing is unforgiveness towards others.If faith can move mountains, can it bring about healings today?Of course, the potential of faith to move mountains can naturally makes us wonder if having a strong enough faith can bring about the healing of illnesses? Before I answer this, I want to recognise the extremes we can go to with the concept of healing and miracles today. Some conclude that all miracles have ceased today. They may even believe that pray only benefits people spiritually and not physically. Others suppose that healings and miracles still happen today, including those done by the hands of Christians who are spiritually gifted to heal. For me, I tend to take a middle path. Although I lean towards the cessation of the miraculous giftings of the Holy Spirit, I still recognise the power and sovereignty of God to do whatever He wants to do. So, can God still perform miracles today? Of course. If He wants to heal someone miraculously because of their faith, why can’t He? That said, I also believe that one of the most remarkable ways God works today is through His divine providence in which He works to bless people through creation, circumstances and others. That means that one of the ways that God can heal us is through modern medicine, care from others and knowledge gained through the people whose paths we cross. In other words, it is not a weakness of faith to go to the doctor when ill or to seek medical assistance in an emergency. On the contrary, these are often the very means by which God cares for our health needs.But can faith bring about the healing of illnesses? The answer is yes, providing it is the will of God. But for whatever reason, God does not always heal people. God knows things we don’t know, and He has purposes beyond our understanding. This is why, when we are dealing with sickness, it is better to say, “if it is be your will” (Luke 22: 39-42, James 4:13-17). That said, the real question in all of this is, have you got the faith to keep following God even when you don’t get the results you want? Are you prepared to trust and accept that He knows best? True faith can not only move literal mountains, it can also move us to keep following God even when life is hard and doesn’t make sense.Final thought:When you combine the account of the cursed fig tree and the subsequent discussion on faith, you end up with the understanding that it is all about one thing in particular – productive godly living. Perhaps it is helpful to think about the fig tree and Jesus’ remarks on faith moving mountains as two sides of the same coin. On one side of the coin, you have the fig tree highlighting the importance of not being a hypocrite and instead having a genuine heart for God and His will. On the other side of the coin, you have the value of faith and what it can achieve. In grasping this, the question remains: What do you get when you combine a genuine heart, faith, obedience and a God who can do the impossible? A Christian who can make a real difference.
Growing up in Bairnsdale meant that I was never too far away from natural sources of water. First of all, there is the Mitchell River that winds its way down from the Victorian High Country, skirts my hometown and then flows into the Gippsland Lakes system. Only fifteen minutes from my childhood house, these lakes were an area my family and I would often visit, especially in summer, to enjoy aquatic activities, picnics, fish ‘n’ chips and even New Year’s Eve fireworks. However, as much as my family and I have enjoyed the Gippsland Lakes over the years, our favourite place to visit is still Lakes Entrance. This beautiful town located on the Ninety Mile Beach was only thirty minutes from home and, as the name suggests, is a point of entrance from the Bass Strait into the Gippsland Lakes. One of the reasons we particularly enjoyed going to Lakes Entrance was its easy access to the surf beach. There was just something fun about swimming in the ocean and contending with the waves it produced. Interestingly, we never knew what type of conditions we would find when we arrived. Although we always anticipated a swell and the breaking of waves, the exact conditions were always unpredictable and could change very quickly. On one very unusual occasion, there were no waves at all. However, there have been occasions when the waves were so rough and the currents and undertows so strong that it was difficult and fatiguing to swim. Of course, swimming in the surf at Lakes Entrance meant that there was a chance that you might be caught off guard by a large wave and be dumped against the shore. My worst experience of this happened when I was about ten years old. I had been swimming just beyond the break and decided to get out of the water. As I was doing so, a large wave grew behind me. The moment I noticed that it was upon me, it was too late to dive back into it or to make a run for the shore. So, I ended up being tossed me over and over again by this wave in what seemed like an endless series of summersaults. Eventually, I was spat out on to the beach and found myself lying flat out on my back, disorientated and gasping for air. I remember, at the time, not being able to hear and soon realised that the reason for this was that both my ears were full of sand. As I finally managed to get myself up, I realised that the wave had carried me down the beach somewhat, away from where my family and belongings were.
When it comes to life, sometimes it can feel like you are swimming in the ocean. On the rare occasion, you will find a moment where everything is completely calm. But on most days, you probably have to contend with a variety of different waves. Some of these might be moments that produce joy in your life, such as spending time with your family and friends, eating a satisfying meal, being engaged in meaningful work or experiencing some measure of success. Other times these waves will form in the shape of problems, deadlines, conflicts and disruptions and result in temporal states of anger, sadness and worry. Then there are those unexpected large waves. Waves like the death of a loved one, a negative health diagnosis, a significant drop in income, emotional and physical abuse by others, war, major relational conflict, persecution and even pandemics. Sometimes these waves can catch us off guard and send our life spiralling out of control while submerging us within a state of chaos and uncertainty. Even if we are fortunate enough to emerge from these kinds of waves, we may feel disorientated, enervated, and fearful of the next one.
Amazingly, although there were moments where I got wiped out by a wave, I usually would recover and then head back into the ocean again. The reason I was able to do this was that I was aware of my limitations. I knew I wasn’t the strongest swimmer, so I was careful not to venture too far from shore. I also swam with others and usually stayed within the section of the lifeguard flags. Doing so ensured that I remained under the watchful eye of lifeguards and therefore could receive their help if needed. Recognising my limitations, strangely enough, gave me the confidence to keep venturing back into the water even when conditions were less than ideal.
Being aware of your limits and weaknesses is also essential to have the confidence to cope with whatever waves life brings your way. Knowing your limitations is one of the most important keys to surviving in life. Pushing on and thinking you are more capable than you really are at handling things is the quickest way to disaster. You will likely end up out of your depth and left to deal with the full force of life’s problems on your own. You are also sure to venture into dangerous emotional and spiritual places where it can be hard to recover.
When you recognise your emotional and spiritual limitations, you accept that you cannot cope with the waves of life on your own. You stay within the bounds of God’s will where His loving, watchful gaze keeps a lookout so He can come to your aid when needed. It also ensures you surround yourself with caring others so that together you can contend with whatever comes your way. The Biblical term that describes this ability to recognise weaknesses and limitations is humility.
Apostle Peter tells those suffering from a wave of persecution that one of the keys to coping with it was to recognise their need for God and to understand they weren’t alone. He says, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, because, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled an alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:5-11)
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul explains that humility and the act of loving one another make it possible for Christians to survive both spiritually and in life. He says, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:1-3).
To ride out life’s difficult waves and to contend with them with confidence, you need to be humble and recognise your limitations. Doing so will allow you to stay close to God and close to those who will help you carry your burdens as you also seek to help to carry theirs.
