Mark 11:20-26, The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

²⁰ As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. ²¹ And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” [This is another acted out parable about the future of Jerusalem that will be completely “withered” by Rome in A.D. 70.] ²² And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. ²³ Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. [Withering a fig tree is nothing to someone who has deep faith in God. That person could move a mountain!] ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” [The temple had been the place of forgiveness. Now Jesus teaches that forgiveness comes through direct prayer to the Father. Mark does not record the Lord’s Prayer as Matthew and Luke do, but he knows one of its most important lines.]