Have Faith in God

Mark 11:12-25

Key verse 11:22

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.

Look at verses 12-14:

12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 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. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

This scene seems strange. Why did Jesus curse the fig tree like this? It seems unfair to curse the tree for not having fruit out of season. It also seems strange that Jesus was so upset about it. Perhaps the disciples thought things like this when they heard Jesus curse the tree. 

Look at verses 15-16. 

When Jesus arrived at the temple in Jerusalem, he found people buying and selling animals and changing money. It looked like a marketplace, but this market was a temple-based economy. Jews and God-fearing people from around the world traveled to the temple in Jerusalem, traded their foreign currencies, and bought animals to sacrifice to God. It was big business. Not only did many merchants and traders make a living through this trade, but the leaders in charge of the temple made a lot, too. 

When Jesus saw this scene, he was not pleased. He drove out everyone who was buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and he would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. Before Jesus arrived, the temple area was a noisy marketplace, but after he arrived it was strangely quiet. The only sound that could be heard was that of people praying and Jesus teaching the Word of God. 

In verse 17, Jesus explained why he did this: 

And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:

   “‘My house will be called 

   a house of prayer for all nations’?

   But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Jesus cleared the temple because of his love for his Father. Jesus’ desire was to see the temple used as his Father had intended it.  

Jesus quoted the word of God from Isaiah and Jeremiah. Let's take a look at Isaiah 56:6-7:

And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD 

   to serve him, 

to love the name of the LORD, 

   and to worship him, 

all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it 

   and who hold fast to my covenant— 

7 these I will bring to my holy mountain 

   and give them joy in my house of prayer. 

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices 

   will be accepted on my altar; 

for my house will be called 

   a house of prayer for all nations.” 

Through the prophet Isaiah, God had foretold of a day when people from all nations on earth--not just Jews, but Gentiles--would come to the temple to pray. The temple would be a house of prayer for all nations. It would be a holy place where people could come and restore their relationship with God and have joy. God said, "I will give them joy in my house of prayer." This was the vision that Jesus longed to see fulfilled. 

Jesus loved his Father. Jesus nurtured his love for his Father through meditating on the word of God and through prayer. If you are like me, you want to see things as Jesus did, but the busyness of life makes it difficult. That’s why a house of prayer is so important. We need a quiet place and time to come and spend with God. We need some time to meditate on God’s word. As we come to God like this through the Holy Spirit, God gives us joy. As the joy of God rises in our hearts, the burdens and problems of life begin to lose strength. When this happens, we can begin to share Jesus’ longing to see our Father’s kingdom come. We can share our Father’s desire to see people from all nations coming to God. 

What does God want in 2011?  He wants all nations to come into his House so that he can give them joy. This is a big vision, but it is fulfilled one person at a time. God wants you and I to come to his House. When we do this, it is natural to want to see our Father’s vision fulfilled. Then we can pray sincerely for all nations. First come to God; then think about God’s vision. Think about the people of Brazil. Our Father longs to see all of them come into his House. Consider the people of Africa. Before we go to God’s house and pray, these places are just places; when we are in the House of prayer, we share our Father’s heart and vision. May God bless us to do so. 

By Jesus' day, however, many people had lost sight of God's purpose for the temple. To them, the temple was a means to make money. Instead of thinking about God and helping others to know God better, many of the locals in Jerusalem, including spiritual leaders, were thinking about how to maximize profits. When Jesus saw this, it reminded him exactly of the situation in the days of the prophet Jeremiah, when God said to the people of Judah: 

9 “‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things? 11 Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 7:9-11)

In the days of Jeremiah, people thought that they could live unrepentant, sinful lives and then come to the temple and be forgiven. They though, "We are safe," but it didn't make sense. Is the temple a sanctuary for sinners to come, offer some sacrifices, feel better about themselves, and then continue sinning? They were treating God's house as a den of robbers. A robbers den is a safe place for robbers to escape to, store their loot, and relax. 

In Jesus' day, the temple had again become like a den of robbers. Not only were people counting their loot, which they got by overcharging foreigners, but people were coming to the temple with the thought that they could buy a dove for five bucks, offer it as a sacrifice, and be right with God; no repentance necessary; no sincere prayer offered. 

When Jesus looked at the temple, with people buying and selling and making offerings without repentance, he was angry, and he put a stop to it. He drove out everyone who was buying and selling; he turned over money tables; he stopped people from carrying merchandise through the temple courts, leaving the temple quiet for the first time in a long time. Suddenly, you could hear people praying; you could hear Jesus' voice as he taught the people the word of God. When Jesus was there, the temple was restored to a house of prayer. 

Indeed, Jesus can quickly clean out a corrupt temple. If Jesus can do this with the temple in Jerusalem, he can do so in my heart. 

The beginning of a new year is a good time to clean out junk. Clear your home, your office, you car, your computer of all the clutter that's built up over the past year, and you will feel good. Most of all, take some time at the beginning of this new year to clear your heart of the unnecessary and harmful stuff that's been piling up over the past year. Clear away everything unnecessary; everything that hinders; everything that corrupts; everything that isn't where it belongs. Take some time to let Jesus come in and clear out the temple of your heart, and God will give you joy in his house of prayer.  

Now, let's see what happened to that fig tree Jesus cursed. Look at verses 20-25. 

The next morning, Jesus and his discipled walked past the fig tree Jesus had cursed the previous day, and they saw that the tree had withered from the roots. Peter was surprised. He said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! the fig tree you cursed has withered." Even though Peter had heard Jesus curse the fig tree the day before, he thought it was just a figure of speech; he never expected anything to actually happen to the tree, especially so soon. In fact, it is impossible for a tree to wither that quickly from the roots. Clearly, this was a miracle. 

In response to Peter, Jesus said, "Have faith in God. 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. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Jesus used this event to teach his disciples the power of believing prayer. Jesus summed up his lesson in four words: "Have faith in God." When we have faith in God, we expect to receive what we ask for in prayer. Jesus says, "whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." 

No wonder Jesus was so upset to see the house of prayer for all nations turned into a den of robbers. When God's people pray with believing hearts, God works powerfully in answer to their prayers. Jesus' disciples must learn to pray, but most of all they must have faith in God. When we have faith in God, asking and receiving in prayer is natural; without faith, prayer is cold and mechanical. Jesus' four words, "Have faith in God" is the secret to a powerful prayer life. 

What does it mean to have faith in God?  It means at least two things. First, it means to believe that God exists. Second, it means to believe that nothing is too hard for God. 

As we look ahead to what 2011 will bring, we can see things two ways. On the one hand, we can see things the way people typically do--they look ahead and hope things work out OK. On the other hand, we can see things the way Jesus wants us to--by faith in God. Have faith in God, and we can move from hope to certainty, believing that God will give us whatever we ask for. With faith in God, God can do great things through us. Even though we are "out of season," we can bear good fruit for God's glory. 

There is, however, one thing that could hinder us and prevent God from working powerfully through us in 2011: unforgiveness. Look at verse 25: "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Part of the cleaning up process at the beginning of this new year must include clearing away unforgiveness from our hearts. For many of us, there is one or more persons who have sinned against us. Naturally, we tend to "hold" something against them. But Jesus says we need to let go and forgive so that our Father in heaven may forgive our sins. 

In conclusion, in 2011 we have the opportunity to experience the joy of fellowship with God, to bear good fruit, and to see our prayers answered. We just need to do one key thing: "Have faith in God." May God bless us do so in 2011. 

One word: Have faith in God.