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Re: Gleanings from the "Gospels" [message #11666 is a reply to message #11665]

Tue, 14 July 2015 10:22

Gary
Messages: 1025
Registered: August 2008
Location: Indiana

Senior Member

Marilyn Crow wrote on Tue, 14 July 2015 03:10

Hi Gary,

Yes I agree people do like to twist & distort God`s word to their ideas & desires. That`s why it is good to share & discuss with you fellas here as you are serious about respecting God`s word. We may not always agree, but we are trying to understand each other & God`s word.

Now about that scripture -

`So Jesus answered & said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith & do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, "Be removed & be cast into the sea," then it will be done.` (Matt. 21: 21)

Trevor & I have been discussing it. So here is what we think - Obviously God is not telling us to rearrange His earth - put a mountain in the sea or over there etc.

Let`s look at the word `mountain` & then the context of what Jesus is talking about.

mountain - Gk word `oros` - meaning to rise or rear, akin to `airo` -meaning to lift, ....make to doubt, take away.

So we see that Jesus is talking to the disciples to have faith in what God has promised their nation & not to doubt. He then gives a pictorial illustration of `taking doubt away.`

Marilyn.

Hi Marilyn,

Tell Trevor I love that quote, that is: "God isn't telling us to rearrange the earth".

Like you said, look at the whole context. What started the whole conversation that Jesus had with His disciples. It was the fig tree being totally withered from the roots up. Obviously they saw leaves totally dried up and fallen to the ground because they could not see the actual roots. Whatever happened the disciples were totally astounded at what took place.

Then Jesus goes on and talks about faith in God.

Quote:

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

We see further information in Mark's gospel:

Quote:

12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

And His disciples heard it.

15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. 19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.

20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Jesus curses the fig tree then the very next day as they are walking by it Peter remembering what took place is astounded and says, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."

Its amazing what they saw took place in the three years they walked with Jesus. Here is one good example. They saw with their own eyes a tree totally withered away at just a spoken word from Jesus.

Jesus tells them to "Have faith in God". The word for mountain is "Oros" not like a small hill which the greek word is "bonnes", which I'm no greek scholar when it comes to different words.

The point is that Jesus is talking about a fig tree that has withered and mentions a mountain, but if you read here He goes on to explain, that if you believe that those things will be done,

that: he believes that the things he "says" will be done.

I think that the emphasis is on "believing" and "saying" concerning our praying. But Jesus is talking about a fig tree and a mountain using emphasis on believing for the impossible, with God all things are possible.

I believe if a Christians heart is towards the Lord and doing His Will that the very fact He is serving the Living God, that the Lord will move in his behalf when needed or even when we don't know it. Your right though we probably won't be throwing mountains around the earth.

Having faith towards God is a witness to the world that He is everything He says He is, were not powerless or helpless on this earth but we have confidence in Him. After all we are serving the Great God of the universe.

While everyone on this earth is worrying and fretting about life we can boldly claim that God is more then sufficient in time of need. Why? Because we know and believe that He is.

Jesus is our all in all.

While everyone was mocking Jesus, (Pharisees, scribes, etc.), the power of God was still manifesting to help others. A man with a withered arm stands up, everyone sees the withered arm and then they see it made totally whole. What was the reaction, they became indignant and angry. What a strange reaction, they see a miracle and then get mad about it.

Anyway not to stray off from what you said, But if Jesus says a fig tree or a literal mountain, we can know that He is telling us nothing is impossible when we pray. These are literal examples showing us that their is no limit with God and prayer.

One last thing we cannot deny the fact that Moses parted the red sea so they could go to safety, Joshua stopped the sun in the sky, Daniel spent the night in a lions den, Elijah stopped the rain, this is just a few names of men who walked with God and changed the course of nature, so why would it seem strange if we could curse a fig tree or move a mountain if we're in the Lords Will and needed a miracle. After all, we are citizens of the same Kingdom.

Gary

[Updated on: Tue, 14 July 2015 10:40]

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