Introduction
In our Christian journey on this earth, we encounter many needs and desires, as well as various challenges and trials. At times, we may forget to express our gratitude to the Trinity of God (God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit) for the countless blessings He provides. However, when needs, desires, and difficulties arise, we often turn to Him for help. In this blog article, we will explore the story of the fig tree found in Matthew 21:17-22. Through this passage of Scripture, we aim to learn how to seek discernment in our prayer requests and, most importantly, to cultivate faith that “all things whatever” that align with the Lord’s will will come to pass.
The Fig Tree Story
The events described in Matthew chapter 21 focus on the Lord Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as the Most High King, fulfilling an Old Testament prophecy. During His journey from Jerusalem to Bethany and back, the Lord Jesus teaches His disciples about faith through the lesson of the fig tree. This experience serves as a lasting reminder that with faith, all things are possible. In this section, we will explore the fig tree story found in Matthew 21:17-22 and seek to understand what the Lord Jesus wants us to learn from it.
Matthew 21:17 And He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and lodged in the open there.
Comments Matthew 21:17. The Lord had a purpose in lodging outside Jerusalem to teach the disciples. He did not stay long in Bethany because His purpose was to travel and preach the Word.
18 Now in the morning as He returned to the city, He hungered.
19 And seeing a fig tree along the road, He came to it, and found nothing on it, except leaves only; and He says to it, Never let there be fruit from you. And immediately, the fig tree withered away.
Comments Matthew 21:18-19. For what happened to this fig tree, the disciples will benefit, as their faith in the Word is strengthened: do not say anything using the name of the Lord unless you have faith. The disciples needed to learn this fig tree lesson to build up their faith. The disciples at that time faced more troubles than what we are facing now. The fig tree lesson will stay with them to remind them that by faith all things are possible. As the words “never let there be fruit from you” came out of the mouth of the Lord, the disciples could see that the fig tree immediately withered away. This lesson will help them as they go along in life, because the Lord Jesus will not stay with them for long. Even for people nowadays, to hold on to your faith, remember this fig tree and how it withered at once.
20 And the disciples having seen, marveled, saying, How did the fig tree immediately wither away?
21 And answering, Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, If you have faith, and do not doubt, you will not only do this of the fig tree, but even if you may say to this mountain, Be you taken away and thrown into the sea, it will be done.
Comments Matthew 21:21. People use this verse to test the Lord’s power. Asking in prayer and asking for greed are different things. This verse teaches faith in God, not faith in getting things. The faith in getting things, the Lord means, for example, we pray for the tree, and what do we expect inside of us, the tree to grow or the tree to make fruit? When we pray for the tree to grow, then we want the Lord’s mercy. That is when our heart wants the Lord to help the tree live, not die; and in that moment, we did not think of the fruit to come out of the tree, but only of the Lord’s mercy to save the tree. But when we pray for the tree to make fruit, then the stomach is thinking, which is greed, and there is a different purpose in the prayers. When we pray asking for the tree to survive and make fruit, in that moment, we do not think in our hearts for the tree’s health, but for the tree to make fruit for our stomach, and that is greed. The Lord wants us to make a difference in the purpose of our prayers. Even if we have faith as big as a mountain, nothing will happen if the purpose of asking is wrong.
In verse 19, we observe that the Lord Jesus withered the tree because it did not bear fruit. One might wonder how this action relates to our above comments in Matthew 21:21 about the significance of our prayers. It is important to distinguish between the Lord Jesus’ actions in verses 18-19 and the parable He shares in verse 21. When the Lord Jesus was walking, He saw a full-grown tree along the road with only leaves. In this place, the tree can be seen as a mature believer who considers themselves to have knowledge about the Lord, but they never share that knowledge with anyone; this is like a full-grown tree that is not bearing fruit, which is why it is not worth still standing. But in the parable of verse 21, specifically in our comments, we are talking about the one who plants a tree and their expectation when planting it. When one expects and wishes that the Lord will help the tree live and grow, the heart thinks of the tree surviving, not dying. At this point, one does not think about the tree planting for the fruit; one expects the mercy of the Lord. Another one plants the seed and wants the tree to grow and bear fruit for their benefit, and prays, asking the Lord to keep the tree alive and producing fruit. These two cases have different purposes of asking.
“And do not doubt.” Do not doubt when you come to ask something from the Lord. Most believers have this trouble: they believe that faith and doubt are two different things. You have faith in God, but you doubt yourself in receiving. So, if you doubt inside of you, deep inside, you don’t believe in the God that you come to ask from, and you are not better than unbelievers.
22 And all things, whatever you may ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
Comments Matthew 21:22. “All things, whatever.” This saying does not include prayers that go against God’s will and the nature of man. For example, you pray to win a lottery ticket: this prayer is against God’s will. And, when cold weather comes, you ask to walk through the cold and not feel cold: this prayer is against the nature of man.
Conclusions
The fig tree lesson teaches faith in God, not faith in getting things. We should only say something using the name of the Lord if we have faith. Our prayers should align with God’s will for our lives, and we must trust that He always desires what is best for us, even when His answers differ from our expectations. It is important to focus our prayers on seeking the Lord’s mercy from the depths of our hearts. Our requests should not arise from greed, but rather from a humble heart that seeks His mercy and guidance, regardless of the circumstances we may face.
Meditation Tasks
- We should all pray to have discernment in our prayer requests and, most of all, to have faith that “all things whatever” that are in the Lord’s will, will come to pass.
- We encourage all readers to pray and seek the Lord’s will for their lives. We also recommend consulting our blog article titled “In That Thy Stretch Out Thy Hand.”