Q: In Matthew 21:21-22, as the disciples are depicted marvelling about the withered fig tree, Jesus tells them that All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. This is demonstrably false, inasmuch as many people have asked God for many things -- a Mercedes Benz, for instance -- and did not receive them.
A: It is true that many people have asked God for many things and did not receive them. James 4:3 attests to this, and partly explains it: You ask, and you receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. Matthew 21:21-22 should be understood in the spirit it was given, and in accordance with the principles that its original recipients would have assumed upon receiving it.
But the charge of absurdity or falsity can be dismissed even without a step-by-step consideration of those things. Consideration of the content and context alone is sufficient: this was a command given to the apostles, and it is not necessarily transferable to believers in general. Plus, theres that imporant qualification: whatever you ask in prayer, /believing/. It is hardly surprising that those who ask God for nice new cars in order to justify their unbelief do not get their prayer/wish granted, because they are not believing. But, more to the point, they are not the apostles to whom this promise here in Matthew 21 was given.
On a related point: this lesson about prayer is quite unexpected here! The fig-tree clearly represents the leadership of Jerusalem, and the temple-hierarchy as a whole, so the expected response to the disciples amazement would be something like, Yes, the fig-tree withered because, like Israel, it advertised fruit but had none. And thus shall Israel be cut down as a fruitless tree. But instead, Jesus emphasizes the apostles authority and the scope of divine power that is at their disposal when they truly believe. I think this power is at the disposal of believers today, too, when they ask in faith according to the will of God. Unfortunately most of us, including me, are not very adept at completely believing that God is willing to perform miracles in our lives. On the other hand, even in this weakness God may be glorified as we are motivated to seek the accomplishment of His will through the more excellent way, which He may in many cases prefer to the performance of natural-law-superceding miracles.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
A: It is true that many people have asked God for many things and did not receive them. James 4:3 attests to this, and partly explains it: You ask, and you receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. Matthew 21:21-22 should be understood in the spirit it was given, and in accordance with the principles that its original recipients would have assumed upon receiving it.
But the charge of absurdity or falsity can be dismissed even without a step-by-step consideration of those things. Consideration of the content and context alone is sufficient: this was a command given to the apostles, and it is not necessarily transferable to believers in general. Plus, theres that imporant qualification: whatever you ask in prayer, /believing/. It is hardly surprising that those who ask God for nice new cars in order to justify their unbelief do not get their prayer/wish granted, because they are not believing. But, more to the point, they are not the apostles to whom this promise here in Matthew 21 was given.
On a related point: this lesson about prayer is quite unexpected here! The fig-tree clearly represents the leadership of Jerusalem, and the temple-hierarchy as a whole, so the expected response to the disciples amazement would be something like, Yes, the fig-tree withered because, like Israel, it advertised fruit but had none. And thus shall Israel be cut down as a fruitless tree. But instead, Jesus emphasizes the apostles authority and the scope of divine power that is at their disposal when they truly believe. I think this power is at the disposal of believers today, too, when they ask in faith according to the will of God. Unfortunately most of us, including me, are not very adept at completely believing that God is willing to perform miracles in our lives. On the other hand, even in this weakness God may be glorified as we are motivated to seek the accomplishment of His will through the more excellent way, which He may in many cases prefer to the performance of natural-law-superceding miracles.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
