V18 – Jesus, being a human being, was hungry and He hoped that the tree would have some figs which He could eat. But there was none and He curses the tree which then withers immediately.
For me as a believer, there is a lot to ponder from these verses. While the believer is not a tree, He or She is a branch on the true vine. And so What fruit am I bearing? Am I a good fruit bearing disciple? This is what Jesus said:
John 15: 1-8 NIV – I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
If we do not remain in Him, then a time will come when we will wither and what is done to branches that wither? — they are burned
I thank you Father that I am in you, the true vine. Help me Lord to truly remain in you. Then I shall bear much fruit for your glory.
V20-22 – The disciples are amazed at how quickly it withers. Jesus says it’s about Faith in God. We can pray for anything and we will receive it if we have Faith. There is nothing impossible for God.
I like the “Barnes Notes on the Bible” explanation of this part of scripture. It says
“He told them that any difficulty could be overcome by faith. To remove a mountain denotes the power of surmounting or removing any difficulty. The phrase was so used by the Jews. There is no doubt that this was “literally” true – that if “they had the faith of miracles,” they could remove the mountain before them – the Mount of Olives – for this was as easy for God to do by them as to heal the sick or raise the dead. But the Saviour rather referred, probably, to the difficulties and trials which they would be called to endure in preaching the gospel.”
And so, dear friend, whatever we ask for in Faith and with no doubt will be given by the Father.
But always remember that we have to be careful against exalting one verse and forgetting the others. For example, we cannot so much focus on “mountains being moved” and ignore what the Lord has said above “I am the true vine – remain in me.” ALL scripture is breathed of God to help us to grow in knowing Him more and more. Follow all the Lord’s commands, do not exclude others! So in this case, the disciple who is asking for a mountain to be moved is also the one who remains in the true vine and is also the one who prays without seizing, is the one who walks humbly with their God, who loves God’s word, who hates sin and does not dwell in it but repents of their sinful actions…. And so on, and so forth.
This means that in no way can I look at verse 22 as a “key” to getting wants and desires which are not godly and are fueled by worldliness and greed. God is not a transactional God where I come with a key and just get anything I want, even things fueled by pride and the flesh. I must revere Him:He is Holy and there is not evil in Him. God wants us to know Him and to love Him, to love our neighbors (all people around us/everyone we are with/everyone we meet) and to walk in obedience to Him.