Mark 11:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.

NIV: Have faith in God,' Jesus answered.

NASB: And Jesus answered and *said to them, 'Have faith in God.

CSB: Jesus replied to them, "Have faith in God.

NLT: Then Jesus said to the disciples, 'Have faith in God.

KJV: And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

NKJV: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

In Mark, Peter merely mentions that the tree has withered (Mark 11:21). In Matthew, the disciples ask how (Matthew 21:20). Jesus has shown authority over illness, injury, demons, death, nature, food replication, and even one coin-hungry fish (Mark 5:1–20; 6:30–44; 6:53–56; Matthew 17:24–27). The disciples perform many of these miracles as well (Mark 3:13–21). No other miracle, however, is recorded of Jesus specifically affecting plant life.

It's possible that Jesus destroys the tree as a symbol of the coming destruction of Israel. The Old Testament often compares Israel to a fig tree, associating the ruin of its fruit with God's judgment (Jeremiah 8:13; Hosea 9:10; Micah 7:1–7). Jesus knows that Israel and Judaism have no more fruit to give the world. They will reject and kill Jesus when they should welcome Him as God's Messiah. In AD 70, Jerusalem will be destroyed and the Jews scattered, unable to return as a sovereign nation until 1948.

But Jesus also knows the disciples can't always handle the bigger picture. When He walks on the Sea of Galilee in a display of His glory and authority over nature, the disciples completely misinterpret what is happening and think He's a ghost. Instead of teaching them about this wonderous new revelation of who He is and what He can do, Jesus has to calm their fears (Mark 6:45–52). Similarly, when Jesus is using a metaphor of leaven to represent the false teachings of the Pharisees and Herod, the disciples think He is scolding them because they forgot bread (Mark 8:14–21).

So, if Jesus' point is that Israel has lost its usefulness and will be destroyed, it's a message the disciples aren't ready for, yet. Instead, Jesus teaches them a more basic skill that will get them through any hardship: faith in God. The two are related. The Jewish Christ-followers will need all the faith they can get when Jerusalem is destroyed.

Mark 11:20–26 is the conclusion of the story started in Mark 11:12–14. The fig tree Jesus cursed is found to be withered to its roots, truly dead, the next morning. The fig tree represents Jerusalem and, to an extent, Judaism, which has ceased to worship God and bless the people. In a few days, at the Last Supper, Jesus teaches the disciples that they cannot bear fruit unless they are dependent on Him, just as a vine is useless unless it is connected to the branch. Fruitless vines will wither, then be tossed into the fire, and burned (John 15:1–11). This half of the story of the fig tree is also found in Matthew 21:20–22. Verse 26 is not found in most modern translations.

Jesus and the disciples arrive in Jerusalem a week before the crucifixion, and Jesus begins the last days of His public ministry. They spend their nights on the Mount of Olives and their days in Jerusalem (Luke 21:37). Jesus accepts the accolades designed for a king (Mark 11:1–11), attacks materialistic tradition that keeps people from worshiping God (Mark 11:15–19), gives an object lesson about the fate of fruitless Jerusalem (Mark 11:12–14, 20–25), and reveals the Jewish religious leaders' hypocrisy (Mark 11:27–33). Despite the support of the crowd, Jesus is pushing the leaders toward the crucifixion.

The preceding passages included several miracles and lessons from Jesus. These set the stage for the last, dramatic days of His earthly ministry. In this chapter, Jesus enters Jerusalem to great fanfare and openly confronts local religious leaders for their hypocrisy. Over the next few chapters, Mark will continue to record controversial teachings, leading up to Jesus' arrest and early sham trials, recorded in chapter 14.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.