Mark 11:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

NIV: And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.'

NASB: And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you for your offenses.

CSB: And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing."

NLT: But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. '

KJV: And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

NKJV: “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

This verse isn't found in Matthew's account, but Jesus does say something similar in the Sermon on the Mount: "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14–15).

This is not to say that failing to forgive others or reconcile with those we've offended causes us to lose our salvation (Ephesians 1:13–14). Nor does it mean we can earn salvation by being forgiving (Titus 3:5). The point is the petty way in which we, as sinners, assume we have a strong relationship with God; meanwhile we often won't forgive comparatively minor offenses committed against us.

Jesus is pointing out a disparity in our thinking about forgiveness and relationships. God is the holy creator of the universe. We sin against Him every day. Every single sin makes us ineligible to be in His presence. But we still expect Him to forgive us and continue to give us what we ask. On the other hand, we get in petty disputes with other people on a regular basis. Thanks to pride or shame or apathy, we don't try to forgive, ask for forgiveness, and restore those relationships. God sacrificed His Son so that He can forgive us. While expecting God to forgive our heinous sins, we might not take five minutes to reconcile with someone no more a sinner than we are.

Jesus is comparing a dead fig tree with the spiritually dead Jewish traditions performed in the temple. The temple system is so corrupt that, like the tree, it no longer produces fruit, so it must be done away with. The temple is replaced by the body of every believer, which is indwelt with the Holy Spirit at the moment of belief in Jesus as our Lord and Savior (1 Corinthians 12:13). The sacrifices are replaced by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. And rigid adherence to feasts, sacrifices, and ceremony are replaced with the willingness to forgive others.

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.