THE KING’S BUSINESS
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Saturday, July 31. Mark 11:20-26.
He expected to- find figs on the fig tree. But as in the fig tree fruit precedes leaves, the leaves were therefore a profession of fruitfulness. While He needed food, the disciples needed a lesson more than He needed food, and by cursing the fig tree, which had leaves, the profession of fruit fulness, but no fruit in reality, a lesson much needed by them and much needed by us was taught. The cursing of the fig tree was a parable in action, the meaning of which the disciples would never forget. The lesson is plain, it is this: Profession will riot be ac cepted in lieu of fruitfulness, and the dis ciples who profess fruitfulness, but who have nothing but leaves, will be condemned, like the fig tree, to perpetual fruitlessness. When our Lord looked on a building dedi cated to the service of God, transformed from a “house of prayer” into a “den of robbers” His anger waxed hot. But does He not frequently see the same thing to day? Churches that are ostensibly built for the preaching of the Gospel to the poor are often used as a place to rob the poor. All the things that Jesus found in the Tem ple and banished from the Temple, were connected somehow with worship; but al though all this was ostensibly in the name of God, it was really for the sake of private gain, and Jesus cast it all out. The ec clesiastical authorities were greatly enraged and sought to destroy Him, but were held back by the fear of the multitude, who ap proved both His actions and His doctrine: Friday, July 30. Mark 11:15-19.
The disciples marveled at the swiftness with which Christ’s words worked (Mark 21:20), but Jesus pointed out to them that it was simply an illustration of the power of faith. There is a world of'meaning in the commandment which Jesus gave them in this connection, “Have faith in God.” Noth ing pays better than faith in God (2 Chron. 20:20; Isa. 7:9; Jno. 14:1; Heb. 11): We should be sure, however, that our faith really is " in G od ." We see here that faith is a matter of the will. We all have suffi cient evidence for believing in God; but faith is the will resolving to yield to the sufficient evidence. We get faith in God by believing on His Word (Rom. 10:17). True faith in God unites us with the God in whom we believe, and therefore, faith can do anything God can do. Nothing can re sist the power of true faith: it can remove mountains; it has moved many a mountain of insurmountable difficulties. Nothing is impossible to faith (ch. 9:23). The rea son we oftimes fail to accomplish what we attempt, is because of our unbelief (Matt. 17:9-20). If we really desire to have the things that we pray for, we should believe that we “have received them.” In prayer true faith goes beyond expectation: it takes and counts its own, that which is asked. Everything that we pray for in this way, we shall get. Verse 25 shows one of the commonest and greatest hindrances to pre vailing prayer, that is, art unforgiving spirit. In answering our prayers God is dealing with us as forgiven sinners, and God cannot deal with us as forgiven sinners, if we do not forgive others. Many a man is won dering why his prayers are not answered, but verse 25 explains it.
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