THE KING OFFERS FORGIVENESS (11:22-25)
These verses are often taken out of context in order to teach a particular view of prayer e.g. “if you have enough faith
then you can make amazing, miraculous things happen. If you pray for them and they don’t happen then either you
don’t have enough faith or there is unforgiven sin in your life”. This is pastorally disastrous and leads to despairing,
disillusioned Christians!
The passage is not a general piece of teaching on the nature of prayer. In it’s context it must be to do with deliverance
from the judgement which Jesus has just proclaimed on unbelieving Israel. Peter’s exclamation in v.21 as he sees the
withered fig tree elicits the response of Jesus in v.22, “Have faith in God”. We’ve seen already in Mark that faith is the
way to enter the kingdom (2:5, 4:40, 5:34, 36, 9:23, 10:52) and lack of faith in Jesus is the way to be kept out (10:2122).
Therefore, the encouragement to Peter to have faith in God must be the way to avoid the judgement, to be part of
the coming kingdom of our father David (11:10).
Left to ourselves it is impossible to enter the kingdom (10:23) but with faith in God it is possible for the impossible to
happen mountains
can be thrown into the sea (v.23). Hence, faith in God will result in God delivering you if you ask
him too (v.23).
Jesus continues with the subject of prayer in v.24. We’ve heard him teach about prayer before in Mark 9:1429.
There
it reflected a total dependence on Jesus which was exemplified by the man in v.2324.
Notice there too Jesus said, “All
things are possible for one who believes” (9:23). Again, this incident was read a s exemplifying spiritual deliverance
(9:26) from the terrible state human beings find themselves in. So, the prayer Jesus refers to in 11:24 is prayer faithful
prayer for deliverance.
This faithful prayer for deliverance will mean that we admit we are sinners in need of forgiveness and forgive others (cf.
9:50b).