Commentary - Mark 11:20-26

Bird's-eye view

In this section of Mark's gospel, we are confronted with a living parable, one that Jesus enacted the previous day and now explains. The cursing of the fig tree was not a fit of pique, but rather a prophetic sign against the fruitless and hypocritical religion of the Jerusalem establishment. Now, the morning after, the disciples see the tangible results of Christ's authoritative word, and this becomes the occasion for a foundational lesson on faith, prayer, and forgiveness. Jesus uses the withered tree as a visual aid to teach His disciples about the kind of mountain-moving faith that is rooted entirely in God, not in human potential. This faith is expressed through prayer, a prayer so confident in God's power and goodness that it considers the request an accomplished fact. But Jesus, being a good pastor, does not leave this high-octane teaching untethered. He immediately connects the vertical power of faith with the horizontal reality of human relationships. The power to move mountains is directly linked to the grace to forgive molehills. A heart that receives immense grace from God must be a heart that dispenses grace freely to others. This passage, therefore, is a compact and potent lesson on the dynamics of the Christian life: faith in God's absolute power, confidence in His willingness to act for His people, and the non-negotiable requirement of a forgiving spirit.

Outline

The Text

20 And as they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.

The first thing to note is the timing. This is "in the morning," the day after Jesus cursed the fig tree. The curse was not a slow-acting poison; it was an immediate and decisive judgment. The disciples are now seeing the evidence. And the withering is total, "from the roots." This is not just a few brown leaves. The entire source of its life has been obliterated. This is a picture of God's judgment on apostate Israel. The religious system looked leafy and impressive from a distance, but it was fruitless, and its condemnation would be total, from the very foundation up. The word of Christ has creative power, but it also has de-creative power. What He speaks, happens.

21 And being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.”

Peter, ever the spokesman, states the obvious. But his astonishment is the point. He is connecting the dots: Jesus spoke, and the tree died. He is beginning to grasp the sheer authority resident in his Master. He calls him "Rabbi," or teacher, which is fitting because a lesson is about to commence. Peter points out that the tree which Jesus "cursed" has withered. He understands that this was not a natural event; it was a supernatural one, directly caused by the word of Christ. The disciples are being shown that the words of Jesus are not mere suggestions or pious wishes. They carry the very power of God to bring about what they declare.

22 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.”

This is the central pillar of the entire passage. In response to Peter's amazement at the power displayed, Jesus does not say, "Yes, I am very powerful." He redirects their attention immediately away from the display of power and toward the source of all power. "Have faith in God." He is telling them that the power that withered the fig tree is available to them, but the key is not to focus on the power itself, or on their own ability to wield it, but rather to have a robust, unwavering, all-encompassing faith in God. This is not faith in faith. It is not a psychological trick to work up positive feelings. It is a resolute trust in the person and character of the living God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the one for whom withering a fig tree is a trifle.

23 Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.

Jesus now uses hyperbole to make His point unforgettable. He's likely gesturing toward the Mount of Olives. He is not giving a magical formula for rearranging geography. This is Semitic exaggeration to teach a profound spiritual truth. The "mountain" represents any insurmountable obstacle, any impossible task that stands in the way of God's kingdom purposes. The key is the state of the heart. The one who speaks to the mountain must not "doubt in his heart." This isn't about the absence of intellectual questions, but the absence of a divided allegiance. It is a heart that is utterly convinced of God's power and His good will. When a believer, aligned with God's will, speaks in faith, he is not speaking on his own authority. He is speaking as an agent of the King, and he "believes that what he says is going to happen" because he knows God is the one who will do it. The promise is staggering: "it will be granted him." God honors faith that honors Him.

24 For this reason I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you.

Here Jesus broadens the principle from speaking to a mountain to all of our praying. "For this reason", because of this principle of faith, we should approach all prayer with this same confidence. The grammar here is crucial. "Believe that you have received them." It is in the past tense. This is not believing that you will receive, but believing that in the moment you ask according to God's will and in faith, the matter is settled in heaven. The transaction is complete. You have received it. The earthly manifestation is just a matter of time. This kind of faith is not a blind leap; it is a confident trust based on the revealed character and promises of God. It is praying in alignment with His will, seeking His glory, and trusting that He is a Father who loves to give good gifts to His children.

25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.

And here is the pastoral application that keeps the whole teaching from flying off into the ethereal realms of mysticism. Jesus yokes this incredible power of faith-filled prayer to the mundane, gritty business of forgiving people who have wronged us. "Whenever you stand praying." This is a general rule for all prayer. Before you ask your heavenly Father to move mountains for you, you must deal with the grudges in your own heart. If you are harboring bitterness, if you have something "against anyone," you are to forgive. Why? Because the entire Christian life operates on the economy of grace. We have been forgiven an astronomical debt. How can we, who have been forgiven so much, turn around and choke our brother over a pittance? An unforgiving heart is a heart that does not truly grasp the gospel. It is a blockage in the line of communication with God. You cannot expect to receive grace from God vertically while refusing to extend grace horizontally.

26 [But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”]

This verse, though missing from some early manuscripts, certainly reflects the consistent teaching of Jesus elsewhere, like in the Sermon on the Mount. It states the negative side of the previous verse for emphasis. This is not teaching that our forgiveness of others earns God's forgiveness. That would be salvation by works, a flat contradiction of the gospel. Rather, it teaches that a persistently unforgiving spirit is evidence that a person has not truly received or understood God's forgiveness in the first place. It is a diagnostic statement. If you find that you cannot forgive your brother, you are revealing that you do not understand what salvation by grace through faith actually is. A forgiven sinner is a forgiving sinner. The refusal to forgive is a sign of a heart that is still in bondage, a heart that cannot pray with the mountain-moving faith Jesus describes, because it is a heart that has not yet been conquered by the grace of the gospel.