The Withered Fig Tree (The Last Week of Jesus Part 2) - Frank Brancato

Matthew Mark and Luke are often times called the synoptic

gospels. And what that means is, they

include many of the same stories even using the same wording and

often in similar sequence. In fact, the word synoptic

literally means together site, but this is compared with John's

writings who all, by way of content really is comparatively

different. Well, since some, none of this

synoptic records are exhaustive, we need to look to Matthew and

Mark's account together to get the full picture Hendrickson

wrote this, he said the gospel writers were not just mere.

Copyist, but independent authors who eats utilize their own

methods. And in this case, what we have,

we have Mark that wrote in a chronological order, Matthew

wrote in a topical order. For example, the event that's

before us today, Mark describes as beginning at 6 a.m.

On Monday and the application of all of that.

And the sermon the Lord preaches is on Tuesday.

In other words, he dealt with the chronological sequence of

things that happen in marks account between the actual

cursing of the Fig Tree and the lesson that he taught on Tuesday

in between was the cleansing of the temple.

Now, Matthew just begins with the sequence of topics and since

the next thing is the at 6 a.m. on Monday, Day.

He teaches this fig tree in one uninterrupted account.

So going back, just a little bit though.

Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

And when he was finished, it was getting later in the day and he

made a sweeping survey of the temple.

He leaves the city and the company of the 12 and he spends

the night in Bethany. Now, in the morning, it says he

was hungry. Now, I got to tell you.

I can't tell you the number of explanations that I read by

various Scholars, trying to explain why Jesus was hungry.

In other words, some pointed this out, if he went to Bethany,

no doubt he To the house of Lazarus.

His dear friend, the one that he previously rose from the dead

and guess who else lived there in the house of Lazarus?

His sisters, Mary and Martha. And one scholar said, well, if

he went to Bethany, if you went to Lazarus house, Mary and

Martha, no doubt were there to Martha being the great server

that she was didn't somebody get up and make him breakfast.

Did he get up extra early that day and just leave early?

Well consider this first of all first of all broadest says that

it was very common that the first meal of the day was in the

middle of for noon or the middle of morning so it would not be

uncommon for a man to be hungry at 6 a.m. and still have not

eaten me. Take it further JW McGarvey said

this. Trying to explain about why the

Lord perhaps had not eaten. Her was hungry.

He said the closing Days of Our Lord were so full of activity,

he doesn't have time to Terry and Bethany to eat.

Still others said this and this is entirely possible to by the

way, because there were times when the Lord avoided or evaded,

someone coming to attack him because it was not his time.

Not because he was afraid, not because he didn't want to die

for the sins of the world and fulfill what his father had sent

him to do. But because he knew it wasn't

time. Some Scholars said because he

knew it wasn't time. He never went to Lazarus his

house that night in Bethany he said once Tyler said no doubt.

He spent the night on the quiet, slopes of the Mount of Olives

and laid low because his time had not yet come Well the simple

fact is folks, you know what that matter and we don't know

all we do know. All we do know is we know that

the Lord was hungry and we see The Human Side of Jesus I might

just say this is a beautiful picture.

Of what the Bible describes of Jesus himself.

No doubt. He's the son of God.

And, you know, this, he's the son of God because he is fully

Divine. So, our Messiah was fully

Divine, Son of God. Yes.

What else he was is the perfect picture of things.

I have preached to you. Over the years, he was hungry

showing that he is the son of man, meaning that he is fully

human. Our Messiah was fully Divine Son

of God. He was fully human.

Of man and on this occasion, we get just a little glimpse into

his Humanity, he's hungry, all of a sudden in Matthew chapter

Matthew 21 · chapter mention

21 and verse 19. It says that seeing a fig tree

by the road, interesting about that.

This was a fig tree, that was standing there.

No doubt all by itself. Very common in Palestine.

And from what I have read very important in Palestine, some of

these trees provided Good shade for the harsh Mediterranean sun.

And I agreed that some of these fig trees actually reached 20

feet in the air. There was a time when a man was

under the under the shade of the Fig Tree one time in John's

gospel it records, I believe is John 1 and 49.

I think it was a man by the name of Nathaniel and Nathaniel was

underneath a tree, a fig tree. One of these great big fig

trees, it was providing shade form.

You remember what happened? The Lord passes by and the Lord

calls him to discipleship. What was the man doing, though?

He was Wonder one of these great big trees.

Now. In addition to this about fig

trees, figs were nutritious and very inexpensive and a wonderful

source of food. In fact, in fact, before Israel

entered the promised land, God promised them the land would

abound in Honey in wheat and barley in vines in pomegranates

and in figs Deuteronomy chapter 8, and verse 8, so-so The Fig

Deuteronomy 8 · chapter mention

Tree is somewhat of a symbol of the blessing and prosperity of

the nation of Israel, a symbol of prosperity, and notice what

happens. And it's when it starts getting

fun. They come by this fig.

Tree by the road. And it says he came to it, but

he found nothing but leaves. What did he mean by that?

In other words, marks account says, you know what he did, he

went over, he saw the leaves and what are you do?

Great picture here, get this in your mind, he saw the leaves and

the Lord goes over to the tree because of the leaves and he

inspects it for fruit. He was drawn to it by the outer

sign of having figs. He sees the leaves and he goes

and inspects it for for fruit. But then there's more marks

account says this too, but he finds none.

Because it was not the season for figs.

First of all, may I say there is not the slightest evidence here

that Jesus has lost his temper or he was moved by selfish

emotions and he cursed the tree. I can't believe how many people

I have or how many accounts I have read that have actually

taken the spin that the Lord lost control because he was

hungry. That's not our Lord.

You don't think that you think that you don't think that our

Lord could maintain self-control regarding a fig tree, when he

was hungry, when he did, all the things that he did for the sins

of the world. When Jesus, for 33 years lived

in this life was in all points tempted, like as we are have the

self-control yet without sin, but he couldn't contain himself

on this occasion. Make no mistake about it.

This was not the hungry fit of Our Lord, by cursing this tree,

he comes to and he sees the leaves when he does, he inspects

it marks account says, but it had it was not the season for

figs one. Scholar said this to said this,

it did it wasn't the season for figs.

Therefore, when the Lord got there.

And saw, there were no figs, it was because that's exactly what

should have happened. If it wasn't this Season for

figs, it wasn't going to have any things.

Please get this though. It wasn't that he was just

hungry sees the Fig Tree, inspects it, for fruit finds

nun, gets mad curses it. And by the way, when Jesus

cursed the fig tree, And when it withered away, that was a

miracle. That was a miracle.

Now, no Miracle ever performed in the Bible.

Was for personal and private benefit, not one.

If Jesus cursed the Fig Tree, thus performing a miracle and it

Withers away, that would be, the only case in all of the Bible,

were a miracle, was performed for personal benefit.

It was never done that way. And that's not what happened

here either. Let's go further, let's go

further. It's time for the Lord to teach

a lesson. It's time for the Lord to preach

a sermon. Many times we reflect on the

teaching of Jesus, and I've even said this and over the last 20

years trying to preach Often times we sit there and we that

speak publicly sometimes we really labor over.

What, we're going to talk on what we're going to speak about,

and I have made the statement that the Lord just went from

place to place me. He saw something.

He saw the need and he preached the perfect sermon for the

occasion. That's exactly what he's doing.

Here. He goes to the Fig Tree sees.

The leaves has no fruit understands.

It was not the season for fruit but it's time to preach a sermon

and the sermon is a Threefold lesson.

Here it is. It was time to reveal Jesus as

the Son of God. That's number one, it was a

lesson that's to teach that. It's utter futility to have a

profession of faith without works.

Also, the lesson is that it reveals the mighty possibilities

of Faith beat. This is the threefold lesson

that the Lord is going to teach. But let's go back to the phrase.

The it was not the season for figs.

Now, I read some critics, And some critics said, you know,

Jesus really acted irrationally if it wasn't the season for

figs, why do you have to curse the tree?

But you know, all you got to do is study fig trees and fruit

back then and you can know exactly that if you took take

that interpretation, you know, exactly that that's a wrong or a

false interpretation. What do we mean when it says it

was not the season for figs. Well, first of all in Palestine

in Palestine, on many fig trees. fruit appears before the leaps,

Now, when we got trees with fruit, we get the leaves first.

And then comes the fruit. Right.

Did you know that in Palestine? Some fig trees?

The fruit came before the leaves now it's very important.

Now in fact, there's only two Harvest times for figs in the

area around Jerusalem. The first was for the early figs

and incidentally these were figs that appeared on the tree at the

end of March. They came from Sprouts or shoots

from the previous year. They were called the early figs.

Now. Since the Passover was an April

we'll get to that in a minute, though was an April, we're

talking about the early figs here.

Now the other time for Harvest of figs, were the late figs and

the length figs ripened in the late summer, and we're gathered

from August to October. All right, so what are we

talking about? These came from New shoots or

new sprouts. The ones that came late, the

ones that came early, we're fruit, that was produced in

March from the shoots from the previous year.

Now, we're talking about what time of year.

Now, we're talking about around the month of April, that means

that what the gospel writers are referring to, in the accounts

that are before us, if they're talking about the early fruit or

the early things, Now. I got to tell you, I didn't know

anything about figs at all. I didn't know anything about.

Figs or trees from those areas before I read and study this

subject. But it's amazing though. because

the fact that the fruit comes first, the fruit comes first.

You're about the month of April. Now, Jesus is about to be

crucified in just a few short days and he comes to a tree and

it's got leaps. In fact, it's in full Leaf, it's

in full Leaf, Jesus inspects the tree and has no fruit.

So as the result, the Bible says, Jesus cursed the tree so

this was not a hungry fit by our Lord.

That just got mad at the tree because he was hungry and there

was no fruit this Was just compensation for

misrepresentation. That's exactly what that was JW.

McGarvey wrote this, let me read it to you listen, though, it was

too early for fruit. It was also too early for leaves

the tree, evidently had an unusually favorable position.

It seemed Devon Itself by being in advance of the other trees

and to challenge the Wayfarer to come and refresh himself.

So, he curses the tree because it was Barren, but don't you see

the point? It's time.

Lord to teach a lesson, what is he possibly talking about?

He's talking about something that appears one way on the

outside but really indeed and in fact is another way, this is

what the Lord is doing. He is preaching a sermon about

hypocrisy. He is preaching a sermon about

hypocrisy and the Fig Tree represents the Jewish Nation.

Now. From a distance.

Israel, boasted of righteousness Israel, boasted of having fruit

Israel? Boasted a being the people of

God. But on closer examination.

It was a hypocritical scam. There was no edible fruit

anywhere. Among them Johnson said this,

just a few hours before those that were in Jerusalem, had

greeted the Messiah with unrestrained enthusiasm.

I said this in the introduction, I said it last week, they came

with the palm branches. They laid down the clothes that

went no doubt from Mount Olive. It all the way inside the city

of Jerusalem. They were hailing the King on

the outside with unrestrained enthusiasm.

You know, what's going to happen in just a few days?

They're going to say, let him be crucified.

They're going to say his blood be on us and on our children.

They're going to say crucify him.

Incidentally, do you remember when they brought Barabbas out

that Highwayman a man, no doubt that was like Jesus described

with the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Remember when they brought this this Creeped out.

And he standing next to Jesus, And one is going to be released.

And the statement was made, the question was made, which one

shall I release unto you and they All Cried Out Barabbas.

Have you ever wondered this Didn't anybody say Jesus?

Wasn't there, anybody? What about the mindset of the,

of the Disciples of the Apostles?

The Bible says, all forsook him and fled at some point.

I just wonder if there was anyone there that cried out for

Jesus? Anyone that said Hosanna to the

highest on the previous Sunday Was there anyone that cried out

for Jesus? Jesus is painting a picture of

the hypocrisy of the Jewish nation.

And I got to say, I got to say, if you want to make a practical

application for our life, I just wonder this.

Are we one way on the outside in front of?

And in the midst of people that we want to them to know that we

are Christians, like our Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

are our families are we one way on the outside with the leaves

full leaf that were Christian, but inside have no desire at all

to make those changes in your life.

If that's the case, then we're just the same as what.

Jesus described with the barren fig tree that he curses, were

pretending to be something on the outside when on the inside

were not even thinking about making changes.

Unless non pas cracy. Now, interesting about this when

Jesus curses the Fig Tree, the lesson is not obvious to the

disciples. So if you go to Mark's account

marks, account has the Lord explaining, the symbolism in its

application of Israel. The next day on Tuesday, now in

marks account and Mark 11. And verse 14, Mark points out

that this is all the disciples are listening to what he had

said and that prepares them for the sequel that begins in Mark

11 and verse 20. Now, let's go in your mind.

It's now Tuesday, right? It's Tuesday in the mindset.

They were all listening. What they hear?

Jesus say, Jesus curses the barren fig tree and says, you're

never going to have fruit. Watch this the next day in the

morning as they passed by, they see the dried.

They see the tree dried up from its roots next.

And Peter remembering said to him, Rabbi look the Fig Tree,

which you cursed. Has withered away.

You know, Matthews account says, when you put it all together, It

says the disciples marbled and were amazed now, why do you

think they marveled? Fowler said this fellow wrote,

he said, no doubt they were amazed because all the miracles

of Jesus up. Until this point in time, we're

miracles of mercy and compassion, and all and so

forth. But all of a sudden, now this is

a different kind of a miracle. This is a miracle demonstrating.

Punitive judgment Fowler said, maybe they were Amazed by that.

I think it's really simple though.

I think the question actually Bears out what it means.

I think the disciples were all amazed at how quick it died.

How quick it withered up, and how quick that it died.

So, Peter says, what an amazing response to Lauren's going to

make in a minute. But Peter says he's remembering

as they're walking by. He said, Rabbi look.

The Fig Tree which you cursed has withered away.

In other words, I can't believe it is withered away.

So very soon, he wants the answer from Jesus.

This is how the Lord responds, what, an amazing response.

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

What an incredible response. All Peter says, is can't believe

this thing is withered so quickly.

And Jesus says have faith in God.

That was his response. And Jesus obviously is

addressing all the disciples and not just Peter he doesn't give

him Peter and answer a direct answer for his remark, Peter was

curious, why it withered away? Jesus now is going to preach a

sermon and he's going to talk about something that's extremely

important. He's going to talk about having

faith in God. Now, this word have this word

have. It's an interesting Greek verb,

and it actually means it's in the, it's in the present tense.

So, it actually means this, When Jesus says this to Peter and all

the disciples, he is saying continually have faith in God.

So this isn't a one-time thing, this is an ongoing continuing

thing. Says he continued to have faith

in God. What kind of faith?

The kind of faith that relies on God, for everything.

In particular. He's going to talk about the

effectiveness of prayer and really that's what he's

referring to. It's faith that disciples had so

much trouble for trouble over how many times did the Lord have

to tell his disciples or ye of little faith?

Do you remember? And I'll just be very brief

about this, but do you remember when they could not cast out the

demon out of the boy member that Matthew 17.

They couldn't cast out the demon when Jesus finally comes and he

does so, and he cast out the demon and he goes away with his

disciples, the disciples asked. Jesus, why couldn't we cast it

out? And Jesus says, because of your

unbelief and it doesn't say unbelief in the original

unbelief. It actually says, little faith.

In other words, they did not have enough Faith to rely on.

God that they could do what the Lord promised them that they

could do. They always have problems with

that. They're still having problems

with that. Jesus is teaching them.

A lesson on this. And then Jesus came a little

lesson about a mustard seed that there's their faith needed to

grow to Greatness now, because the Fig Tree here, Jesus

possesses the kind of faith and prayer.

That causes this fig tree to be withered.

And Jesus would point out this very simple thing.

If they could simply have the same exact kind the same exact

kind of Faith, they not only could do things.

Things like Jesus did with withering, the Fig Tree

immediately but even the greater things of all, even greater

things and would come like removing mountains.

We'll get to that in just a few minutes.

Incidentally, the Lord's lesson is to fold its teaching time for

the Lord. In fact, the entire thing the

entire event becomes a teaching opportunity and it is a teaching

opportunity to talk about faith. And humility now.

You know, when the Bible says, my thoughts, speaking of God, my

thoughts are not your thoughts. And my ways are not your ways.

Saith, the Lord for us to hit the heavens, are higher than the

earth, and so on and so forth. All Peter says, is look at the

tree. and Jesus knows the hearts of his disciples and preaches a

sermon on faith and humility He knows what they need.

I can't know that the Lord knew that it's time for the Lord,

preached a sermon. Now marks account says in Mark

Mark 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11 and verse 23. For assuredly, I say to you.

Whoever says, to this mountain, be removed and be cast into the

sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those

things, he says will be done. He will have whatever he says or

whatever he asks now. No doubt the mountain that he's

referring to perhaps is the Mount of Olives.

And the sea. I would think it would be, the

men would be the density, even though some Scholars say, it

could have been the Mediterranean Sea.

What the Lord is doing, is he speaking in hyperbole?

That's an extreme exaggeration to prove a point.

You know what he's saying? He's saying if you have the

right kind of Faith, what kind of Faith?

The kind of faith that grows like the Mustard Seed, the kind

of faith in your heart, that relies on God and everything.

You will have the proper Faith to be able to do what I'm

telling. What you've just seen me do and

Even remove mountains. And in hyperbole, he said, it's

like you could take the Mount of Olives and throw it down. 3,000

feet into the Dead Sea by exaggeration.

You know, Jesus often used exaggeration like that when

Jesus was making a point about a rich, man, getting into heaven.

Remember what he said? It's easier for a camel to go

through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven.

Incidentally, in those areas, they have what they call the eye

of the needle, where camel would come in and the entrance.

And some people would try to explain away what the Lord was

talking about by saying what he's talking about is telling

about that Camel coming into Jerusalem for real right through

that entrance that they call the eye of a needle.

That's not what he meant. He means the eye of a real

needle. That's him.

Speaking in hyperbole extreme exaggeration to prove his point.

He saying the same thing here, if you had the right kind of

Faith, you could buy, hyperbole remove mountains and even cast

it into the Dead Sea. You know, the disciples were

going to have tremendous obstacles, come their way.

With all this encouragement and all the things that they were

talking about. They need to understand that

they can move mountains of difficulty and they understood

that phrase by the way, we're moving mountains.

Among the Jews. Meant a metaphorical statement

to describe moving mountains of difficulty in your life.

That's what that meant and they knew that.

All right, so this is great encouragement here and sometimes

people would take this great encouragement and apply it in a

general sense. Well if it's going to be applied

in a general sense, JW McGarvey gives the following

qualifications in other words, if we're going to say in our

life that if we have, the proper faith, that we can move

mountains of difficulty that come our way, we have to apply

the following clarifications that McGarvey gives here they

are. Our number one, we cannot expect

to obtain that which is unlawful to desire number two.

We cannot expect to obtain that which is unwise to seek number

three. We cannot expect to obtain that

which was selfishly, run counter to the will of God.

And here's number four. We must not expect God to

perform miracles in our life. Because Miracles have ceased.

So if we're going to apply this in general, that's fine.

Yes, we have the right kind of Faith.

Yes, we can move mountains of difficulty in her life.

Yeah, that's true. But with these exceptions, if

these conditions, these qualifications, all of these

things do apply the garbage. Summarize the Lord's point.

By saying the disciples who Jesus addressed will soon enter

into a task, which would seem to him difficult.

As removing mountains, he went on further, he talked about the

license and immorality of paganism and a fight against

that. That might have seemed

insurmountable. What about the bigotry and

Prejudice of Judaism? You know, we're studying in the

book of Galatians. There are still Judy izing

teachers coming in trying to bite aspects of the Old Law.

It going back to the when the church was established on the

day of Pentecost, from that point forward, the disciples,

the apostles had what seemed to be perhaps insurmountable

obstacles and objects They needed this encouragement.

It might even be in been as difficult in their mind as

Moving Mountains. They needed to be assured.

That the power of Faith was Superior to all the adverse

forces. Now let's read it again.

We, they could not, they could not expect to obtain that, which

is unlawful for the for them to desire.

They could not expect to obtain that, which was unwise to seek.

They could not expect to obtain that, which his selfish Leon run

counter to the will of God, but it wasn't the age of Miracles

and they could expect A miracle. And that's what it says in

chapter 11, Mark 11 and 24. Therefore, whatever.

Things. You ask, you know, there's a the

implied condition here. Is whatever they would ask of

God in faith. The implied condition would be,

what is asked in harmony with the loss of the will of God.

And by the way, if you pray, you have to pray in accordance with

the laws of the will of God, we can never expect God to change

the laws of the will of God just to accommodate us.

Secondly, here's the other implied condition of the

statement, whatever things you ask.

That every true prayer involves the submission of what is asked

to the Judgment of the father. How many times have we said?

If It Be Your Will, or we put it in your hands, our brother just

prayed a minute ago. He said that we pray for those

that rule over us as I paraphrase that rule over us

that they would never in act any laws.

That would keep us from worshipping you our heavenly

father. But what are we doing?

We are praying to God but we are putting it in.

His hands and his judgment. And his will.

In everything. Then it says this I say to you,

whatever things you ask, when you pray believe that you

receive them, your the word receive here in the original is

in the past tense. Now get this, this is great.

This is going to talk about how confident we are when we pray.

Okay, here's the lesson. You know what this says to them

he's telling them, whatever you ask, believe that, you receive

them. But this word received in the

original is in the past tense. It's better rendered like this,

whatever things you ask, when you pray, believe that you have

already received them. That fits.

That fits Paul's were John's writing, too.

The Epistle of John. In other words, when you pray to

God, you have such belief in answered prayer that you believe

that God is automatically answering that prayer right now.

If it's according to his will He is answering that prayer as

you're pregnant. So, the main lesson here, the

main lesson obviously is talking about having the right kind of

faith and I can't imagine living life without the right kind of

Faith. But there's more because the

Lord now is going to talk about something else and this is very

brief and we'll wrap up our remarks.

He's talking about the right kind of Faith.

Peter says, look at the tree. He says, believe in God, have

faith in God, teaches them, a little sermon, if you just have

the right kind of Faith, you're not only could do what I did

with that. Fig tree, but you can move

mountains of difficulty to speaking in hyperbole.

You could take the mountain and even throw it into the sea.

Whatever you ask, you will receive with the conditions.

We've already stipulated, but there's more It's also a lesson

of humility. It's also a lesson of humility.

In other words, Jesus is saying, while we're having this

discussion about faith, we must also have a discussion about

humility and that brings us to verse 25.

And whenever you stand praying, Now.

In a Bible, study of private bible study this last week.

We're talking about the posture and prayer.

Somebody asked a question about the posture in prayer And

sometimes we kneel down. when we pray, sometimes we stand.

Do you know that there's no posture in the Bible?

Described for praying, none at all customarily?

We met Neil. That's good because, you know

what? Jesus made that example, Jesus

one-time, knelt in the Gospel of Luke when he prayed.

So we have evidence of that. Why did Jesus say, stand,

though? Why did he say, stand, he sent

stand because it was customary for Jews at that time when they

prayed they stood. So he's just using that example.

He said, oh my the way. When you stand praying.

Because that's what they did, not that you have to stand up to

pray. Okay?

Now, He says, when you stand praying, not speaking about a

particular posture, okay? But he says this, when you do

that, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him,

that your father in Heaven, may also forgive you.

Your trespasses, may I say one final thing about posture, it's

not the posture of the body, it's the posture of the mind or

the heart. That's it.

And, you know, it's, I don't know why people sometimes in the

religious World prey of flippant type prayer.

Almost a words of disrespect, you're coming before the father.

And I'm going to tell you, whether you kneel down, stand

up, lay down, whatever you do, you have to make your heart

reverent, and you have to submit your heart in a position or

posture, your hearts, the posture of reverence to God.

Now, Jesus could I add something here to?

This is similar to the words on The Sermon, on the Mount.

His point is our prayers will not be effective, even though we

believe intensely, that's what he said.

If you have the right kind of Faith, you're going to get it

right now. We saying there's a condition

and it even if you have all that faith, it doesn't matter.

If you have a problem right here, you're not getting

forgiven at all. That is amazing to me.

I have to tell you, I got to tell you, I've wondered in my

life, was there ever a time? When I held a grudge and did not

forgive someone out of the hardness of my heart?

Have I ever done that? And then just put that on the

back burner gone on down the road and ask God to forgive me

that night of my sins. I'm going to tell you, Jesus

said, while you're doing the standing in the praying, Why you

have all that faith that I just promise you're going to have?

If you have that kind of faith, if you have anything against

anyone and you don't forgive them, your father will not

forgive you. Now let's go back to Peters

original statement. This is where I think the Lord

is just so brilliant. Maybe this is an obvious to you,

is just it just kind of jumped off at me, kind of obvious to

me. Peter comes to the trainee, all

look at the tree and the tree. Okay.

Hey, there's trees a withered away.

Maybe Peter in his mind was thinking this, what the Lord

would have known. Maybe Peter in his mind was

thinking now, wait a minute, all those that are going to be

enemies of ours, all those that are going to be hypocritical

enemies will be able to curse them to just made me.

Maybe in Peters mind. He was thinking we'll be able to

do that with people too. I don't know.

I don't know. Just maybe the Lord felt like,

wait a minute. Peter, I got to fix your heart.

I have to straighten out your heart because while you have the

faith and why you saw me cursed the Fig Tree.

And when I said you're going to be able to even do that, let me

fix your heart. In other words the curses on

other men will be executed by God just as the curse of the Fig

Tree, Maybe. He would have had a vindictive

spirit. I don't know, but Jesus made

that point. Effective prayer, folks must be

with the loving heart. A person who prays must be

willing with anxious desire to forgive others.

Now, Jesus is not saying that if you forgive others, if you

forgive others, you are automatically forgiven of your

stuff. It doesn't say that it doesn't,

it doesn't say automatic just do this when you get this.

But rather the refusal to forgive others will stand in the

way of you being forgiving and verse 26.

Our final verse But if you do not forgive, neither will your

father in Heaven? Forgive your trespasses.

You know, we've studied about trespasses on Wednesday evening

and we did discuss, the very fact that it was sins is talking

about. If your brother's overtaking in

a trespass in any trespass, with all my sin, you that our

spiritual which is just a faithful, Christian go, help

them, right? You know, it's amazing though.

Is this work trespass? Means more than just gigantic

big sins, it does. It means more than someone

that's overtaken in a big sin. That Galatians is talking about

Galatians 6. It means more than that.

This word is defined further. You know what, it also defined

as trespasses means to actually fall alongside it even means to

make a false step. That means a little thing, a

little bump in the road. Do you get the picture?

If you won't forgive your brother or your sister, then

you're not even going to be forgiven the little false steps

you make in your life. Not even that.

What a powerful? Powerful sermon.

In closing, let me say. It's Monday morning 6.

A.m. they came to a tree has leaves.

Jesus is the inspector. He's the fruit inspector.

He goes to inspect the tree for fruit because it has leaves and

fruit comes first. So it should have fruit.

Nope, not fruit. No curses it.

The next day on Tuesday morning. They're walking by Peter says oh

look at that, there it is. Why is it withered so fast and

all the disciples are amazed Jesus says have faith in God.

A You will faith in God that relies on God teaches a lesson

about prayer. Says, if you can have the right

kind of Faith, you can move mountains, you can take

mountains and throw them into the Dead Sea.

But while you're doing that, Have a humble heart, and a

forgiving heart of others, because if you don't forgive

others, it doesn't matter all this faith and strong belief

that you have. It doesn't matter.

You're getting nothing from the Lord and you won't be forgiven

even of your little false steps. I'm through.

By the way, we're going to be on Tuesday, for a long time.

Well, for quite a while, there's more recorded on Tuesday.

There's more recorded in the last week on Tuesday than any

other day, except for Friday. There's more on Tuesday says, a

whole lot that Jesus does on Tuesday.

Next, we're going to find the cleansing of the temple and also

the day of questions or also known as the day of controversy

that's coming up. We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

information, or you would like to receive a free Bible

correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her

Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and

Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

We would love for you to be our honored guest.