“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.” Mark 11:23 ESV
Reflection: what is the biggest obstacle in fulfilling God’s purpose for you?
This is one of those verses I remember hearing as a child, which was so amazing to me. Just think, being able to move mountains just by speaking to them! Not only move them, but to throw them into the sea! I seem to remember trying that a few times as a child, but the mountain didn’t seem to move an inch. It is one of those stories from the Bible that catches the imagination of a child. But Jesus is teaching His disciples here. The context of the focus verse today is that Jesus has cursed the fig tree which now has withered and died from the root. And, Jesus starts the lesson of moving mountains with the following statement,
“Have faith in God.” Mark 11:22 ESV
Since this is clearly not a children’s story, what is it that Jesus is referring to here, with His statement “Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’”? What is the mountain, and why would we ever want to throw a mountain into the sea? It obviously not literal but figurative, as moving a physical mountain has no utility, unless you do road construction, of course. We find the same reference in Matthew 21:21, and in 1 Corinthians 13:2. The reference of “mountains” is to obstacles in life, specifically to obstacles that prevent us from fulfilling God’s purpose, His will for our lives. And, this phrase, moving mountains, is of course not that unfamiliar to us in our vernacular, as it also was back in the days of Jesus. He continues,
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”Mark 11:24 ESV
Notice that Jesus is not saying that the removal of the mountain is necessarily the goal in itself; it is the end result that actually we are praying for. He says “believe that you have it”; where “it” refers to what can be achieved without the obstacle, the mountain there. Bible commentator Ellicott wrote “The promise, in its very form, excludes a literal fulfilment. The phrase to “remove mountains” (as in 1 Corinthians 13:2) was a natural hyperbole for overcoming difficulties, and our Lord in pointing to “this mountain”—as He had done before to Hermon (Matthew 17:20)—did but give greater vividness to an illustration which the disciples would readily understand. A mere physical miracle, such as the removal of the mountain, could never be in itself the object of the prayer of a faith such as our Lord described. The hyperbole is used here, as elsewhere, to impress on men’s mind the truth which lies beneath it”
The truth is that, in this world, we face all sorts of “mountains” that prevent us from fulfilling God’s purpose and receiving His promises. Remember the context here, as Jesus had just cleansed the temple for selfish, corrupt and religious behavior, and instructing that it was to be a house of prayer. So the “mountains” in our lives are things that prevent purity, holiness in our hearts, such as unforgiveness, selfishness, addictions and fleshly indulgence, etc. Bible commentator Matthew Henry wrote “The disciples could not think why that fig-tree should so soon wither away; but all wither who reject Christ; it represented the state of the Jewish church. We should rest in no religion that does not make us fruitful in good works. Christ taught them from hence to pray in faith. It may be applied to that mighty faith with which all true Christians are endued, and which does wonders in spiritual things. It justifies us, and so removes mountains of guilt, never to rise up in judgment against us. It purifies the heart, and so removes mountains of corruption, and makes them plain before the grace of God. One great errand to the throne of grace is to pray for the pardon of our sins; and care about this ought to be our daily concern.”
What we have to be careful with here, is to think that Jesus said we can command all our problems to go away. Remember, He also said “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”” John 16:33 ESV. So how do we go about such a prayer, to “cast our mountains into the sea”, those that prevent our relationship with God? I think it starts with checking our own hearts first, such as what is taking our attention when we pray? Jesus said “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.”” Mark 11:25 ESV. Perhaps today, we move a mountain in our lives as opposed to trying to always overcome by climbing it?
