"He Said So!"

   Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.
   And seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." And immediately the fig tree withered away.
   Now when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"
   So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done.
   And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21:18-22

Today as I was reading through, the disciples question jumped out at me? "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?" Seems to me this is a rather silly question for them to be asking at this point in the game and what I mean by that is this ...They saw and heard Him speak to the tree!

They had seen and heard Him speak to and or perform any number of miracles, signs, and wonders as they traveled with Him. They were there in the beginning when He turned water into wine, spoke and calmed the storms. They were there when He called Lazarus forth from the grave even though he had been dead and buried for three days. They where there when He walked on water, multiplied food, cast out demons, and when He healed people on a daily basis! They were there seeing over and over the ease with which He walked in the power and anointing of The Father and still they asked, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?" Even though they had been around all that He said and did they still asked, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?" Seems silly? Doesn't it? I say that because it seems that the answer is obvious especially considering all that they had seen and heard during their travels with Him  ....Because He spoke and told it to! Jesus Christ, the Anointed One told it to ..."Let no fruit grow on you ever again." And (Of Course) immediately the fig tree withered away.

So now that we are busy thinking the disciples are silly because of their question lets take a look at what Jesus answered.  "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done.  And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." I love this answer. Look at it. He doesn't point out their lack of faith or understanding. He doesn't respond they way that I would! I would be saying, "Where have you been?  Haven't you been paying attention? I told it too!"  Instead, He takes the opportunity speak faith into their hearts.

He spoke to the tree and the fig tree withered! The next words He spoke, were in response to the word 'how.'  "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done.  And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." He spoke and the water turned to wine. He spoke and the storm was calmed. He spoke and the sick were healed. Etc. Etc. Etc! He spoke and the dead were raised to life. He spoke and gave the key to 'how' to His followers.

Now, here today, you and I as followers, have a choice to make. Are we, like the disciples, going to spend our time wondering and asking, "How?"  Or will we let the words He spoke plant faith in our hearts and believe? Will we let His words accomplish what they were intended to?

He told the fig tree to stop bearing fruit when He said, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again," and it immediately withered away. With His next words He told you and I to have faith and believe. He said, "Assuredly, I say to YOU ...if YOU have faith and do not doubt, YOU will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if YOU say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea, it will be done.  And all things, whatever YOU ask in prayer, believing, YOU will receive."

Have faith! Believe! Go move some mountains! Why? Because ... He said SO!

(Fig tree obeyed ... Will You?)