Mark 11:12-14; 19-24 – “Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

And His disciples heard it.

Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.  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.  24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”  NKJV

An aside from what I hope to say is something that stands out in this passage powerfully to me.  In the conclusion of verse 14, after Jesus cursed the fig tree, we find these words, “And His disciples heard it.”  How powerful it is to Hear what Jesus says or has said.  That is a life-changing experience. 

Back to what I desire to address in what I consider a perplexing passage of Scripture and one that many believers have attempted to make a reality in their lives and failed.  Who among us has not faced mountains in our lives?  We all want to know how to remove those barriers that hinder our progress.  Therefore, this scripture is powerfully challenging and wonderfully intriguing.

In Jesus’ day, the people of Judah considered a mountain any hindrance to their progress, as should we.  Therefore, when Jesus told them they could have whatever they said and even told them they could Move Mountains, they could readily identify with His message.  How many of them actually believed His words are quite another story, but then how many in Churches today believe God’s words literally when He says what He does in vv. 23-24?

I recall a story of a woman who had to walk around a mountain every day to get to work in town, and she heard this message preached, so she went home that night and spoke to the mountain, “Be Gone and be cast into the sea.”  She went to bed, got up the next morning, looked out the window, and said, “Just as I expected, still there!” 

I believe the words of Jesus that we can Move Mountains, literally or figuratively, in our lives. Still, there are some rules for mountain moving, and we need to understand the process and principles to find failure a more constant companion that we would like in this regard. We must understand How the hindrance or mountain came to be.

Let me offer this picture and hope it will resonate. 

• If we create a financial mountain by the lack of wisdom in handling finances or lack of discipline, we will not be able to speak to it and move it.  You built it and will have to tear it down stone by stone. 
• If your mountain is a physical illness, and you are aware you are not eating properly, exercising as you should, and generally abusing your body, jeopardizing your health, there possibly will be no moving of that mountain until you correct the problem that produced it. 

I am not saying that if you are sick, it is because you did something wrong, but if you know you brought about whatever the mountain is, you will have to take steps to correct that behavior first. 

Let us consider some rules or instructions for Mountain Moving in our lives.

• Be Careful Not to Build the Mountain in the First Place.

Is that being overly simplistic?  Possibly. It might be presumptive to expect God to allow us to be Mountain Movers when we are Mountain Builders.  Praying for a mountain to move would prove difficult and unlikely if we are responsible for it being there and continuing to add rocks to its height.  I have discovered that in some cases, there is a hindrance to:

Healing because of the presence of a root of bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, etc.

Finances because of disregard for frugality, jealousy, envy, and greed are in the heart.

Right Living because we continue to pursue bad associations.

If we know we are doing things that help create and sustain the mountain, would it not be wise to deal with those issues before trying to speak to that mountain and move it by faith?  I offer that as a thought to consider.

• Be Sure That What You Are Saying Is in Harmony with God’s Word.

Jesus was not talking about prayer in this passage.  He did not ask the Father to move the mountain.  In verse 22, Jesus refers to having “Faith,” faith in God.  He did not say, “Pray that the Father will move the mountain.” He taught that IF we believe and expect the mountain to move, it will move.  An addendum to my comments about us building the mountain: does it not make sense that we can also remove one if we can build a mountain?

Jesus taught his followers that they could move the mountain by “speaking to it.”  Some will find that problematic, but it is what He said.  The first time Jesus used the word “say” in verse 23, the Greek word was [lego], and the second time was [epo], and is used in Mark 1:44.  (Lego) – to say, speak, affirm. (Epo) – a word. It is speaking words.

The implication or message could be: “You have said, or you have been saying.”  It means issuing a command with your own voice and being adamantly firm.  It would be saying to the mountain, “Go throw yourself into the sea.”  The idea is that this is not simply a one-time occurrence but something you say and say and say and say until it happens. 

Again, I am cautious and want to avoid suggesting that if you repeat something repeatedly, you can make it happen.  The key is speaking to what God is speaking. It is to be firmly rooted in His will. The word we speak is with anticipatory faith. It is refusing to give up or give in. It is persistence that flows out of the eyes and heart that has seen it done in Jesus.

• Be Sure Your Heart Is in Line with Your Tongue.

I am convinced that one could talk until they were blue in the face and command whatever they please, but if the heart is not firmly rooted in the pursuit of God and His Kingdom and aligned with His will and purpose, it will be nothing more than words.  Hear the words of Jesus, “…and does not doubt in his heart….”  This is not necessarily evidence of a weakness of faith but uncertainty of heart and mind.

We have God’s promise and may believe God’s word, but if we speak that promise to the mountain with uncertainty in our hearts, then we are at odds with ourselves. In that condition, we fit the classification of “double-mindedness,” and that, we are told, opens no doors. 

Doubt is a breach that excludes God’s help. Doubt is located in the heart, meaning we can change or conquer it.  I have had pilots tell me that fear was the most significant thing they had to overcome in learning to fly.  But as they learned to trust their equipment, fear departed.  Knowledge dispelled and replaced fear with confidence and certainty.

• Be Sure That You Believe What You Are Commanding.

This is where Grace plays a significant role in faith.  Grace is far more than God’s unmerited favor. It is God’s divine enablement.  It is God’s Power in operation. Again, I remind you that we are not talking about prayer but stepping forth on God’s Promise and appropriating the promise.  There are times in our lives when financial burdens, sickness, relational problems, etc., become so large and imposing that they hinder all forward progress and must be moved.  What do we do?

We Prepare Our Hearts.  We remove everything that creates the mountain in our lives. We remove the ground or foundation upon which it is built.  Then, we address the issue by calling it by name, standing on the authority of Scripture, and speaking with confidence free of doubt because if God said it, we know it is true and persist.

Pray this prayer with me:  “Heavenly Father, I believe I am who You say I am and will become all that You say I can become.  Through Your help, I will stop building mountains and become a mountain mover, not a builder.  I will set a guard at my mouth and carefully watch my words so they do not contradict my heart, and I will speak Grace to the mountain that is before me, hindering my path.  It will move and give way to the Power and Will of God.  In Jesus’ Name, I pray.  Amen!”

God bless you as you continue your journey through today’s opportunities and victories.