v. 22-25

Peter says to Jesus in verse 21, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" Then, in verses 22-25, it appears that instead of saying something relevant in response, Jesus suddenly changes the subject and begins to teach about faith, prayer, and forgiveness. However, although these verses indeed discuss faith and prayer, they can in fact make very good sense when interpreted within the context of the destruction of the temple. Since we have been involved with the temple theme all along, we will first examine these verses from this angle, and then we will discuss the specific applications that they have for faith and prayer.

When Solomon dedicates his temple back in 1 Kings 8, he prays, "May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive" (v. 29-30).

Notice the connection that he makes between the temple and prayer, and the temple and forgiveness. In the mind of a Jew, this is the house of prayer, and the place where he offers sacrifices for his sins. But some have so tied worship, prayer, and forgiveness to this place and its system that it has produced in their thinking not only a false conception of piety, but also a false sense of security. Recall the passage from Jeremiah, where the prophet rebukes the people for oppressing the foreigners, the poor, the orphans and the widows, and for following false gods, and yet they think that no evil would befall them because they have the temple of the Lord.

This returns us to a question that we brought up earlier: But what if God abandons his own temple? How then will the people's prayers be answered? And how then will they find forgiveness for their sins? Verses 12-21 tell us that theirs is a religion with only leaves but no fruit, and rather than tolerating it any longer, God has pronounced a final curse upon it. Within one generation, the temple and its system would be destroyed, and the Jews would be either killed or scattered. What would become of true worship? How will man find contact and favor with God?

Jesus answers, "Have faith in God." No one has ever been justified on the basis of obedience to the law, but the basis of a right relationship with God has always been faith and nothing else. As Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." It does not say that you must please God or come to him through the temple system, but as Paul explains, "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law" (Galatians 3:24-25).

The issue had always been faith, and that was the problem with the Jews. Even though they were going through the motions of prayer and sacrifice, they remained in unbelief. "Therefore," Jesus tells them, "I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit" (Matthew 21:43). Of course, the kingdom of God itself cannot be destroyed, but now the administration of grace is no longer tied to the Jewish temple, but to the Church of God, a temple made without hands, made up of those who are circumcised in the heart by the Spirit (see John 4:19-24).

In addition, the truth is that all the elements of temple worship remain, but now we have them in their full manifestation instead of in the form of types and shadows. There is Jesus our mediator, Jesus our sacrifice, and the heavenly Holy of Holies, to which we have ready access by faith in Christ through the Spirit of God.

The passage indicates that even though we no longer have a temple – that is, the building – our prayers are not weakened. Even without the temple, faith can still go so far as to move mountains (v. 23), and to receive "whatever" it asks for in prayer (v. 24). As for forgiveness, although the system of animal sacrifice has disappeared, the true sacrifice has come and remains, which is Jesus Christ the Lamb of God. Thus forgiveness belongs to anyone who has faith – not the mere appearance of piety, but a true faith rooted in a heart that has been transformed by God's grace, and that can now freely extend forgiveness to others (v. 25; also Matthew 18:21-35).

(to be continued)

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