Mark 11

Giant Fig tree, a photo by william-zimpel (away on a long break..Thanks all ) on Flickr.

Introduction to Mark 11  
Faith as Abandonment
Day 32　October 10, 2011  Image Links 3
今日初めて歌った曲：　Hosanna

No. You don't want to abandon faith in God. Abondon something else.
To cut to the chase, abondon idols. That's what Jesus declares by cursing
the fig tree (with the destructive power of God, which He demonstrates
only here in the gospel).
[You must read Hosea (especially, 9:10&16) to understand this profound act.
Moreover, He did it, knowing 100% and being willing 100% to take on 
himself the curse He pronounced! In fact, Hosea, Hosanna, and Joshua/Jesus
all come from the same Hebrew word yasha, which means "save."]

The tree's – actually, “anything's” in this world and in the world to come - 
the tree's ultimate purpose of being there was to be there for its master. 
There is nothing more important for it than to be there for its Owner/Creator. 

To please Him when it is given an opportunity to do so should be its highest joy 
and priority over anything else. It is thrilled, normally, when He comes, to be there
for Him. It welcomes Him, “wagging its tail,” so to speak. It is ready to perform
miracles by the faith in Him (22-24).

It failed, however, even to recognize Him and bear fruit to meet His needs. 
It doesn't matter whether it is summer or winter. When its master, the Lord
of the seasons, comes, it IS the season. And there He was,
with a hungry stomach.

But it was busy living for something else. It had lived that way so long 
that it had lost the senses and its true identity. It had forgotten 
that it was created for a purpose. It was confused, perhaps, living for something
else. Living for something “vile,” it had become as vile as the thing it loved
(Hosea 9:10). 

Faith recognizes the object which it lives for. It abandons everything else
at once when it sees the target of its attention and runs to Him, like a child
that runs singlemindedly toward its favorite person when He heaves in sight. 

No mountain in his heart is big enough to stop the child from receiving Him. 
To make way or space for Him, the child commands it to throw itself into the sea. 
Whatever gets in the way is removed. Doubts? No time for them. He is so happy. 
So happy to see Him. And it cannot not bear fruit. It will extend its hand, saying, 
Eat this! This one, too! I'm so glad you are here.”

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