Analysis of Mark 11:22-24

And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. 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. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

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Genre

The book of Mark is a proclamation gospel written by John Mark who was a companion and interpreter of Peter the apostle with the aim of proclaiming the teachings of Jesus to the believers. The gospel of Mark has historically faced controversy by not being written by an original disciple. The gospels such as the book of Mark in the New Testament were written by true believers giving the first-hand account of Jesus teachings. Most of the Christian teachings in the book of Mark comes from the preaching of Peter which was directed to the early Christians with the aim of strengthening their faith. Therefore, the gospel of Mark is the teachings of Peter but arranged and presented by Mark who was the companion of the Apostle Peter.

Big Idea Statements

Faith is necessary for Christians and in the gospel of Mark 11:22-24, Christians are encouraged to pray with absolute confidence, and their prayers shall come to pass.

Prayer plays a significant role in the life of a Christian, and through prayer, a Christians can seek from God.

The two idea statements emphasize the importance of faith and prayer in the life of Christians. Earnest praying according to the passage keeps faith alive and helps Christians to seek the will of God and from God the desires of their hearts. Christians who are mature in faith should keep praying with absolute confidence in the power of God. Jesus Christ taught Christians to pray and to have faith in God which is an important foundation in a life that is in alignment with the will of God. The emphasis on faith in prayers means that Christians should have absolute trust to be able to live a life of abundance and to win worldly tribulations. Prayer and faith cannot be separated, and the gospel of Mark emphasizes that with faith believers can be able to command a mountain to be moved into the sea.

Observations

In the passage, what stands out is how Jesus emphasizes Christians to have absolute faith in God for their prayers to be fulfilled. The passage is a demonstration of the great things that the Christians can be able to achieve through prayers and faith. The mountain in the passage is a metaphor for the great tribulations and needs of Christians which can be met through prayer and faith in God. Prayer is the fellowship between God and Christians and the passage seeks Christians to show unshakeable positivity and optimism in prayers to live a life of abundance. The passage shows the unconditional love and providence of God to Christians. Jesus teaches Christians to be prayerful and to believe they have received what they have prayed for it to be manifested. This passage shows the unchanging eternal relationship between God and the Christians. The passage shows that the only approach that Christians can have fellowship with God is through prayers and all that pray and believe their prayers shall manifest. It can also be observed that the love of God to his people is infinite and there is goodness in believing in God who is the provider and all powerful. The gospel of Mark teachings on prayer and faith in the passage is in alignment with the other three gospels which write on different scenarios where Jesus prayed and how he emphasized that through faith the believers can heal and cast out demons. The passage was written when Christians were going through tribulations and suffering to remind them that God has not abandoned them and that they can have a fellowship with him through prayers. In addition, the gospel of Mark in the passage notes that God wants his people to depend on him through faith and their needs shall be fulfilled.

Interpretation

Mark 11:22-24 talks about having faith in God. The scene happened a few days before Jesus met his death through crucifixion. He was in Jerusalem. In the last days of his ministry, Jesus was using various parables and examples to show the state of Israel and the widening gap between them and God. In the immediate context before Mark 11:22-24, Jesus had talked about the fig tree that was unproductive. The fig tree could be equated to the Israelites who were no longer adhering to the covenant they entered with their God. Israelites were no longer believing in their Supreme God. Jesus had cursed the fig tree because of its unproductive nature. Therefore, on a material day, Peter, one of the twelve disciples commented about the withered tree (after being cursed by Jesus). In his response, Jesus told the disciples to believe in God.

Having understood the context unto which the words were spoken, it is possible to place them in their rightful context. In Mark 11:22-24, Jesus further delves into the element of faith in God. He had noted that the disciples and the Israelites were not having staunch faith in God. Therefore, he assured them that if one had faith, it was possible to order a mountain to move to the sea. In verse twenty-three, Jesus emphasizes the power of faith in God. In other areas, Jesus had talked about faith as a general topic. However, as his days neared, he specifically talked about having faith in God. The specific piece talks about having faith in God and praying without a doubt since the prayers shall be answered. Faith can be manifested in various forms. Jesus was very specific in his teachings. He taught the disciples to have unwavering faith in God if they wanted to see the best results.

The language used is supposed to create a visual picture in the minds of the listeners. In previous teachings just had used visual elements such as a camel passing through the hole of a needle. Such an example would easily click with the real situation that the disciples and other people could identify with. In this case, there is no record of a disciple or a Christian ordering a mountain to move to the sea. The teaching, however, showed how solid faith in God could be if used in the right manner. Faith in God supported by the visual picture comes out as a very strong and powerful element. A power that can order mountains to move to the sea cannot be ignored. Jesus often challenged his disciples for having limited faith in God.

In the scene where he appeared to them walking on water, he challenged Peter to walk on water. Peter started drowning. He had little faith in Him (Jesus) and also in God. Considering that his days on earth were coming to an end, Jesus was concerned that the gospel would be ruined if he did not leave powerful soldiers to steer it forward. In his absence, the disciples would most likely lose faith and hope. He wanted to leave a solid battalion that would be ready to face any form of intimidation from the society. In verse 24, he concludes by stating that "therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." The verse, therefore, merges two important tools, prayer, and faith. Prayer without faith is futile. Earlier on Jesus had taught the disciples how to pray. He was reinforcing the knowledge by letting them learn that no matter how much they prayed if they did not have faith in the living God, the prayers would not be answered.

Theology and prayer are integral elements in Christian faith. Prayer is an important experience in Christian life. There are several things that a Christian should know about prayer in the bible. First, Jesus prayed a lot in his work on earth. There are numerous scenes in the bible in which he is seen praying. These include Luke 3:21-22 during his baptism, John 6:11 when he fed the 5000, Luke 9:18 before he was called "the Christ" by Peter among others. Therefore, Jesus was leading by example. He wanted the disciples to learn the importance of prayer. Today's gospel is also anchored on the importance of prayer.

Jesus knew the relationship between prayer and faith. Faith is defined as complete trust or confidence in someone or something. In this case, it is total trust and belief in God. It is not possible to trust in God when one believes sparingly. The only way that a Christian can live is by fully trusting in God. In today's world, the relationship between faith and reason is much contested, at least in terms of the degree to which they overlap. One of the significant challenges encountered by Christianity in today's world is its relationship with science. One outstanding element of faith is that it is a practical aspect evident in daily life. As Christians, the faith that one has must be directed to God. God s timing and faith are two intertwined concepts. Some Christians often lose faith in God due to the nature of the experiences they go through in their daily lives. It is often hard to convince a Christian who is suffering from the power of prayer and faith.

Faith is a significant theme in the New Testament. Focusing on other sections in the New Testament, it appears that some books like the book of James were written to explain the role of faith in Christian life. Majority of interpreters would agree that in some way, James was written to contradict a defective understanding of faith. As an important theme throughout the old and New Testament, the concept of faith was shallowly understood. The prayers that Jesus directed to God, such as during the time that he was feeding the 5000 were supposed to show the people the power of prayer and faith. Majority of the followers could not understand how Jesus was praying yet he was the son of God. However, it should be understood that Jesus had come to bridge the gap that had existed between man and God. In the scene where he cursed the unproductive fig tree (a day before Mark 11:22-24), Jesus showed that he was the servant sent to make the fig tree productive or curse the people who were not ready to reunite with their God. As Jesus taught, no one could go to his father except through him. He was the only gateway to salvation. Jesus did not assure his disciples that their work would be simple upon his death. He urged them to remain prayerful and united regardless of the struggles that they would have to go through as they spread the gospel.

Application

Faith and prayer are significant elements of Christianity, and they purport to create fellowship between Christians and God. Earnest praying by Christians especially in the world today which had many challenges can help Christians to overcome challenges and to get their faith strengthened. Jesus Christ died on the cross for humankind brought man more close to God and through prayers man can be able to intercede for his needs and God as a provider will hear and provide for man. However, it is important for man to have faith when praying. Faith makes prayers practicable and helps man to enjoy the abundance in the kingdom of God. Earnest prayers play a significant role in developing greater faith in God and Christianity teachings. Praying is a way through which Christians walk with God and give God control of our life. Since men are made in the image of God and the fact that we are the temple of God prayer and faith helps man to manifest the God who lives in every believer through the Holy Spirit.

The bible which is a reference tool for every Christian insists that man can do anything through him who is in us. Prayer and faith help Christians to be strengthened because the gospel holds that "he who in us is greater than the one in the world." This scenario gives evidence of the challenges that every Christian faces today, but the death of Christ on the cross is for every man to live and to live life in...