In today's Gospel Reading from Mark 12, we read: "Early in the morning, as Jesus and his disciples were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter remembered and said to him, 'Rabbi, look. The fig tree that you cursed has withered.' Jesus said to them in reply, 'Have faith in God. Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be lifted up and thrown into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it shall be done for him. Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.'" The last statement here reveals what the Lord wants us to know. The dramatic example of commanding a mountain to be lifted up and thrown into the sea was simply used to make his point. What we ask for must be reasonable, and above all, conform to God's will. The withering of the fig tree serves the same purpose. By the way, Matthew 21 reported the same incident. There we learn that Jesus was hungry upon seeing the fig tree. When he found no fruit on it, he cursed it. Perhaps the lesson there is that if we do not bear fruit, we will wither.
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