Mark 11:22 Explained

"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God." — Mark 11:22 (KJV)

Four words answering a question about a withered fig tree, and the object of the faith is the whole instruction.

Read it in context: The Book of Mark. Also gathered under verses about faith.

Mark 11:22 in context

What does Mark 11:22 mean?

The Greek could be rendered 'have the faith of God' and has been argued over for centuries, but the plain sense governs what follows: the faith commended has an object, and the object is God rather than the outcome. That distinction does the work in the verses after it, which are otherwise easily read as a technique for getting things. Faith here is not confidence in your own believing.

What is the context of Mark 11:22?

Jesus had cursed a fig tree the previous morning and cleansed the temple between. Peter points out the next day that the tree has withered. This is the reply, and what follows is the difficult passage about moving mountains and receiving what you ask.

How do I pray Mark 11:22?

Say the four words and then name the object, because the sentence is mostly wasted without it. If you are trying to believe hard enough for something to happen, the verse is pointing somewhere else — not at the strength of the belief but at who it is in.

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