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Explanation for:
Matthew
21
:
22
And in all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.
12
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"In order for you to understand that this was accomplished for the sake of the disciples specifically to strengthen their faith, heed the following words. What does Christ proclaim? You will accomplish great wonders, if your faith is combined with prayer and trust. Do you recognize that everything has been done to assure the disciples so that they need not be afraid or cower before the schemes of the adversary? Thus, He reiterates this message once more, to bolster their confidence in faith and prayer. He assures them not only will they achieve this, but through the power of their faith and prayer, they will also move mountains and perform even greater wonders."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The voices of the Gentiles rise up against you, inscribed in their writings as a testament to their own malice, asserting that the apostles lacked faith since they were unable to perform feats like moving mountains. In response, we assert that, as highlighted in the Gospel of John, our Lord performed numerous wonders, and if every one were documented, the world itself could not contain the volumes needed to record them (Jn. 21:25). This does not imply that the world is incapable of holding such accounts; indeed, a single cupboard or drawer could hold various records. What it suggests is that the enormity of these miracles and the prevailing disbelief among people render the world unable to bear their significance. Thus, we hold that the apostles indeed performed these miracles, but their absence from the records serves the purpose of preventing further opportunities for skeptics to raise objections. \\n\\nLet us then inquire whether they believe in the documented miracles or not. When we observe their disbelief, we may reasonably conclude that they would be unlikely to accept even more. This stance is detrimental to their position. However, as previously mentioned, when we speak of mountains, we interpret them as representing the proud adversary, who defiantly rebels against his Creator; he is also referred to as a ruined mountain by the prophet. When he takes root in the human soul, he can be cast into the sea, which symbolizes a place of bitterness and turmoil that lacks divine sweetness, by the apostles and those who emulate them. This concept is echoed in the Psalms. Therefore, let us not be afraid when the earth is in upheaval and the mountains are cast into the depths of the sea (Psalm 45:2)."},{"author-name":"Anonymous Commentary (Opus Imperfectum)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The gift of faith is bestowed by God; however, it is cultivated and reinforced by humanity. Faith serves to protect you from wickedness and engages you in acts of righteousness. The more diligently you distance yourself from wrongdoing and pursue virtue, the more your faith is fortified. Conversely, the less you resist evil and the more you disregard good deeds, the more fragile your faith becomes."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Mark (Mark 11:24) stated: \\"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them\\"..., referring to all things, which signifies not merely everything, but rather all things that are deserving."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The promise made by Christ to His followers is indeed profound: we have the capacity to move mountains if we do not waver in our faith—if we harbor no doubts—and whatever we seek in belief of God's might shall be granted. One might pose the question: if I request something detrimental and concurrently have an unreasonable expectation that God will provide it, will I receive such a harmful item? Furthermore, how can a God of love cater to a request that brings harm to me? Consider this: when discussing faith, it is essential to understand that we should not refer to a misguided belief, but rather to authentic faith; our prayers should be directed towards beneficial things, as the Lord instructs us: ‘Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ Furthermore, take note of the phrase ‘doubt not.’ For someone who is closely united with God—truly one with Him—how could they request anything that would be detrimental? Therefore, if we remain closely connected with God, our requests will align with what is truly good, and we shall receive that which is beneficial."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In all your prayers, if you ask with genuine faith, your requests will be granted. Prayer, fueled by faith, brings humanity into direct communion with the Almighty and allows one to participate in God's infinite power. The Lord bestows upon us His supreme authority, granting dominion over creation. However, the Lord also instructed, “when you pray in this manner, you must forgive anyone who has wronged you; failing to do so means your heavenly Father will not forgive your transgressions, and without this forgiveness, yours lacks true potency.” This unforeseen reminder was particularly beneficial to the disciples. Despite their sincere hearts, they still needed the selflessness essential for the apostles, who were given the authority to command the elements of nature. It seemed praiseworthy to them, for instance, to invoke fire from heaven to annihilate entire towns merely for the inhabitants’ lack of reverence towards the Lord (Luke 9:54). In this mindset, the actions of their Master concerning the fig tree could have been misinterpreted and might have wrongly reinforced the belief that a servant of God could wield miraculous gifts in retaliation against adversaries. Thus, it was crucial to remind them that faith devoid of love holds no significance. The disciples surely grasped the deeper meaning behind the teaching on forgiving offenses. Blessed Theophylact comments: “Some may argue, if I request something harmful, mistakenly believing that the Lord will grant it because I ask in faith, will I truly receive this harmful gift simply on the basis of my faith? I respond, how can God show mercy if He fulfills a request that endangers me? When discussing faith, contemplate true faith—not misguided faith—but the faith that the Lord refers to and the prayer through which we seek what is beneficial, as the Lord instructed, saying: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13). Furthermore, take note of the phrase: doubt not. For one who is united with God and remains perpetually in communion with Him cannot seek anything harmful. Therefore, if we remain intimately connected with God, with unwavering faith, we shall receive what is beneficial according to our petitions, for the Lord bestows good and not evil.”"},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In prayer accompanied by faith, one finds an essential prerequisite for receiving that which is sought. \\"All things\\" encompasses indeed all that aligns with God's divine will."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Jesus spoke about the potency of faith, stating, \\"Do not marvel that the fig tree is withered.\\" He assured them, “Truly I tell you, if you possess unwavering faith that knows no doubt, you will accomplish greater feats than what I did to the fig tree. The strength of your steadfast faith will enable you to surmount every hindrance you encounter in fulfilling the will of God; and should it be required for this mountain to be uprooted and cast into the sea, understand that even this seemingly impossible miracle can be realized.\\" \\n\\nRegarding the authority of miracles, skeptics often question, \\"Why didn’t the Apostles or Jesus move even a single mountain?\\" The One who could resurrect a decaying body, who commanded the storms and waves, who healed every ailment with a word, and who rose from the dead certainly possessed the ability to relocate mountains, and He would have done so if needed. The gift of miracle-working was bestowed upon the Apostles, who demonstrated such power, as noted in the Acts of the Apostles. However, this ability was not granted for the amusement of onlookers, but to fulfill God's purposes; it was not the divine intention for them to shift mountains, as there was no necessity for such actions, nor did they aspire to perform that kind of miracle.\\n\\nIt is essential to recognize that the miracles performed by the Apostles and other holy individuals were not executed by their own strength, but through the power of God: the Lord enacted these wonders through their prayers, for only God holds supreme power. The Apostles were endowed with the ability to perform miracles when they were sent to preach. Yet they faltered in healing a boy possessed by a demon, lacking at that moment a firm faith in the omnipotence of the One who granted them this authority (Matthew 17:19; Mark 9:28). Had James and John called for fire to consume the inhospitable Samaritans (Luke 9:54), such fire would probably not have descended, as Jesus clarified to them that miraculous power was entrusted to them for benevolent deeds, rather than punishment of transgressors. This leads to the understanding that God alone performs miracles, both directly and through the prayers of those distinguished by their profound righteousness and holiness.\\n\\nIt is pertinent to mention the concept of miracle-working icons. Some of the less enlightened believe the icon itself holds the ability to perform miracles. This belief is not only misguided but also perilous. It is incorrect because icons—depictions of the Savior, the Mother of God, or holy figures—cannot wield omnipotence or command the forces of nature. It is dangerous as it can devolve into the worship of the icon as if it were God Himself. We honor holy icons without sin (despite misconceptions held by some sects). However, if we assume that it is not God who works miracles through the prayers of those venerating a miracle-working icon, but rather the icon itself, this constitutes a breach of the second commandment given at Sinai.\\n\\nThe Lord performs many miracles through the prayers of individuals, including those who are sinful, on a daily basis; yet, we often overlook them or fail to recognize the grace of God, dismissing them as ordinary occurrences. Only miracles witnessed publicly, unmistakably, and without dispute, draw our attention. Therefore, the Lord manifests these wonders at certain revered icons, known as miraculous, to remind sinful humanity of His mercy and to draw them toward Himself."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"When the disciples marveled at the effectiveness of their Master's words, He imparted to them a teaching about the might of faith. Faith holds such immense power that if one who possesses it commands a mountain to ‘Rise up and be cast into the sea,’ it shall come to pass. ‘And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer in faith, ye shall receive.’"},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The following day after the significant entry into Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus Christ returned to the city in the morning with His twelve disciples, though this time it lacked the grandeur of the previous day. Naturally, His thoughts turned to the prior day’s events, where the fleeting excitement of the crowd starkly contrasted with the profound spiritual blindness of the Jewish religious leaders—the priests and scholars of the people—who were revealed as His staunchest adversaries. These individuals, masking their spiritual emptiness with superficial piety and righteous deeds, frequently faced scathing rebukes from the incarnate Truth. \\n\\nTo illustrate their spiritual barrenness, and that of the entire Jewish nation following them, the Lord employed the vivid metaphor of a fig tree that bore no fruit. This tree, lush with wide leaves yet void of any yield, perfectly represented the empty observance of the law devoid of true vitality. The fig tree in His parable remained unproductive for three years; it had been condemned by its owner to be uprooted to prevent wasting space, yet, at the gardener’s suggestion, it was granted one additional year to see if it might finally produce fruit under careful tending (Luke 13:6-9). This situation mirrored the condition of the Jewish synagogue during the ministry of the Lord Jesus. It became evident that the time of divine patience extended to her had ultimately gone unheeded, only serving to harden her resolve. By rejecting her Messiah and failing to embrace the dawn of new life brought forth by the covenant of grace (Hebrews 10:1), she was forfeiting her last flickers of vitality and moving towards her inevitable conclusion.\\n\\nThe significant act that the Lord was about to perform in front of His disciples served as a continuation and culmination of the previous parable of the fig tree. The inhabitants of the biblical East have historically engaged with symbolic actions that embodied various abstract truths. Even in ancient times, prophets practiced such actions to engrain their words within the hearts and minds of their contemporaries (1 Samuel 11:30; Jeremiah 19:10; 27:2). The Savior utilized this effective means to convey His message. In a moment of human need, as Blessed Theophylact elaborates, He felt hunger \\"in a special way.\\" In the distance, on the road, a lone fig tree stood out; while the time for harvesting figs had not yet arrived, the tree’s foliage, which typically appears only after fruit, suggested a possibility of finding either winter figs—autumn produce that often remained on the tree—or early figs that ripened in spring and were of exceptional quality (Jeremiah 24:2). These figs were a cherished delicacy amongst the people of Palestine (1 Samuel 30:12). The Lord directed His steps towards this roadside tree, not to satisfy His own hunger, as noted by St. John Chrysostom, but rather to impart a vital lesson to His disciples.\\n\\nThe Omniscient One was well aware of what He would encounter. Although it was not yet harvest time, the fig tree was entirely barren; there was neither winter fruit nor any sign of new figs for the summer—only an abundance of leaves covering its branches. The Lord approached this tree, majestic in appearance yet devoid of substance and misleading in its fruitlessness, which symbolized the Jewish synagogue along with its leaders, including the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees, represented by the blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14). This barrenness, as expressed in church hymnody, epitomized an unfruitful and withered assembly, cloaked in the foliage of mere intellectual understanding yet lacking the fruit of righteous actions. The hypocrisy that the Lord had condemned so passionately was now vividly depicted before Him and His disciples.\\n\\nAs a condemnation for the hypocrites and a lesson for His followers, He pronounced His sovereign judgment upon the fig tree: \\"Let there be no fruit from thee forever, and let no man bear fruit from thee forever.\\" The disciples grasped the significance of the Master’s words and quickly saw their immediate efficacy as the fig tree withered away. This miracle served a moral purpose for the Lord's closest companions, demonstrating His role as an impartial judge who addresses all pretense and deceit while also preparing them for the forthcoming events. As St. John Chrysostom stated, \\"He benefited no one and punished all, showcasing His justice and retribution so that both the disciples and the Jews might recognize His authority in withering those who crucified Him, even as He willingly submitted to crucifixion.\\" When the disciples witnessed the fig tree's desiccation, they were astonished and asked, \\"How could the fig tree dry up?\\" The Lord then redirected this miracle towards their moral instruction, saying, \\"Amen, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you shall not only accomplish this with the fig tree, but you may also say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it shall be done, and all things if you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.\\""},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"During the night from Monday to Tuesday, Christ likely remained on the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37). As He entered Jerusalem on Tuesday morning, the disciples observed the fig tree that Christ had cursed the previous day, expressing their astonishment to the Lord that it had already dried up. In response to their observation, Christ offered them two significant teachings: first, that they too could perform remarkable works if they approached God in faith during their prayers (Mt. Mk.); second, that for their prayers to be effective, they must also practice forgiveness towards those who have wronged them (Mk.). This latter teaching, paired with the promise of faith bringing about boundless miraculous deeds, was essential for the disciples. It was crucial that, while they might outwardly imitate the Lord in cursing the fig tree, they did not misuse such miracles to exact punishment on their offenders."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"On the morning when He was journeying to Jerusalem with His disciples, He experienced hunger and sought to satisfy it with the fruit from a fig tree that He observed in the distance. The tree was lush with leaves, leading one to anticipate that it might bear fruit at this time near the Passover. However, as the Lord approached the tree, He found nothing but those very leaves he had seen from afar. In response, He pronounced a curse upon it, causing it to wither immediately. This act would be puzzling if it held no deeper significance; the curse must be directed at something genuinely deserving of the Lord's anger. To prevent His followers from interpreting this deed merely as a manifestation of His personal frustration, the Lord reiterated His earlier teaching that when they pray to God, they should petition not only with faith but also with a spirit of reconciliation toward all who have wronged them. He then assured them that they would not only be capable of similar miracles, such as making the fig tree wither, but even greater ones.\\n\\nSo what, then, is the significance of this curse upon the unfruitful fig tree? Its true meaning is illuminated by the Lord's parable concerning the fig tree (Luke 13:6). This fig tree, which bore only leaves, symbolized the Jewish nation, whose devotion was merely an outward display of ceremonial practices, devoid of true substance. Just as the tree, failing to fulfill its purpose and bearing no fruit, ultimately perishes, so too must the chosen nation face judgment for no longer adhering to its intended purpose. This judgment had been foreseen and was now culminating in a decisive moment. In essence, the outcome of the fig tree’s curse was a parable illustrating God’s judgment against the people of Judah—an assertion the Lord enacted not just through words but through tangible deeds. While this meaning remained obscured at that moment, as it might have been too burdensome for the disciples to comprehend, it was destined to be revealed. The subsequent events will determine whether the leaders of the people merited such a judgment."}]}
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