What does Mark 11:20-26 mean?

²⁰ And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ²¹ And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. ²² And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ²³ For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. ²⁴ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. ²⁵ And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. ²⁶ But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. (Mark 11:20-26 KJV)

The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

The previous evening, Jesus left the city of Jerusalem as usual (Mark 11:19), probably in the dark, so they didn’t see the fig tree. But the next morning, they saw it dried up from the roots (Mark 11:20). Often more is included in Christ’s curses than is stated. Though he only said it would never bear fruit again, the result went further—it dried up completely. If it wouldn’t bear fruit, it wouldn’t even bear leaves to deceive people. This reflected the condition of the Jewish church—now a tree dried up from the roots, useful only as firewood. The Levitical priesthood was originally confirmed by a dry rod that budded overnight (Numbers 17:8), a sign of fruitfulness. Now, by contrast, its end was marked by a flourishing tree withering overnight—a just punishment for corrupt priests.

This seemed shocking to the disciples. They could hardly believe the Jews, long God’s chosen people, could be abandoned. But that’s what comes of rejecting Christ. Peter remembered Christ’s words and, amazed, said, “Master, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered” (Mark 11:21). Christ’s curses have real power—those he curses are truly cursed.

Christ used this moment to teach them valuable lessons, showing that even a withered tree can bear spiritual fruit.

First, he taught them to pray with faith (Mark 11:22): “Have faith in God.” They marveled at his authority. “Why,” said Christ, “a strong faith would give your prayers similar power” (Mark 11:23-24). “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ if he doesn’t doubt but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done.” Faith built on God’s word—whether a promise or a command—can overcome the greatest challenges.

Therefore, “Whatever you pray for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24). That’s Christ’s guarantee: “You will receive it.” This applies to:

1. The faith of miracles, which the apostles had and which worked wonders—healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons. These were like moving mountains. The apostles spoke of such faith, even where love was missing (1 Corinthians 13:2).
2. The spiritual miracle of saving faith, which every true Christian possesses. It justifies (Romans 5:1), removing the mountain of guilt and casting it into the sea forever (Micah 7:19). It purifies the heart (Acts 15:9), removing the mountain of sin and making it flat before God’s grace (Zechariah 4:7). By faith we conquer the world, extinguish Satan’s arrows, are crucified with Christ and yet live. We see the invisible, keep God before us, and through faith, mountains are removed—at God’s presence, they melt (Psalm 114:4-7).

Second, Jesus added that effective prayer requires forgiveness and love for others (Mark 11:25-26): “When you stand praying, forgive.” The Jews often prayed standing; they even called prayers “standings.” They believed prayer sustained the world. Early Christians usually knelt in prayer, especially during fasting, except on the Lord’s Day.

When praying, we must pray for others, including enemies. We can’t truly pray for God to bless them if we harbor resentment. If we’ve wronged someone, we must make it right before praying (Matthew 5:23-24). But if someone has wronged us, we must forgive from the heart right away.

1. Because that helps us obtain forgiveness ourselves: “Forgive, so your Father may forgive you”—meaning we must be ready to receive his forgiveness in a way that honors him. He won’t grant mercy to those who refuse to show it.
2. Because if we don’t forgive others—if we hate, hold grudges, seek revenge, or slander them—then “neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

This should always be remembered in prayer, especially since asking for forgiveness is one of our main reasons for praying. It should also be a daily concern, because prayer is part of our daily walk. Christ often emphasized this because he wanted his disciples to love one another.