Mark 11

Today I just have a few miscellaneous observations,

Mar 11:10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David,
who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!
Mar 11:11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem and into the temple.
And when He had looked around on all things,
the hour already being late,
He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

I had glossed right over this the first time I read it,
but by coincidence this is the same scripture we are studying
in our Monday night group.
Someone pointed out the fact that verse 11 seems kind of anti-climatic,
I mean, this is the Triumphal Entry!
the moment he has been putting off until "my time has come",
and what happens?
He looks around the temple, and leaves for Bethany?

okay....

So the next day a LOT happens in the temple.
I just thought it was interesting that nothing happened
on the big day
(unless I missed something?)

-=-=-=-

The next thing that captured my attention is this:

Mar 11:24 Therefore I say to you, All things, whatever you ask, praying,
believe that you shall receive them, and it will be to you.
Mar 11:25 And when you stand praying,
if you have anything against anyone,
forgive it so that also your Father in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mar 11:26 But if you do not forgive,
neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses.

He said this as the disciples noticed the fig tree had withered
after Jesus cursed it.
What I thought was interesting was the second verse,
where he adds the condition "if you have anything against anyone".
Is he adding this as a requirement for having prayers answered?
Do our own trespasses need to be forgiven for these
types of prayers to be effective?
I really don't know....
It sounds plausible,
but I would rather not build doctrine on a misunderstanding.

I went back to Matthew to see if he said it diffferently
or maybe I just missed it,
but no:

Mat 21:21 Jesus answered and said to them,
Truly I say to you, If you have faith and do not doubt,
you shall not only do this miracle of the fig tree, but also;
if you shall say to this mountain, Be moved and be thrown into the sea;
it shall be done.
Mat 21:22 And all things,
whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

So that is no help.
The part about forgiveness wasn't in Matthew.

Maybe I need to get one of those "Harmony of the Gospels"
things so I can get the whole picture
before I start trying to analyze it.

Here's one:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/study/harmony/index.html

hmmm, I just noticed this harmony pairs
Mark 11:24-25 with Matthew 6:14-15
I certainly don't agree with that!

This one is more accurate, at least for these verses:
http://www.lifeofchrist.com/life/harmony.html

Wow, this one is really cool!
It has the complete text with lots of notes and stuff
http://www.hjg.com.ar/ce/resumi.html

anyway...
It just seems interesting that he speaks about forgiveness
during his explanation of permanently crippling the fig tree.
(He certainly didn't forgive the barren tree!)

So I know I am missing something here,
but I will just let it soak for awhile.
Maybe when I revisit this in the book of Luke
I will gain more insight, eh?

Ha, I just checked those harmonies again, no luck in Luke!
(Or in the gospel of John, either)
http://www.hjg.com.ar/ce/c11i.html#ss08
oh well....

-=-=-=-

I also noticed he uses the phrase "when you stand praying" in verse 11:24
I don't pray all that much, but when I do it is usually
brief moments in the car, or in the bathroom
or at odd moments throughout the day.
nothing formal.

I find that when I set out to pray in a more formal way,
my mind is easily distracted,
I can't focus on it for too long.

I'm sure it is primarily from lack of practice,
but even in church where supposedly the stage is set for prayer
(If you can't pray in a church...)
I still find it difficult.

And I am so lazy.
If I were to try it standing, it sure wouldn't last long.

I always thought my most effective prayer time
(although rare)
was half-sitting/half lying on a comfortable couch
in semi-darkness
with new age music lightly playing in the background.

So that is why the phrase "when you stand praying"
seems so strange to me.

So when YOU pray,
do you look up?
or do you look down?
Do you stand?