Its a full moon, and I think I have full moon fever! Or maybe its just that spring is in the air ( and the Mountaineers are in the Final Four!!! ( did I mention that already?). But whatever it is it I am pumped and ready to tackle the days ahead.
Its Monday in the week leading up to Easter. Today was the day Jesus cleared out the temple and cursed a unproductive fig tree. Some may think that he was a little crazy for doing that, and it seems a little odd, however this was a symbolic action tied directly to his acceptance in Jerusalem. Anyway what is even more interesting is what he says when his followers stand in amazement of the withered tree. ( I mean really, when is the last time you saw someone tell a tree to wither and poof, it withers away?)
21Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:21-22 (New International Version)
Right, he says if you have faith and don’t doubt you can tell the mountain to jump into the sea? Ok,talk about full moon fever. He also says if you believe it will happen and if you forgive it will be forgiven. This is a challenging set of statements all the way around. I often wonder what it takes to have a faith that has no doubt. I really wonder what that person looks like. Do you think that we might find that person a little odd – someone with full moon fever? I dunno, but I really wish I could be that type of person. And I think that you get there one day at a time.
This was the second time Jesus told his followers about the power of a small amount of faith. In Matthew 17, he tells them that all you need is faith like a itty bitty little mustand seed and nothing will be impossible for you. So today I will think about how much he loves us and the events of the coming weekend and mustard seeds, and moving mountains and becoming a mountaineer, and catching full moon fever! What do you think?