Pt 3 - The Power of Words: The Coolest Force in the Universe

In part 1 and part 2, we have studied how words can be aligned with the content of our hearts. Good or evil. For blessing or cursing. For life or death.

And here we are: the fig tree dilemma

The Gospels of the evangelists contain multiple stories showing Jesus proactively using his words for a purpose. The most classic (and shocking) story is that of Jesus cursing the fig tree:

“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. (…) In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” Mark 11:12–20

This story with the fig tree ends “the next day”. In the meantime, Jesus enters the temple courtyard and chases the money changers with a whip of cords (another shocking story about Jesus), Mark 11:15–17.

Both stories are often seen as interconnected, both condemning the political and religious establishment of the day. The curse of the fig tree is usually seen as a metaphor.

Please, no selfish use of God’s creational power (of our words)

And here we arrive at the point of this short essay.

Jesus' creative words indeed did unleash a power to curse the fig tree, but that action was part of a larger and broader picture, like overturning the tables of the money changers. Still in the same chapter, we find what could be Jesus’s own explanation for both his provocative actions :

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.

“Truly, I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:22–24

Where does the Word of Faith movement get it wrong (notwithstanding that there are indeed good things in the movement)?

This verse in the Bible should not be seen as a stand-alone that we can use no matter the context and the intention.

I am well aware how much this verse has been weaponized by the Word of Faith (charismatic) theology.

We were told to speak our “mountain” into the sea (aka get healed, get a job, get married … get your soccer team to win,… get your favorite political candidate elected).

Gemini 2.5 flash

When what we prayed for didn’t happen, we were left to feel guilty, like our faith was not big enough.

When it did happen, we took it automatically as a good thing (huh?). After some time and some marriages ended in divorce. Some bad politicians were elected? It looked like we had to go back to our Bibles and do some serious reading.

The power unleashed by our words has to fit the broader, general context that God has set up and made us known to be His will. Here in Mark chapter 11, a condemnation of the religious and political elite who were about to kill Jesus, which realized when in 70 AD the Jerusalem temple was destroyed.

Words creating an alternate reality?

The Word of Faith movement bases all their theology on telling the mountain to throw itself into the sea and not doubting that it shall happen.

Without the broader context of God’s specific will in a specific situation and the awareness of our final accountability before Him, believers influenced by Word of Faith really do believe that they have a mandate to influence reality with their words, provided their faith is strong enough. At this stage, Biblical faith is replaced by wishful thinking relabeled “faith.”

The most extreme version of “influencing reality” is to be found in the dominion theology. Christians have a mandate to influence all spheres of society and government in order to advocate for a specifically “Christian” agenda.

Last but not least, people living in an alternate reality are easy prey to religious or political radicalization; they will be more prone to believe pathological liars (abusive partners, greedy pastors, evil politicians) or lies.

For instance, believing your loved one will soon be healed when death is at the corner and all your non-Charismatic family members are aware, but you aren’t, because you live in denial.

Christ’s words as a foundation

Many Christians who have seen the deep damage of wishful thinking (ordering the mountain to jump into the sea) tend to respond by deconstructing Christianity.

However, Jesus calls us to deconstruct lies and replace lies with truths, not lies with other lies. Jesus' words are the truths we can start building upon. Our words need to be aligned with our hearts and our hearts with the will of God (His words).

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Jesus calls us to return to the general context of His will, that is, to “listen to His words” for a particular situation. We are not called to build an alternate reality based on our will.

That would be building a house on the sand. I am pretty sure that this house can be beautiful and even look very Christian, but it needs to be based on the Words of God to stand strong; looking Christian is not enough.

As a matter of fact, we to will be held accountable for our words, that creating energy that was entrusted to us.

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken” Matthew 12:36

Indeed, we are still the coolest creatures, being able to speak words. When we align with God’s will, we can be called His coworkers. We can speak His words to our neighbors. We can bless them, our family, our city, our country, our brothers and sisters all over the world.

“For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” Matthew 12:50

Then, shall we pray that

His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

© Caliméro77