The withered fig tree is another one of those things I don't always get. It's maybe meant to be a commentary on Israel's rejection. That answers some questions, but opens up others. But it's an object lesson, and it isn't meant to be a comprehensive thing.
The part that I dwell on, however, is the end. Jesus tells us that if we ask and believe, we will receive. That's what He says. So do we take that at face value? Sometimes, probably more often than not, we ask and don't receive. What then? Is He lying?
Excuse me while I try to explain away the difficulties here. Maybe it's not so much that you will receive, but that if you don't believe, you won't receive. You aren't guaranteed anything other than if you don't ask in faith, you won't get anything. I know that's a nice little answer to calm my doubts, but it seems to make sense. No one's experience is that they receive everything they ask for, but those who ask in faith probably receive more. That would be an interesting study, although, how would you measure belief?
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