And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
What does Matthew 17:20 mean?
The case of afflicted children should be presented to God by faithful and fervent prayer. Christ cured the child.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Matthew 17:19-21 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Matthew 17:20
As a grain of mustard-seed - See the notes at Matthew 13:31-32 . The mustard-seed was the smallest of all seeds. It has been supposed by some, therefore, that he meant to say, If you have the smallest or feeblest faith that is genuine, you can do all things. The mustard-seed produced the largest of all herbs. It has been supposed by others, therefore, to mean, If you have increasing, expanding, enlarged faith, growing and strengthening from small beginnings, you can perform the most difficult undertaking. There is a principle of vitality in the grain of seed stretching forward to great results, which illustrates the nature of faith. Your faith should be like that. This is probably the true meaning.
Key words
- because of your little faith
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because of your little faith.
- because of your little faith
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because of your little faith.
Context in Matthew 17
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Matthew 17 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as conflict and parables of the kingdom. Matthew presents Jesus as Davidic Messiah, new Moses, teacher of the kingdom, suffering Son of Man, and risen Lord who commissions the nations. Read this chapter with the wider themes of fulfillment, kingdom of heaven, and discipleship in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Bible verses about suffering and trials
Key passages on grief, endurance, lament, divine mystery, and the Christian claim that suffering is neither final nor meaningless.
Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.