Verses often taken out of context or misused: Matthew 17:20
Matthew 17:20 [20] He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (ESV)
This verse may bring thoughts to our mind like this: “Well since I failed at “X” I must have not had enough faith; If my faith increases I’ll finally be able to tackle “X”; or I need to just have more faith and things will get easier. There is a common flaw in this thinking that is not in the verse. That our faith results in us moving the mountain. Reread the verse, are we the one moving the mountain?
Matthew 17:20 [20] He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (ESV)
A moving mountain would be a miracle, a supernatural act. “it will move” would be God doing that which is impossible for us. This verse is employing a metaphor to teach a truth lesson. It was a common metaphor of that time that a mountain would signify a seemingly impossible task.
Contextually, earlier in the chapter (Matthew 17:1-8) we know that they just came down from the mount of transfiguration. Jesus’s lessons often involved what was immediately surrounding Him and those listening, as visuals.
In the immediate context, we see Jesus telling them that their faith was not strong enough to cast this demon out.
Matthew 17:14–20 [14] And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, [15] said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. [16] And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” [17] And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” [18] And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. [19] Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” [20] He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (ESV)
But earlier in chapter 10:
Matthew 10:5–10 [5] These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, [6] but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [7] And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. [9] Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, [10] no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. (ESV)
We see Jesus task them with this very thing. I believe this gives additional support that the mountain is a metaphor to teach. He gives them the reason that they failed – Unbelief (“Because of your little faith”).
The lesson that I see Christ teaching in this is: Faith/Trusting God, It is the confidence that comes from knowing that God is in control, and is able to do far more abundantly(Ephesians 3:20) above all that we could ask or think. And that it is He who is doing that work, not us. And that is what gives us peace and guards our heart/mind (Philippians 4:7). From what unbelief brings into our lives; fear, worry, anxiety. When we trust, obey, and surrender control, the pressure is off us and allows us to see what God is doing. Then we can proclaim that to others, and He gets all the glory.
