In the gospels of matthew and luke it is immediately followed by the parable of the leaven which shares this parable s theme of the kingdom of heaven growing from small beginnings.
Mustard seed matthew 17.
The mustard seed is one of the tiniest seeds found in the middle east so the conclusion is that the amount of faith needed to do great things is very small indeed.
And nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Truly i tell you if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move.
3 suddenly there appeared to them moses and elijah talking with him.
21 howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Matthew 17 20 he replied because you have so little faith.
Matthew 17 20 24 king james version kjv.
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.
But it is certain the faith which is here spoken of does not always imply saving faith.
17 six days later jesus took with him peter and james and his brother john and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed that is the least measure of it.
The grain of mustard seed was as in matthew 13 31 the proverbial type of the infinitely little.
The parable of the mustard seed is one of the shorter parables of jesus it appears in matthew 13 31 32 mark 4 30 32 and luke 13 18 19.
It also appears in the non canonical gospel of thomas verse 20.
Matthew 17 new revised standard version nrsv the transfiguration.
From this it is clear that the transportation of a mountain.
20 and jesus said unto them because of your unbelief.
To remove mountains was as we see in 1corinthians 13 2 this may however have been an echo of our lord s teaching the proverbial type of overcoming difficulties that seemed insurmountable.
In the gospel according to matthew leon morris says it.
Wesley s notes for matthew 17 20.
To be more precise it is about the size of the head of a straight pin the kind used by seamstresses to pin a pattern to fabric.
Just as in the parable of the mustard seed matthew 13 31 32 jesus uses rhetorical hyperbole to make the point that little is much when it comes from god.
Matthew 17 20 if our faith even if it s the size of a mustard seed is placed in the all powerful god great things can happen.
Nothing will be impossible for you explanation and commentary of matthew 17 20.
Nothing will be impossible for you matthew 17 20 21 as small as a mustard seed that s pretty small.
This faith is contrasted with a strong faith and one stimulated by prayer and fasting see matthew 17 21.