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Matthew 17:20

马太福音 17:20

The Passage

He said to them, 'Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

In the other language

耶稣说：是因你们的信心小。我实在告诉你们，你们若有信心，像一粒芥菜种，就是对这座山说：你从这边挪到那边，它也必挪去；并且你们没有一件不能做的事了。

Theme

Faith like a mustard seed

Bring a question to this passage

Many readers arrive here from a real question. These are reflections for how this passage speaks to the questions people bring most often — not an answer about what will happen, but an invitation to sit with it slowly.

How do I face this season of pressure at work?

A grain of mustard seed is the small image Jesus chooses when speaking about faith and what seems impossible. His words do not directly address workplace pressure, and they are not a promise that sufficient belief will remove your difficulties. Nor should a hard season become evidence that your faith is defective. The passage invites you to take trust seriously without treating it as a technique for controlling results. You need not manufacture a feeling as large as the task before you. You can honestly bring both your trust and your uncertainty to God. This passage does not address your workplace directly. Which pressure at work could you bring to God with the small measure of trust you have today?

Carry thisFaith is not a technique for controlling your working day.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 41:10 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

I want to learn to love better in this relationship.

A mustard seed is small, and Jesus uses it to speak about faith rather than impressive spiritual strength. This passage does not directly teach about relationships, but it invites you to consider where you place your trust as you learn to love. You do not need to make yourself feel powerful before admitting a fault, listening without preparing a defense, or asking for help. The mountain language points to the reach of faith, not a promise that another person will change at your request. Your part can begin with something small and honest. Where might trust in God make room for one less defensive response?

Carry thisSmall faith leaves room for an honest beginning.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 41:10 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

What do I need to let go of in the coming weeks?

Stillness may seem out of reach when your attention is pulled in many directions, though this passage does not directly teach a way to quiet a busy life. Jesus places a mustard seed beside a mountain, offering an image of small faith in the presence of something that looks overwhelming. You can linger with that contrast without treating it as a promise that your schedule or worries will suddenly change. For a moment, you might stop measuring the size of your faith and simply bring your scattered attention to God. A mustard seed is small; what would a small, unforced moment of trust look like in the life you actually have today?

Carry thisSmall faith need not be dismissed as worthless faith.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 41:10 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

How can I find stillness in a busy life?

Between one demand and the next, you may feel that stillness requires more time or stronger faith than you have; this passage does not directly address a busy life. Jesus gives you the image of a mustard seed, inviting you to consider that trust need not feel large before you bring it to God. You might pause for a single breath, letting the mountain of unfinished tasks remain unfinished while you turn toward God, without treating that pause as a technique that guarantees calm or makes every difficulty disappear. This passage does not directly address a busy life. How much of your search for stillness depends on feeling ready, and what might its image of a mustard seed offer your trust in God as you are?

Carry thisSmall faith need not become another great performance.

Other passages for this questionGenesis 1:26-28 · Isaiah 41:10 · 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

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Matthew 17 — in context

14When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him, saying,

15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic, and suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water.

16So I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.”

17Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me.”

18Jesus rebuked him, the demon went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour.

19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?”

20He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

21But this kind doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting.”

22While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,

23and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.” They were exceedingly sorry.

24When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma coins came to Peter, and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the didrachma?”

25He said, “Yes.” When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?”

26Peter said to him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Therefore the children are exempt.

More from Matthew

Related topics

Faith and Trust

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