Faith that Moves Mountains

Since I have been pastor of this church I have spoke on this subject more than 13 times. It is a very important topic because of what the Bible says about it. Consider what Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

The word faith with its root word like faithfulness appears in the NKJV 367 times in 345 verses. And 299 times alone in the NT. So to say faith is important is an understatement.

When it comes to faith the question always comes up. Can great faith truly move mountains? It is here that I want to focus more closely today as we consider A Faith that Moves Mountains.

Todays passage is found in Matt. 17:20.

As you are turning there let me ask you a question. Have you ever seen someone literally move a mountain with faith alone?

Let us read today Matt.17:20.

Matthew 17:20 NKJV

20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

What kind of faith is Jesus talking about here that moves mountains? And is Jesus talking about literal mountains or is this some kind of speech that helps the hearer understand a spiritual principle? These questions we are going to explore today. So let’s begin.

Can Faith Really Move Mountains?

Now with any text, we have look at the overall context of the passage to correctly interpret a passage such as Matthew 17:20,

Now Jesus, along with Peter, James and John, had just come down from the “mount of transfiguration,” and they encounter a man with a demon possessed child.

The man tells Jesus that he brought his son to Jesus’ disciples, but they couldn’t cast the demon out (recall that Jesus earlier in Matthew 10:1 gave his disciples the authority to cast out evil spirits).

Jesus then chastises them for their lack of faith and then casts the demon out of the boy.

When His disciples inquire as to why the demon didn’t obey their command, Jesus replies with the statement in Matthew 17:20

Matthew 17:20 NKJV

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

In fact if we read the next verse we see the context even further.

Matthew 17:21 NKJV

However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

The first thing that needs to be considered is the Bible is first and foremost God’s revealed word; we want to be clear on this point 2 Timothy 3:16

2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

Now while the Bible is God’s revealed word, it is revealed to us by way of language.

God lowered Himself—to speak to us in ways in which we would understand.

Consider a father trying to communicate with his young child. The father has to lower himself down to a level in order to be understood by the limited intellect and understanding of the child.

So too, God lowers Himself in communication in order for us to understand a spiritual principle.

The Bible employs many forms of literature. There is historical narrative, poetry, prophecy, apocalyptic writing, and epistolary literature (to name a few).

Among these various literary genres, several literary techniques are used—metaphor, simile, imagery, parable, allusion, irony, personification, paradox, and hyperbole.

As readers of the Bible, we must recognize when these techniques are being used so we can properly interpret the meaning.

For example, in John 10:7, Jesus says, “I am the door of the sheep.”

How are we to interpret this verse? If we are too literal, we might start looking for a doorknob hidden somewhere on His body.

However, if we understand this to be a metaphor, then we can begin to understand His meaning (Jesus is the way of access to eternal life, much like a door is the way of access into a room).

Another thing to consider in biblical interpretation is the context of the passage.

More often than not, when we take a single verse out of its native context, we end up misinterpreting the verse.

In this context, Jesus rebukes the disciples for their weak faith and says that even if they had mustard seed sized faith, they could command the mountain to move.

Contextually, the mountain must refer to the demon that was afflicting the man’s son.

Jesus tells His disciples that if their faith was stronger, they could have commanded the demon to leave the boy, and it would be so.

This was clearly the case in Matthew 10 when Jesus sent them out to cure diseases, cast out demons and spread the gospel.

The point Jesus was making is that even a little bit of faith—faith the size of a tiny mustard seed—can overcome mountainous obstacles in our lives.

What Does It Mean to Have Mustard Seed Faith?

We who of the Faith know that faith is so vital to the Christian life that Scripture tells us without it, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

So since we know that this statement Jesus makes in Matt. 17:20 about moving mountains by faith is not to be taken literally, what does it mean to have a mustard seed faith?

The key to understanding the passages is the nature of faith, which is a gift from God.

The power of faith reflects the omnipotent nature of the God who bestows faith on His own. 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.

Just as in the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31–32

Matthew 13:31–32 NKJV

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

Jesus uses rhetorical hyperbole to make the point that little is much when it comes from God.

The mustard seed in the parable grows to be a huge tree, representing the tiny beginnings of Christianity when just a few disciples began to preach and teach the gospel.

Eventually the kingdom grew to huge proportions, encompassing the entire world and spreading over centuries.

So, too, does the tiniest bit of faith, when it is true faith from God, grow to immense proportions in the lives of believers and spreading out to influence all they come into contact with.

One has only to read histories of the great men of the faith, such as Foxe’s Book of Martyrs to know that superhuman feats were performed by those whose faith was, at one time, only the size of a mustard seed.

Let me share with you in conclusion things to consider regarding faith.

Firstly…

Faith is only as valid as its object. You could have tremendous faith in very thin ice and drown.… You could have very little faith in very thick ice and be perfectly secure.

—Stuart Briscoe

Stuart Briscoe

Second…

What saves is faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.

J. I. Packer

Third,

Faith is to believe what we do not see. The reward of this faith is to see what we believe.

—Augustine

Augustine of Hippo

So then, walk by faith, not by sight…

152 FAITH

For we walk by faith, not by sight.2 C ORINTHIANS 5:7

1 Walking by sight is just this: “I believe in myself.” Whereas walking by faith is: “I believe in God.”

Charles Spurgeon

“Faith Versus Sight” sermon (1866)

Charles Spurgeon

The power behind faith is The Lord. Not you, but Him. Remember that as you face mountains that seem to be immoveable. I believe and think that if we looked close within ourselves and I mean really close we may discover that the greats mountain to be moved out of the way is OUR SELF.

I seek not for a faith that will move a mountain, but for faith that will some how move me.