I don’t even think he was “technically” correct. Jesus tells Peter he didn’t have enough faith, he never says “and anyone who has enough faith can do this.” If it was possible for anyone, it wouldn’t be a miracle.
Matt: 17:20 … “e 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.”
He certainly did say “and anyone who has enough faith can do this” …. and, according to The Word, it doesn’t even take much
So you think he literally means we could move a mountain if we had enough faith to do it? Are you saying that no one in history has ever had enough faith to do things like this? We cannot create our own miracles.
It seems like this is the type of mentality that when people get sick say “if you have more faith you will get better.” I don’t think that is a good way to go, nor do I think it was Jesus’ intent.
So, you think he said a direct statement but didn’t mean it? Jesus didn’t say “It’s almost like having the faith of a mustard seed ….” He specifically said: “If you have the faith as a grain of mustard seed….”
I will say, specifically and explicitly, Christians in general do not even fathom the amount of faith “the faith as a grain of mustard seed” is. I do not believe that Christians understand the “pure faith” that that entails. I have some serious faith, but “stupid is as stupid does” (i.e., the dude just walking out INTO the water – apparently not realizing that he wasn’t walking on ON the water).
Walking on water: Peter did it – for as long as he kept his eyes perfectly on Jesus. THAT kind of faith is the kind of faith Jesus is talking about when he says “faith as a grain of mustard seed”. And, it’s THAT kind of faith that TODAY’S Christian churches fail to impart. Whether it’s a hole in their teaching or not, I have no clue. People today are so focused on what they’re doing wrongly that they miss the happiness that understanding GRACE brings to them.
That kind of faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12). There is nothing within us that can create that faith except the Holy Spirit. We aren’t all budding Neos in the Matrix and if we could just believe hard enough we can twist reality however we see fit.
Whenever Jesus makes these sorts of statements, he is talking to his disciples in the context of being in God’s will. Same thing with all the “whatsoever you ask” and “if two or three be agreed” type stuff. It’s always in the context of being in God’s will.
And just as an aside, I love the next verse in the Matt 17 story. Faith, move mountains, yeah, but this one doesn’t go out but by prayer and fasting. That always cracks me up. In this case, you don’t actually have to move mountains, you should have been praying and fasting, slackers.
Hyperbole is a common device in language. I am not saying there is no way you aren’t right, I am just saying that I don’t buy it (and that has nothing to do with my faith). I think it is pretty obvious that Jesus was not being literal because a mustard seed is an inanimate object and therefore cannot literally have faith. Something else must have been going on there.
Again, “It seems like this is the type of mentality that when people get sick say “if you have more faith you will get better.†I don’t think that is a good way to go, nor do I think it was Jesus’ intent.”
Well said Kristin, there is always a context that must inform the meaning of the statements. The Holy Spirit and abiding in God’s will cannot be ignored or removed from the equation.
i think the only symbolism in Jesus’ statement is that he used a mustard seed simply because it’s small …. that being said, it’s also quite possible that he was comparing that with HIS faith (which, of course, would have been super-human). And in so comparing is telling us that it doesn’t necessarily take super-human faith to make things happen like that.
That being said: Do I know anybody with the faith that would allow them to walk on water? Not that I am aware of. At least, not any water that is over a millimeter deep.
Not So Fast 
That is really sad. Miracles aren’t something to be conjured.
the sad part is that he is “technically” correct …. he COULD have walked on water if he had enough faith …. apparently, it takes more than he thought.
I don’t think a person can have enough faith to overcome God saying no that’s dumb, don’t do that. If he wasn’t sure, one step should have told him.
I’m still inclined to think he had the church funds in his pocket and a scuba tank or something hidden away. Probably just the American in me though.
I don’t even think he was “technically” correct. Jesus tells Peter he didn’t have enough faith, he never says “and anyone who has enough faith can do this.” If it was possible for anyone, it wouldn’t be a miracle.
Matt: 17:20 … “e 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.”
He certainly did say “and anyone who has enough faith can do this” …. and, according to The Word, it doesn’t even take much
So you think he literally means we could move a mountain if we had enough faith to do it? Are you saying that no one in history has ever had enough faith to do things like this? We cannot create our own miracles.
It seems like this is the type of mentality that when people get sick say “if you have more faith you will get better.” I don’t think that is a good way to go, nor do I think it was Jesus’ intent.
So, you think he said a direct statement but didn’t mean it? Jesus didn’t say “It’s almost like having the faith of a mustard seed ….” He specifically said: “If you have the faith as a grain of mustard seed….”
I will say, specifically and explicitly, Christians in general do not even fathom the amount of faith “the faith as a grain of mustard seed” is. I do not believe that Christians understand the “pure faith” that that entails. I have some serious faith, but “stupid is as stupid does” (i.e., the dude just walking out INTO the water – apparently not realizing that he wasn’t walking on ON the water).
Walking on water: Peter did it – for as long as he kept his eyes perfectly on Jesus. THAT kind of faith is the kind of faith Jesus is talking about when he says “faith as a grain of mustard seed”. And, it’s THAT kind of faith that TODAY’S Christian churches fail to impart. Whether it’s a hole in their teaching or not, I have no clue. People today are so focused on what they’re doing wrongly that they miss the happiness that understanding GRACE brings to them.
That kind of faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12). There is nothing within us that can create that faith except the Holy Spirit. We aren’t all budding Neos in the Matrix and if we could just believe hard enough we can twist reality however we see fit.
Whenever Jesus makes these sorts of statements, he is talking to his disciples in the context of being in God’s will. Same thing with all the “whatsoever you ask” and “if two or three be agreed” type stuff. It’s always in the context of being in God’s will.
And just as an aside, I love the next verse in the Matt 17 story. Faith, move mountains, yeah, but this one doesn’t go out but by prayer and fasting. That always cracks me up. In this case, you don’t actually have to move mountains, you should have been praying and fasting, slackers.
Hyperbole is a common device in language. I am not saying there is no way you aren’t right, I am just saying that I don’t buy it (and that has nothing to do with my faith). I think it is pretty obvious that Jesus was not being literal because a mustard seed is an inanimate object and therefore cannot literally have faith. Something else must have been going on there.
Again, “It seems like this is the type of mentality that when people get sick say “if you have more faith you will get better.†I don’t think that is a good way to go, nor do I think it was Jesus’ intent.”
Well said Kristin, there is always a context that must inform the meaning of the statements. The Holy Spirit and abiding in God’s will cannot be ignored or removed from the equation.
i think the only symbolism in Jesus’ statement is that he used a mustard seed simply because it’s small …. that being said, it’s also quite possible that he was comparing that with HIS faith (which, of course, would have been super-human). And in so comparing is telling us that it doesn’t necessarily take super-human faith to make things happen like that.
That being said: Do I know anybody with the faith that would allow them to walk on water? Not that I am aware of. At least, not any water that is over a millimeter deep.