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

 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  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.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

- Matthew 17:14-21

Yesterday we read that after six days from the time Jesus explained privately to the disciples that He will suffer as Messiah, Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.  And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."  While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Hear Him!"  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.  But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."  When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.  Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."  And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"  Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.  But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.  Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."  Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him here to Me."  And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  In Scripture, my study bible points out, sickness is often connected to demonic activity.  As this father is kneeling, he's showing humility, but he lacks faith.    Although the disciples are also lacking in faith, Jesus first rebukes the man for blaming the disciples, when it is his own greater lack of faith that prevented the boy's healing, my study bible says.  What we observe is that Jesus defends His disciples in front of the multitude, but later rebukes them privately (in the verses following).  This teaches us that we ought first to correct people in private (see 18:15-17).

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"  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.  However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."  St. John Chrysostom comments that this rebuke is directed at the nine disciples who could not cast out the demon.  We recall that Jesus has returned to this multitude with Peter, James, and John from the mountaintop of the Transfiguration (see yesterday's reading, above).  These three -- Peter, James, and John -- are "the pillars" of faith (Galatians 2:9).  When Jesus calls the demon this kind, He refers to all powers of darkness, my study bible says, and not simply those that cause a particular illness.  The word in Greek is γένος, from which we derive the term "genus."  Essentially it means family or offspring.  The banishment of demons requires faith, prayer, and fasting, my study bible says.  There isn't any healing nor victory in spiritual warfare without all three.  Beginning with the Didache (the earliest Christian teaching document, said to be the teachings of the disciples), the Church has taught that both the person in need of healing and the person performing the healing must believe, pray, and fast. 

The mustard seed is such an essential image of faith that Jesus has given it to us twice:  first in a parable about the kingdom of heaven (13:31-32), and now here in this illustration of faith.  It's hard to imagine what a lack of faith is when compared to the tiny size of a mustard seed.  Jesus' metaphor for faith gives us an image of encouragement to faith, however.  In effect, He seems to tell us that what we think is so difficult -- this "mustering" of faith, so to speak -- is actually much simpler and easier than we assume it is.  And, in fact, faith is such a potent substance that we need the smallest amount we can consider to see incredible results.  Regarding Jesus' reference to moving a mountain (which He will repeat in 21:21), my study bible indicates that while it's never been recorded than any of the apostles literally moved a mountain, it's clear that the Church has considered they had this authority if the need had arisen.  There are stories of  saints who made crevices appear in mountains, when necessary.  But more to the point is the power of prayer that is promised here, for things that are spiritually profitable.  There's also a correlation of faith with the working of the Spirit in us, and that connection to prayer as well.  St. Paul writes that "the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:26-27).  What this, in fact, tells us is that faith in Christ, together with the Holy Spirit at work in us, renders prayer in accordance with the will of God.  St. Paul writes in the verse following that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  Faith works to unite all these factors at work in us.  Hence, faith as a mustard seed unleashes cosmic creative forces, things which are far beyond our understanding, even though they are somehow at work in us and among us -- and definitely in all the affairs of the world.  So faith, fasting, and prayer work together for tremendous effect.  Fasting is a discipline that really applies to everything; it teaches us that we're not just victims of our own emotions, impulses, whims, and responses to the myriad provocations of the world around ourselves.  We can, in fact, make choices about what we will partake in and not partake in.  Prayer is purpose, meaning, and the discipline of understanding -- albeit partially -- the mind of God.  It gives us relationship and participation in God and the grace of God, the energies of God, if you will.  Jesus promises us that our devotion and "work" at this effort of faith will give us results.  But we need to understand the nature of participation.  Prayer isn't about what we want or even our own perspective on our needs.  Prayer will shape our lives into something different from what we already know; it is designed to lead us more deeply in participation in this Kingdom, to expand us and open our eyes to something more.  We aim not simply to pray but for a prayerful life, a prayerful way of being in the world.  But let us begin wherever we are and learn the endurance He teaches us.  Persistence is the one constant He always praises.