Matthew 17:20 (WEB)
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.
Fathers and councils · 32
Cyril of Jerusalem
“And of this faith it is said, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed.” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 20.
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John Cassian
- John Cassian, Conferences I–X IX.34Conference IX
“For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened;” and again: “All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing ye shall receive, and nothing shall be impossible to you.”” — editor's note: S. Matt. xxi. 22; xvii. 20.
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Augustine of Hippo
“Haply “to this mountain,” He said of Himself; for He is called a Mountain: “It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord shall be manifest.”” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 20, xxi. 21.
Read the whole comment“Matthew goes on in the following terms: “And when He was come to the multitude, there came to Him a certain man, kneeling down before Him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son; for he is lunatic, and sore vexed;” and so on, down to the words, “Howbeit this kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting.”” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 14–20.
Read the whole comment“He answered, “Because of your unbelief.”” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 19, 20.
Read the whole comment“Hear then to what it attains, and see its greatness: as the Lord Himself says in another place, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed.”” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 20.
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John Chrysostom
“And well did Christ say, “If ye have faith ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove, and it shall remove” ( Matt. xvii. 20 ); and again, “He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do.” ( c. xiv. 12.)” — the author cites it
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Athanasius of Alexandria
“For it is the promise of the Saviour, when He saith, ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, remove hence and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.’” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 20.
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Jerome
“In another place also,“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.”” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 20.
Read the whole comment“Verily, what was said to the Apostles, “If ye have faith, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove into the sea, and it shall be done,” may be even literally fulfilled, provided one has such faith as the Lord commanded the Apostles to have.” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 20 sq.
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Clement of Alexandria
“For example, it is said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard, ye shall remove the mountain.”” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 20.
Read the whole comment“Such were the apostles, in whose case it is said that “faith removed mountains and transplanted trees.”” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 20; Luke xvii. 6; 1 Cor. xiii. 2.
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Cyprian of Carthage
“Also in the same place: “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Pass over from here to that place, and it shall pass over; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”” — editor's note: Matt. xvii. 20.
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
The disciples had received from the Lord the power over unclean spirits, and when they could not heal the daemoniac thus brought to them, they seem to have had misgivings lest they had forfeited the grace once given…
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
The Apostles had believed, yet their faith was imperfect; while the Lord tarried in the mount, and they abode below with the multitude, their faith had become stagnant.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Whence it is plain that the disciples’ faith was grown weak, yet not all, for those pillars were there, Peter, and James, and John.
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
This is what the Lord says in another place, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name believing, ye shall receive.” [Matt 21:22, John 16:23] Therefore when we receive not, it is not the weakness of Him that gives, but the…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
But it is to be known, that, as ofttimes the faith of him that draweth near to receive supplies the miraculous virtue, so ofttimes the power of those that work the miracle is sufficient even without the faith of…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
Some think that the faith that is compared to a grain of mustard-seed is a little faith, whereas the Apostle says, “If I shall have such faith that I could remove mountains.” [1 Cor 13:2] The faith therefore which is…
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on Matthew
The mustard-seed, unless it be bruised, does not give out its qualities, so if persecution fall upon a holy man, straightway what had seemed weak and contemptible in him is roused into the heat and fervour of virtue.
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, all faith is likened to a grain of mustard-seed, because faith is looked on with contempt by men, and shews as something poor and mean; but when a seed of this kind lights upon a good heart as its soil, it…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
So He not only promises the removal of mountains, but goes beyond, saying, “And nothing shall be impossible to you.”
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
For faith gives our minds such a capacity for the heavenly gifts, that whatsoever we will we may easily obtain from a faithful Master.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
If you shall ask, Where did the Apostles remove mountains! I answer, that they did greater things, bringing many dead to life. It is told also of some saints, who came after the Apostles, that they have in urgent…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or; the mountain is not said of that which we see with the eyes of the body, but signified that spirit which was removed by the Lord out of the lunatic, who is said by the Prophet to be the corrupter of the whole earth
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
So that the sense then is, “Ye shall say to this mountain,” that is to the proud devil, “Remove hence,” that is from the possessed body into the sea, that is into the depths of hell, “and it shall remove, and nothing…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Otherwise; That the disciples in working their miracles should not be lifted up with pride, they are warned rather by the humbleness of their faith, as by a grain of mustard-seed, to take care that they remove all…
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
But while He teaches the Apostles how the daemon ought to be cast out, He instructs all in regulation of life; that we may all know that all the heavier afflictions, whether of unclean spirits, or temptations of men,…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
And this He says not of lunatics in particular, but of the whole class of daemons. For fast endues with great wisdom, makes a man as an Angel from heaven, and beats down the unseen powers of evil. But there is need…
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on Matthew
If then we shall ever be required to be employed in the healing of those who are suffering any thing of this sort, we shall not adjure them, nor ask them questions, nor even speak, as though the unclean spirit could…
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or; This class of daemons, that is the variety of carnal pleasures, is not overcome unless the spirit be strengthened by prayer, and the flesh enfeebled by fast.
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, fasting is here understood generally as abstinence not from food only, but from all carnal allurements, and sinful passions. In like manner prayer is to be understood in general as consisting in pious and good…
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Cross-references · 28
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews III.43.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews III.43.
Cited together in The Life of S. Hilarion.
Cited together in The Life of S. Hilarion.
Cited together in Jerome on Matthew 17:19–21 (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in John Chrysostom on Matthew 17:19–21 (3) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.11.
Cited together in The Life of S. Hilarion.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.11.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews III.43.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.11.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.11.
Cited together in The Life of S. Hilarion.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.11.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.11.
Cited together in John Chrysostom on Matthew 17:19–21 (3) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in The Life of S. Hilarion.
Cited together in Sermons on New Testament Lessons Sermon 30.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.11.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.11.
Cited together in The Life of S. Hilarion.
Cited together in The Life of S. Hilarion.
Cited together in Sermons on New Testament Lessons Sermon 30.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.11.
Cited together in The Life of S. Hilarion and 1 other place.
Cited together in The Life of S. Hilarion.
Cited together in The Life of S. Hilarion.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.11.