Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 17:20
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, 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; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
20. ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence ] Such expressions are characteristic of the vivid imagery of Eastern speech generally. To “remove mountains” is to make difficulties vanish. The Jews used to say of an eminent teacher, he is “a rooter up of mountains.” See Lightfoot ad loc.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
As a grain of mustard-seed – See the notes at Mat 13:31-32. The mustard-seed was the smallest of all seeds. It has been supposed by some, therefore, that he meant to say, If you have the smallest or feeblest faith that is genuine, you can do all things. The mustard-seed produced the largest of all herbs. It has been supposed by others, therefore, to mean, If you have increasing, expanding, enlarged faith, growing and strengthening from small beginnings, you can perform the most difficult undertaking. There is a principle of vitality in the grain of seed stretching forward to great results, which illustrates the nature of faith. Your faith should be like that. This is probably the true meaning.
Ye shall say unto this mountain … – Probably he pointed to a mountain near, to assure them that if they had such faith they might accomplish the most difficult undertakings – things that at first would appear impossible.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. Because of your unbelief] Are we preachers of the Gospel? Do the things of God rest upon our minds with a deep and steady conviction? Can we expect that a doctrine which we do not, from conviction, credit ourselves, can be instrumental in our hands of begetting faith in others? So we preached, end so ye believed. The word preached generally begets in the people the same spirit which the preacher possesses. Instead of , unbelief, the famous Vatican MS. and Cod. Cyprius, six others, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Arabic, Origen, and Chrysostom, read , littleness of faith. The disciples had some faith, but not enough-they believed, but not fully.
As a grain of mustard seed] Some eminent critics think this a proverbial expression, intimating a GREAT DEGREE of faith, because removing mountains, which St. Paul, 1Co 13:2, attributes to ALL FAITH; i.e. the greatest possible degree of faith, is attributed here, by our Lord, to that faith which is as a grain of mustard seed. However this may be, there can be no doubt that our Lord means, as BISHOP PEARCE well remarks, a thriving and increasing faith; which like the grain of mustard seed, from being the least of seeds, becomes the greatest of all herbs; even a tree in whose branches the fowls of the air take shelter. See WAKEFIELD’S Comment, and See Clarke on Mt 13:32.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief,…. The Arabic and Ethiopic versions read, “because of your little faith”, or “the smallness of your faith”; and so does one Greek manuscript; and which is what is doubtless meant by their unbelief; for they were not altogether destitute of faith, but their faith was very low, and their unbelief very great. Christ says, not because of the unbelief of the parent of the child, and those that were with him, though that also was a reason; but because of their unbelief, being willing to convince them of their unbelief, as he had done the father of the child, who had confessed it, and desired it might be removed from him: but lest they should think they had lost their power of doing miracles, Christ adds;
for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed; which was a very small seed, the least of all seeds, and is used very often proverbially by the Jews, to signify anything of a small quantity or weight b, and is sometimes used of faith, as here; so speaking of the congregation of Edom, meaning the Christians, they c say,
“they have not , “faith as a grain of mustard seed”.”
And it is used in like sense in other eastern nations; and by Mahomet in his Alcoran d, who says,
“We will appoint just balances in the day of resurrection, neither shall any soul be injured at all, although the merit or guilt of an action be of the weight of “a grain of mustard seed”.”
So that it has no reference to the quality of mustard seed, being hot and acrimonious; which has led some interpreters wrong, to compare faith unto it, for its liveliness and fervency: when our Lord only means, that if his apostles had ever so small a degree of faith in exercise, which might be compared for its smallness to this least of seeds, such an effect as he after mentions would follow; and which therefore is to be understood, not of an historical faith, by which men assent to all that is in the Bible as true; nor of a special, spiritual faith, by which souls believe in Christ, as their Saviour and Redeemer; for of neither of these can the following things in common be said; but of a faith of miracles, peculiar to certain persons in those early times, for certain reasons; which such as had but ever so small a degree of, as the apostles here spoken to might say, as Christ observes to them,
ye shall say to this mountain; pointing perhaps to that he was just come down from, which might be in sight of the house where he was,
remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove: meaning, not that it would be ordinarily or ever done in a literal sense by the apostles, that they should remove mountains; but that they should be able to do things equally difficult, and as seemingly impossible, if they had but faith, when the glory of God, and the good of men, required it. So that it does not follow, because the apostles did not do it in a literal sense, therefore they could not, as the Jew insultingly says e; since it was meant that they should, and besides, have done, things equally as great as this, and which is the sense of the words. So the apostle expresses the faith of miracles, by “removing mountains”, 1Co 13:2 i.e. by doing things which are difficult, seem impossible to be done: wherefore Christ adds,
and nothing shall be impossible to you; you shall not only be able to perform such a wonderful action as this, were it necessary, but any, and everything else, that will make for the glory of God, the enlargement of my kingdom and interest, the confirmation of truth, and the good of mankind.
b T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 3l. 1. Megilla, fol. 28. 2. Nidda, fol. 66. 1. Maimon. lssure Biah, c. 11. sect. 4. Maacolot Asurot, c. 2. sect. 21. &c. 14. sect. 8. Tumaot Okelim, c. 4. sect. 2. & 7. 6. c Vet. Nizzachon, p. 148. d C. 21. p. 268. & c. 31. p. 336. Ed. Sale. e Vet. Nizzachon, p. 237.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Little faith (). A good translation. It was less than “a grain of mustard seed” ( ). See 13:31 for this phrase. They had no miracle faith. Bruce holds “this mountain” to be the Mount of Transfiguration to which Jesus pointed. Probably so. But it is a parable. Our trouble is always with “this mountain” which confronts our path. Note the form ( and ).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Unbelief [] . But the better reading is ojligopistian, littleness of faith. Hence Rev., Because of your little faith.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
(20) Because of your unbelief.The various reading, Because of your little faith, found in many, but not the most authoritative MSS., is interesting as an example of a tendency to tone down the apparent severity of our Lords words. They show conclusively that the disciples themselves came under the range of His rebuke to the faithless and perverse generation.
If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed.The hyperbolical form of our Lords words, repeated afterwards in Mat. 21:21, excluded from the thoughts of the disciples, as from our own, the possibility of a literal interpretation. The grain of mustard seed was, as in Mat. 13:31, the proverbial type of the infinitely little. To remove mountains was, as we see in 1Co. 13:2 (this may, however, have been an echo of our Lords teaching), the proverbial type of overcoming difficulties that seemed insurmountable. The words were, we may believe, dramatised by a gesture pointing to the mountain from which our Lord and the three disciples had descended, as afterwards by a like act in reference to the Mount of Olives (Mat. 21:21).
Nothing shall be impossible unto you.The words, absolute as they sound, are yet, ipso facto, conditional. Nothing that comes within the range of faith in the wisdom and love of God, and therefore of submission to His will, is beyond the range of prayer.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Because of your unbelief During the absence of their Lord, the disciples seem to have become as it were secularized. See introduction to the section. Faith as a grain of mustard seed That is, in size; in contrast with the size of the mountain it is able to remove. This mountain This faith, be it remembered, supposes a concurrence between God and man.
On the part of God a mission or duty assigned to the man, for which the power of faith is granted; and without this, the true faith is impossible. On the part of man there must be exercised all the granted faith-power, by which he puts forth the act, or pursues the course which is opened in the way of duty before him. When these two things combine, it is literally true that anything is possible. If the man’s mission be to remove the Andes into the Pacific it can be done. If there be no duty to it, there can be no true faith for it; and the attempt to do it would not be faith but rash self-will. God gives no man faith wherewith to play miraculous pranks. On the other hand, if there be the duty and the God-given power of faith, and yet it be not exercised with the full strength of heart and the firm trust in God which knows the impossibility will be done, no miracle shall follow. This the disciples had not, even to a mustard seed’s amount; and a mustard seed’s amount could have as easily accomplished its mission as my hand moves a pen. There doubtless lives many a Christian now with faith sufficient to remove real material mountains, if God had any such work for him to do. Yet it may be safely presumed that our Lord used the word mountain as well as the mustard seed by way of figure. He may have used it as Isa 40:4, prophesies that “every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain shall be brought low.” Or as Zec 4:7, declares that the “great mountain shall disappear before Zerubbabel.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he says to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Remove hence to yonder place’, and it will remove, and nothing will be impossible to you.” ’
Jesus explains that the reason that they had failed was because of the insufficiency of their faith. That it was quality of faith and not the size of it that mattered comes out in the comment that followed. If faith is of the right quality then only the tiniest amount is required, faith the size of a mustard seed, and the mustard seed was, in Palestine, the smallest of all seeds used by Galilean farmers and proverbially small. But with the right quality of faith even mountains can be removed by a word. Indeed, Jesus stresses, with the right quality of faith nothing is impossible. So what needs to be developed is faith, and this can only be developed by regular prayer. The need to build up faith is Matthew’s emphasis.
It is in Mar 9:29 that He makes clear that such faith is developed by much prayer. We are never told how much the disciples prayed, but from this it was clearly not enough. Jesus was not, of course, advocating actually removing mountains. That would hardly be within God’s will, and believing prayer must be within His will (1Jn 5:14). He was speaking about every kind of difficulty. Compare especially Zec 4:7. ‘Removing mountains’ was a proverbial figure of speech for overcoming great difficulties (compare Mat 21:21-22; Isa 40:4; Isa 49:11; Isa 54:10; Mar 11:23; Luk 17:6; 1Co 13:2).
‘And nothing will be impossible to you.’ Nothing would be impossible for the one who truly believed God. This was because of the greatness of their God (see Mat 19:26). His point is that nothing is too hard for the Lord (see Gen 18:14; Job 42:2; Jer 32:17; Jer 32:27), and therefore nothing is impossible for the one whose faith is true.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 17:20. Because of your unbelief When the disciples were come with our Lord, they askedhim the reason why they could not cast out that particular demon; to which he replies, because of your unbelief.“Knowing that you doubted whether I could enable you to cast out this demon, I ordered it so, that he would not go out at your command, for a reproach of the weakness of your faith.” We may observe that the disciples had attempted to cast him out. To encourage them, our Lord describes to them the efficacy of the faith of miracles; If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, &c. If you have but the least degree of the faith of miracles, you may say to the vast mountain whence we just now came down, Move thyself, and go to some other place, and it shall obey you. Ye shall by that faith be able to accomplish the most difficult things, in all cases where the glory of God and the good of his church are concerned. It is certain that the faith which is here spoken of may subsist without saving faith: Judas had it, and so had many, who thereby cast out devils, and yet will at last have their portion with them. It is only a supernatural persuasion given to a man that God will work miracles by him at that hour. Now, though I have all this faith so as to remove mountains, yet if I have not the faith which worketh by love, I am nothing. Not only the persons on whom the power of working miracles was bestowed, were obliged to have faith likewise, in order to the exercise of that power; but it was a different kind of faith from that which was necessary in the subject of the miracles. For it consisted, first, in a just and high notion of the divine power, by which the miracle was to be effected: secondly, as we observed, in a firm persuasion that the miracle was to be wrought at that particular time. Now this persuasion was to spring from a two-fold source: 1. A consciousness of the power which Christ had conferred on them when he ordained them his Apostles: 2. It was to arise from a sensible impression made upon their minds by the Spirit of God, signifying to them that a miracle was to be performed at that time. Accordingly, the Apostles, and such of the first Christians as were afterwards honoured with the power of miracles, never attempted to exerciseit without feeling an impression of this kind; as is plain from St. Paul’s leaving Trophimus at Miletum, sick.Wherefore as the nine had, in all probability, attempted to cure the youth spoken of in this account, and had made the attempt with some degree of doubtfulness, it is no wonder that they were unsuccessful. To remove mountains is a proverbial expression, which signifies the doing of any thing seemingly impossible, as we may learn from Zec 4:7. When the Jews had a mind to extol any of their doctors, they were used to say of him that he plucked up mountains by the roots. In this description of the efficacy of faith, there is abeautiful contrast between the smallness of a grain of mustard seed, to which their faith is compared, and the vast size of the mountain that was to be removed thereby. Dr. Heylin finely remarks, “All inanimate nature is passive to Deity, and therefore infallibly executes what it is designed for. When faith is consummate in the human nature, that becomes alike susceptible of the divine energy.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 17:20 . The disciples ought to have applied to themselves the general exclamation in Mat 17:17 . This they failed to do, hence their question. But the with which Jesus now charges them is to be understood in a relative sense, while the , of which it is the negation, means simply faith in Jesus Christ, the depositary of supernatural power, so that, in virtue of their fellowship with His life, the disciples, as His servants and the organs of His power, were enabled to operate with greater effect in proportion to the depth and energy of the faith with which they could confide in Him.
] if you have (not: had ).
.] found likewise in Rabbinical writers as a figurative expression for a very small quantity of anything. Lightfoot on Mat 13:32 . The point of the comparison does not lie in the stimulative quality of the mustard (Augustine; on the other hand, Maldonatus).
To remove mountains , a figurative expression for: to accomplish extraordinary results , 1Co 13:2 . Lightfoot on Mat 21:21 ; Buxtorf, Lex. Talm . p. 1653. For legends in regard to the actual removing of mountains, see Calovius.
] the hyperbole of popular speech. For ., comp. Job 42:2 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, 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; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Ver. 20. Because of your unbelief ] q.d. That is the naked truth of it, never deceive yourselves: there is no shuffling will serve turn: be content (hard though it be) to hear your own. Veritas aspera est, verum amaritudo eius utilior, et integris sensibus gratior, quam meretricantis linguae distillans favus. A smart truth takes better with an honest heart than a smooth supparasitation (flattery D).
If ye have faith as a grain of, &c. ] The disciples might object, if no faith but that which is entire and perfect can do such cures as this, then we may despair of ever doing any. Our Saviour answers, that the least measure of true faith (fitly compared to mustard seed, for its acrimony and vivacity), if exerted and exercised, will work wonders. Neither is justifying faith beneath miraculous in the sphere of its own activity, and where it hath warrant of God’s word, to remove mountains of guilt and grief. A weak faith is a joint possessor, though no faith can be a joint purchaser of sin’s remission. And a man may have faith enough to bring him to heaven, though he want this or that faith, as to rely upon God without failing,Luk 18:1Luk 18:1 ; Luk 18:8 , without feeling, Psa 22:1 , &c., as resolved, that God nevertheless will hear him in that very thing he prays for.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 17:20 . , here only, and just on that account to be preferred to (T. R.); a word coined to express the fact exactly: too little faith for the occasion ( cf. Mat 14:31 ) That was a part of the truth at least, and the part it became them to lay to heart. , introducing, as usual, a weighty saying. , if ye have, a present general supposition. proverbial for a small quantity (Mat 13:31 ), a minimum of faith. The purpose is to exalt the power of faith, not to insinuate that the disciples have not even the minimum. Schanz says they had no miracle faith (“fides miraculorum”). , the Mount of Transfiguration visible and pointed to. (- T. R.), a poetical form of imperative like in Rev 4:1 . Vide Schmiedel’s Winer , p. 115. for . : said, done. Jesus here in effect calls faith an “uprooter of mountains,” a phrase current in the Jewish schools for a Rabbi distinguished by legal lore or personal excellence (Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. , ad Mat 21:21 , Wnsche). used in the third person singular only in N. T. with dative = to be impossible; a reminiscence of Mar 9:23 (Weiss).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Because = On account of. Greek. dia. See note on Luk 17:6.
unbelief. All the texts read “little faith”, or “littleness of faith”. See note on Mat 6:38.
verily. See note on Mat 5:18.
If, &c. Denoting a contingent condition. App-118.
say. The Rabbins were termed rooters up of mountains, because they were dexterous in removing difficulties. See note on Luk 17:6.
to yonder place = thither (as though pointing). See note on Luk 17:6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mat 17:20. , unbelief) in this case.- , faith as a grain of mustard seed) contrasted with a huge mountain. This faith is contrasted with a strong faith, and one stimulated by prayer and fasting [see Mat 17:21]. From this it is clear, that the transportation of a mountain is a less miracle than the ejection of a devil of the kind mentioned in the text; for the devil clings more closely to a man spiritually, than the mountain to its roots physically; and faith, even the smallest, is more powerful than the fixture of a mountain. You will say, Why then is that miracle less frequent (than the other)? Answer. It has nevertheless been performed sometimes; but it is not necessary that it should be performed frequently, although the opulence of faith reaches thus far. A mountain is naturally by creation in its proper place: a devil is not so when possessing a man: wherefore it is more beneficial that the latter should be cast out, than that the former should be removed; cf. on faith, Mar 11:22-24; Mar 16:17; Joh 14:12-13.-, ye shall say) i.e. ye are able to say-ye have the power of saying. This is said especially to the apostles; for all have not the gift of miracles.- , to this mountain) sc. that mentioned in Mat 17:1; see also ch. Mat 21:21. Examples of such miracles are not wanting in the history of the Church; see one of them in Note to the Panegyric on Gregory Thaumaturgus,[794] pp. 127, 128; see also Le Fevres Commentary, f. 78.-, there) Ye shall be able also to assign a place to a mountain.-, nothing) not even if the sun is to be staid in his course.
[794] See foot-note, p. 187.-(I. B.)
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Because: Mat 17:17, Mat 14:30, Mat 14:31, Heb 3:19
If: Mat 21:21, Mar 11:23, Luk 17:6, 1Co 12:9, 1Co 13:2
faith: That is, as Bp. Pearce well remarks, a thriving and increasing faith, like a grain of mustard seed, which, from being the least of seeds, becomes the greatest of all herbs.
a grain: Mat 13:31, Mar 4:31
nothing: Mar 9:23, Luk 1:37, Luk 18:27
Reciprocal: Num 20:12 – Because ye believed Jos 7:7 – to deliver Jdg 1:19 – but could Jdg 16:20 – the Lord Job 22:30 – pureness Mat 5:18 – verily Mat 8:13 – and as Mat 14:29 – he walked Mat 17:16 – and they Mar 5:36 – only Mar 9:28 – Why Mar 16:14 – and upbraided Luk 8:25 – Where Luk 9:40 – and they Luk 12:28 – O ye Luk 13:19 – like Act 3:16 – through Jam 5:15 – the prayer
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
LIMITATIONS AND RANGES OF FAITH
If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed.
Mat 17:20
The passage is altogether a very important one, as throwing light upon a difficult subject,the boundaries of the province of faith,faiths limitations, and faiths ranges.
I. Its limitations.It is evident that different ages of the Church have called for different kinds of faith.
(a) The faith of a miraculous age would not be quite the same with the faith of a period when God worked only by ordinary operations.
(b) The faith of different men must vary. A common man, at the time of Christ, would not have been reproved as the apostles were, for not being able to cast out an evil spirit, because it was an authority given only to the apostles. Neither would Christ have said, nor did He ever say, to any but His disciples, that if they had faith, they could remove a mountain. The faith could only rise to the level of the commission which it had received, and of the promises with which it is conversant.
(c) Faith and its achievements must be as God is pleased to give it to every one. Faith is a pure creation of God in a mans soul. And a man can only believe, as it is given to him to believe.
(d) The state of every mans faith depends upon the condition of his heart, and the life which he is leading. If you are not living in personal communion with God, you cannot have faith. Now all these determine the boundaries of the province of faith, and are faiths limitations.
II. The ranges of faith.Christs words make it plain, that everything hinges upon faith; but that the success of faith does not depend upon the quantity, but upon the quality of faith.
(a) What is true faith? True faith simply takes God at His word; it does not stop to ask questions,it does not question itself, but has faith in its faith. Now, such a faith may be but a grain; but the grain will be greater than the mountain. Let us see how it is.
(b) You can still remove mountains,mountains of sin, mountains of care, mountains of fear, mountains of difficulty.
(c) Are we, then, to suppose that God puts into a mans mind to believe just what He intends that man to do? Unquestionably. We have only to follow our faith.
(d) But may we not mistake the leadings of Faith? Yes. Where is the security? The security is in a Scriptural mind, in a heart really disciplined and trained to know and discriminate still, small speakings,the Shepherds voices.
The Rev. James Vaughan.
Illustration
Faith is in its essence the power by which we grasp the future, the unseen, the infinite, the eternal; and in its application, it is a principle of knowledge, a principle of power, a principle of action. It is then on mans side the condition and the measure of Divine blessing. By faith we lift up the sightless eye and it is opened: by faith we stretch out the withered arm and it is made whole; by faith, bound hand and foot with grave-cloths, we come forth from the tomb of custom which lies upon us
With a weight
Heavy as frost and deep almost as life.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
7:20
The charge of their unbelief means their faith did not go far enough; it did not grow as it should. Jesus then used the mustard grain for an illustration of that subject. It will help us to grasp the meaning of the comparison if we consider the same event as recorded in Luk 17:6. The apostles asked the Lord to “increase” their faith, and in answer to the request he made the comparison to the grain of mustard seed. We also should remember the comparison between this grain and the kingdom of heaven in Mat 13:31-32. It is clear, therefore, that the reference to the mustard seed was on the principle of growth. Their faith should have grown instead of their expecting Jesus to “increase” it by some special means independent of their own part in the matter. Of course a grain of mustard seed or any other seed could not grow had not the Creator furnished it with the materials necessary for that growth in the earth and air. And likewise, Jesus had given abundance of evidence by his miracles and teaching to have caused them to have increase in their faith to the point where they could not only cast out this devil, but also remove a mountain if such needed to be done.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, 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; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
[Faith as a grain of mustard seed, etc.] As a seed of mustard; or as a drop of mustard; in Talmudic language. See Mat 13:23.
[Ye shall say to this mountain, etc.] see what we note at Mat 21:21.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mat 17:20. Because of your little faith. A general answer, the specific one is recorded by Mark (and in Mat 17:21, which is to be omitted). The attempt showed some faith, the failure little faith. The revelation of our Lords death may have caused despondency and doubt.
As a grain of mustard seed. Small, yet living (chap. Mat 13:33), and capable of rapid increase, while their faith had decreased.
Ye shall say unto this mountain. Probably pointing to one in sight. Comp. chap. Mat 21:21. This promise of power to remove the most formidable obstacles, is misunderstood, only when power over material things is deemed greater than spiritual power.
Nothing shall be impossible unto you. The statement is limited by the preceding part of the verse. Comp. chap. Mat 21:22.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 20
As a grain of mustard-seed, that is, even a small degree of faith.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
aith, as a grain of mustard seed, i.e., faith small in appearance, but of great virtue and efficacy; humble faith, which boasteth not itself, and therefore small in man’s judgment, but verily quick, perfect burning like mustard seed. For when such faith is united to humility, it takes away every shadow of unbelief. It works miracles and removes mountains. This faith shone brightly in S. Gregory, Bishop of Neocsarea; for he, when a mountain stood in the way of his building a church, by his prayers removed it to another place. (See Nyssen in his Life: and Eusebius, H. E. 7, 25.) He performed many other miracles, from which he received the name of Thaumaturgus, i.e., wonder-worker. In like manner, a mountain in Tartary was removed by Christians, when a tyrant required such a miracle of them in accordance with this promise of Christ. (See Marco Polo, On Tartary) S. Jerome gives a similar instance in his Life of S. Hilarion. For he, when the sea, through an earthquake, raised vast masses of waters upon the shore-which threatened the city of Epidaurus with destruction-was placed by its citizens upon the shore as a bulwark against the waves. “He drew three figures of the cross on the sand, and stretched forth his hands against the sea when it was swelling to a vast height before him, when it stood still; and roaring for a long time, and (as it were) being angry with the bulwark, by degrees it sunk down to its ordinary level. Verily that which was said to the Apostles, If ye believe, ye shall say to this mountain, Be thou cast into the sea, and it shall be done, may be fulfilled even to the letter. For what difference is there between a mountain going down into the sea, and immense mountains of waters being suddenly arrested at the feet of an old man?”
Mystically: a mountain is severe temptation, especially to ambition and pride, as S. Jerome teaches. Such a temptation is best overcome by faith and hope. Wherefore S. Francis, being troubled by a dreadful temptation in spirit, betaking himself to prayer, with tears, heard a voice from Heaven, saying, “Francis, if thou shalt have faith as a grain of mustard seed, thou shalt command this mountain to pass away, and it shall pass away.” He, not knowing what was the meaning of the oracle, cried out, “Lord, what is this mountain?” The answer came, “The mountain is temptation.” Then Francis added, with many tears, “0 Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.” And immediately all the temptation was removed, and he obtained perfect tranquillity. (Wadding, in Annal. Minor. A.D. 1218, num. 2.)
This kind, &c. Observe first, this kind does not mean every kind of demons, as S. Chrysostom thinks, but those of a higher order, which are most powerful, obstinate and malicious, like this one whom Christ here cast out.
Observe secondly. This sort of demons can only be driven out by prayer and fasting; because these two things lift men up from the flesh to God. As S. Chrysostom says, “Fasting is the chief work of the higher philosophy, and places men on a level with angels, and vanquishes the incorporeal powers.”
Observe thirdly. Christ does not require prayer and fasting in both the person who works the miracle and in him for whose benefit the miracle is wrought, as S. Chrysostom supposes, but in him only who works the miracle, as Origen has observed. Yet there can be no doubt that faith and prayer on the part of the recipient greatly aid in the working of the miracle.
You may say, that it is not said of Christ, when He cast out this devil, that He prayed or fasted. I answer, that He had prayed and fasted a little while before, when He was transfigured on Mount Tabor. Besides, prayer and fasting are required in mere men, not in Christ, who was God, and as God, was able by His word alone to put the devils to flight, yea to annihilate them. So Abulensis.
While they abode, &c. Christ reiterates His prophecy concerning His Cross and Passion, which He uttered first at Csarea Philippi (xvi. 22), that the disciples might not be affrighted, nor scandalized when the time came, nor fall from faith in Him as the Messiah, because He suffered such a shameful death. For the Cross was an offence to the Apostles, so that they all forsook Him and fled. The Cross therefore needed to be again and again preached to them, and impressed upon them, so that they might know that Christ did not suffer it because He was compelled, but of His own will, and in obedience to the Father’s will; that He might redeem mankind. Moreover He reiterated this preaching of the Cross in Galilee, after He had healed the lunatic when He came down from Tabor, and the Galileans on account of that miracle had given Him great praise and honour, as we may learn from SS. Mark and Luke, in order that He might repress any vain-glorious thoughts which were likely to arise in the minds of the Apostles, by putting them in mind of His Cross and Passion.
And shall kill Him, &c. When the Apostles heard speak of Christ being put to death, because they were unwilling that He should die, and that they should be separated from Him by death, He alleviates this their sorrow by adding, And the third day He shall rise again. But they did not understand these words of Christ. They were not able to receive them. Whence they were, for a long time, doubtful concerning His resurrection. And this was why Christ by many apparitions and miracles was obliged to convince them that He had really risen again, so that He might root out all doubt from their minds
And when they were come, &c. . . . tribute, the Syriac adds, poll tax, as paid by each individual. Pay tribute, the Arabic has, pay what is due. The collectors do not make an assertion, but ask a question, because these tax-gatherers were newly in office, or at least had fresh servants, who did not know, or did not remember that in the year which was past, Christ had paid the tribute at Capernaum, as other people did.
Tribute money: The Gr. and the Vulg. have didrachma, that is, a half shekel, equal in value to two Spanish reals. The shekel weighed four didrachma. See what I have said on Exo 30:13. Baronius and others are of opinion that this didrachma was the sacred half shekel, which was required by the Divine law to be paid to the temple. (Exo 30:13.)
There God ordained that every Israelite male of twenty years old and upward should pay a half shekel for the service of the Sanctuary. This was when a census was taken. But subsequently, the Jews of their own accord, out of devotion, and that they might more entirely fulfil the law, decreed that all should pay this half shekel every year for the sustentation of the Priests and Levites, for repairing the temple, for furnishing victims for the sacrifices, and many other similar purposes. All this is plain from 2Ch 24:5-7: also from Josephus, who shows that the Jews who lived at a distance from the Holy Land were accustomed to collect this sacred didrachma, and send it to the temple at Jerusalem. (Jos. Ant. xviii. 12).
But the tribute here spoken of was a civil tax, and payable either to the Romans, or to Herod Antipas. This is seen from Christ’s words to Peter-of whom do the kings of the earth take custom, or tribute? This then was royal tribute, and payable either to a king or an emperor. The same thing is plain from xxii. 21, where the Herodians ask Christ, “whether it were lawful to pay tribute to Csar or not?” The origin of this tribute being levied was a little before the time of Christ, when, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, the grandsons of Simon Maccabus were contending which should have the high priesthood. Pompey, being called in to arbitrate between them, adjudged it to Hyrcanus: but the people of Jerusalem, who favoured the other candidate, restored it to Aristobulus. After that Pompey took Jerusalem, and reduced Judea to subjection to Rome, and exacted an annual tribute. Moreover because the Jews were accustomed to pay a didrachma to the temple, they were also ordered by the Romans to pay the same sum to them, until after the rebellion, when Jerusalem was besieged and captured by Vespasian, and the temple destroyed, he ordered them to pay that didrachma to the Roman capitol. The Jews greatly disliked paying this tribute to the Romans. They said that they were the people of God, and therefore free; and that they ought to pay tribute to Him, not to Csar. This feeling it was which gave rise, about the time of Christ, to the sect of the Galilans, whose leader was Judas of Galilee, who refused all payment of tribute to Csar, and all acknowledgment of his authority. Christ and His Apostles were suspected of belonging to this sect, because they were Galilans, and were preachers of the new, heavenly kingdom. In order therefore that Christ might show the groundlessness of this imputation, He, on the present occasion, paid the didrachma. So S. Jerome, Bede, Jansen, and others. The collectors of the tribute did not venture to ask Christ Himself for it, on account of the fame of His sanctity and miracles; but they said to Peter, in private, is not your Master accustomed to pay the didrachma?
He said, yea: Peter asserted that it was Christ’s custom, as he had seen in previous years, always to pay this tribute.
When He was come into the house, hired by Christ at Capernaum, as I have said, iv. 13.
And He said, &c. Christ being conscious in His spirit of the conversation which had passed between Peter and the tax collectors, prevented him, i.e., first asked him about the matter, and showed that He was not under obligation to pay this tribute. The kings of the earth, &c. It is an argument from the less to the greater, as S. Chrysostom teaches: in this way, the children of kings, of common right, are free from the tribute paid to kings. Much more therefore am I, together with My Apostles, who are My family; I, I say, who am king of kings, and the true and only begotten Son of God Himself, free from every kind of tribute which the kings of the earth impose upon their subjects. So S. Jerome and others.
Wherefore certain Canonists are wrong in gathering from this reasoning of Christ that the clergy, by Divine right, are exempt from all taxes. For by parity of reasoning it might be concluded that all Christians are exempted from payment of taxes, as the Anabaptists assert. For Christians are the adopted children of God, born again in baptism. The falsehood of this idea is shown by the Apostle (Rom 13:7) and the whole Church: for this adoption pertains to a higher order of inheritance, even a Heavenly one. Properly, however, in accordance with these words of Christ, kings and princes have exempted ecclesiastics, who are of the household and family of Christ, from the payment of taxes. And this is all which is meant by S. Jerome and the Canons when they say that the clergy are exempt from taxes, not only by human but Divine right; because, in truth, Divine right intimates that this exemption ought to be conceded. (See Lessius de Justitia, l. 2, c. 33, dub. 4, where he shows that the exemption of the clergy from paying taxes is not of Divine but of human right.)
Nevertheless, &c. It is as though He said, lest the collectors should be offended, and think we despise Tiberius Csar, as a Gentile, and reject his authority, like Judas of Galilee. Piece of money, Greek and Vulgate stater: this is the same as the Hebrew shekel, namely a pound. For formerly money not stamped was paid by weight. The shekel weighed four drachm, which were equivalent to four Spanish reals, or a florin of Brabant. Observe, Christ here afforded an example of justice, humility and obedience, and taught that Christianity is not opposed to civil government, but is rather an aid and advantage to it.
For Me and thee. You will ask why Christ only paid this tribute for Himself and Peter? I answer, He did not pay for the rest of the disciples, either because, as Lyra thinks, only the heads of families were bound to pay this tribute, or because the disciples of Christ were poor men. Wherefore Christ tacitly desired that they should be excused by the tax gatherers on account of their poverty or because they belonged to other places, and had already paid the tribute in those cities. Lastly, Abulensis thinks that for all the Apostles, who had wives and children, and therefore were heads ot families, this didrachma was paid out of the common coffer which Judas carried; and that Matthew only related the payment of Christ’s didrachma because of the miracle of its being found in the mouth of the fish, that He might show that He was not under an obligation to pay it, nor was subject to Csar. For Peter, however, Christ paid, both because Peter was the instrument of the exaction, as well as of the payment, as also because Peter had a house and family at Capernaum. It was also honoris causa, to intimate that Peter was the vicar of his Church and household, and destined by him to be the head and prince of the rest of the Apostles. So SS. Chrysostom, Jerome, Origen, and others.
Moraliter: Learn from hence Christ’s zeal for poverty, that He had not at home so much as one shekel to pay the tribute, but obtained it miraculously from a fish that he might teach that God by means of fishes and the rest of the creatures provides necessary things for the poor in spirit, as He provided food for Elias by the ministry of ravens.