Smoodock's Blog

At this point in our study of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus and his disciples are about to return to Galilee from Jerusalem, after celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. However, before embarking on their journey, they entered the House, vis-à-vis the Temple (Mark 9:28), presumably to pay their respects to God prior to their journey home (cp. Luke 2:41-46). While they were there, Jesus’ disciples asked why they were unable to cast the demonic spirit out of the boy (Matthew 17:19), and Jesus told them it was because of their unbelief (Matthew 17:20)! While it is understandable for Jesus to conclude that those who seek after a sign (Matthew 17:16; cp. Mark 9:14-17) prove to be a faithless (G571; apistos) and perverse generation (Matthew 17:17), why would he accuse his own disciples of unbelief (G570; apistia)? The two Greek words are virtually the same in their sense. The one (G571) is the adjective, while the other (G570) is the noun.

We need to keep in mind that, although Peter did confess Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16), which Jesus claimed was the result of his listening to the Father, vis-à-vis the Father’s Spirit within Peter, this doesn’t mean Peter was in the habit of listening to the Spirit of God. He and the other disciples were, actually, more inclined to express the teaching of men (Matthew 16:22-23), which would have been an expression of unbelief in Jesus’ disciples, just as it was in those who were Jesus’ enemies. The only difference was, although they often did not understand him (cp. Matthew 17:19), Jesus’ disciples chose to follow him anyway (John 6:66-68).

No doubt, the disciples did not understand Jesus’ accusation that they were in a state of unbelief. Nevertheless, Jesus continued to explain that, if they had faith only the size of a grain of mustard seed, nothing would have been impossible to them (Matthew 17:20). As for mountains etc., it is important to keep in mind that removing them was as much a figure of speech as it is today (cp. Isaih 40:4; 49:11; 54:10; 1Corinthians 13:2).

Some texts use the Greek word oligospistia (G3640) instead of apistia (G570) in Matthew 17:20. However, I believe this is a corruption in the text, because it contradicts what Jesus says. Both Jesus and the ancient rabbis used the “grain of a mustard seed” to indicated the tiniest expression of faith. Therefore, the expression of any faith at all in the Apostles, would have resulted in success. In the places where oligospistia (G3640) is used (Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8 and Luke 12:28), it is not a question of not having faith but is a matter of not thinking to place their faith in God. For example, Peter did walk on water due to his little faith (G3640; oligospistia), but when he began to think upon the great waves and wind, he faltered and cried out to Jesus. Nevertheless, he regained his thoughts of God, and both he and Jesus walked back to the boat (Matthew 14:28-32). Therefore, it is not oligospistia (G3640) that prevents men from doing the will of God. Rather it is because they take their eyes off God, and think upon the elements or upon what men say that prevents them from acting out their faith.

Therefore, after they had gathered together in the house (where Jesus lived) upon their return to Galilee (Matthew 17:22), Jesus asked them what they discussed on the way back (Mark 9:33-34). Often when Jesus’ disciples were embarrassed over their own behavior, they would soothe their wounded egos by contesting which one or group of them was the greatest or most important to Jesus. This desire for importance was probably never more acute than when Jesus compared their faith with that of unbelievers (Matthew 17:20; cp. verse-17). Therefore, when their contesting was uncovered, Jesus told them to let it sink down deep into their hearts (Luke 9:44) that he, Jesus, their Messiah, would, in fact, die, contrary to what they had been told and continued to believe (John 12:34; cp. Matthew 16:22-23). He would be betrayed and killed, but the third day, he would rise from the dead (Matthew 17:23).

His disciples were exceedingly sad over what Jesus told them (Matthew 17:23), but still they had no place in their worldview to put “rise again,” because their conception of a resurrection included everyone (cp. John 11:24), not a single individual. However, Jesus is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25), and our resurrection and life is in him and comes to us individually through him. This was an understanding the Apostles had yet to conceive. Their present little faith and nascent new worldview had yet to conceive of such a thought.         [EB1]