Jesus’ reference to moving mountains through faith (Matthew 17:20) was not meant literally, nor did it describe a specific miracle. Rather, this image stresses how none of the promises of God’s Word would be unattainable for those who believe. The image of mountains being moved also echoes Old Testament prophecy of the last days (Isaiah 40:4, Isaiah 49:11; Zechariah 14:10). Jesus shows how the promises concerning the Messiah’s reign are already being fulfilled now in the spiritual realm, so that everyone who believes—even with small or weak faith—shares his authority and his power in the Kingdom of God, which is now seen, among other things, in power over demons and diseases (Matthew 17:14–19).
When Jesus referred to moving mountains through faith (Matthew 17:20) he did not mean this literally, nor did he intend to describe a spectacular miracle. Rather, he used this as an image to highlight that none of the promises of God’s Word would be unattainable for those who believe. The image of mountains being moved is also connected to what the Old Testament proclaims will happen in the last days (Isaiah 40:4, Isaiah 49:11; Zechariah 14:10). Jesus highlights that the promises concerning the messianic reign of peace are already being fulfilled now in the spiritual realm, and that everyone who believes—even if that faith is small or weak—shares in his authority and in the power of the Kingdom of God, which is now manifested, among other things, in the power over demons and diseases (Matthew 17:14–19).1
20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”