Matthew 17:20

And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, For the exposition of this portion, see the notes at Mark 9:14....

14-21 The case of afflicted children should be presented to God by faithful and fervent prayer. Christ cured the child. Though the people were perverse, and Christ was provoked, yet care was taken of the child. When all other helps and succours fail, we are welcome to Christ, may trust in him, and in his power and goodness. See here an emblem of Christ's undertaking as our Redeemer. It encourages parents to bring children to Christ, whose souls are under Satan's power; he is able to heal them, and as willing as he is able. Not only bring them to Christ by prayer, but bring them to the word of Christ; to means by which Satan's strong-holds in the soul are beaten down. It is good for us to distrust ourselves and our own strength; but it is displeasing to Christ when we distrust any power derived from him, or granted by him. There was also something in the malady which rendered the cure di...

Verse Matthew 17:20. _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 απιστιαν, _unbelief_, the famous Vatican MS. and Cod. Cyprius, six others, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Arabic, Origen, and Chrysostom, read ολιγοπιστιαν, _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,

AS A GRAIN OF MUSTARD-SEED - See the notes at Matthew 13:31. 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

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 17:1 _The Transfiguration of Jesus_._ _(Mark 9:2; Luke 9:28.) This mysterious event was intended primarily to confirm the faith of the three apostles who were to have the chief hand in founding the Church. The Lord had just announced his future sufferings and death. This prediction had been a grievous blow to Peter, and doubtless to the others also. He had stumbled at the cross, and had brought on himself a stern rebuke for his slowness and worldliness. So to comfort the chosen three under the thought of what awaited their Master, they were shown a glimpse of the glory which he has in heaven; they saw the Law and the prophets yielding subjection to him; t

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 v...

MATTHEW 17:20 ovligopisti,an {A} It is more likely that the evangelist used ovligopisti,an, a rare word that occurs nowhere else in the New Testament (though ovligo,pistoj is used four times in Matthew), and that, in view of a;pistoj in ver. Matthew 17:17, copyists substituted the more frequently used word avpisti,a (which occurs eleven times in the New Testament), than that the reverse process took place....

5. THE COMING GLORY; the Helpless Disciples and the Power of the King. The Tribute Money. CHAPTER 17 _ 1. The Transfiguration. (Matthew 17:1 .) 2. The Helpless Disciples and the Power of the King. (Matthew 17:14 .) 3. The Second Announcement of His Death and Resurrection. (Matthew 17:22 .) 4. The Tribute Money.(Matthew 17:24 .)_ The first part of this chapter gives us the record of the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. The portion before us is one of the richest in the entire book of Matthew; so full of precious teachings and suggestions that one almost shrinks from attempting an expos

HEALING OF THE DEMONIAC BOY (Mark 9:14 *, Luke 9:37). The story is much shorter than in Mk. The reference to possession does not come till the end; in Matthew 17:15 the child is described as epileptic. Perhaps the story was told in Q. The father's appeal, Lord, have mercy (Matthew 17:15), gives us the well-known Kyrie eleison. Instead of prayer (the verse (Matthew 17:21) in Mt. is spurious) and fasting (Mark 9:29), Jesus here puts the emphasis on faith (cf....

EVERY TREE, ETC., ETC., IS HEWN DOWN AND CAST INTO THE FIRE. The test by which good and bad trees, good and bad men, and good and bad systems have been presented. Now the figure is carried farther to show their destiny. The husbandman carefully preserves the grapes and fig-trees, but cuts the thorns and thistles and burns them. The tree in the orchard that bears useless fruit is converted into firewood. Such the Savior implies will be the fate of evil teachers. He states. principle that seems to run through the whole government of God. Whatever is useless and evil shall finally be swept away....