What Does It Mean to Have Faith that Moves Mountains?

We’re not to sit by idly and wait for God to remove all the obstacles in our lives. When we’re confronted with problems, I don’t think God is pleased if all we do is moan and complain to Him about it. I know people who could be professional moaners, but complaints don’t resolve problems. Jesus challenges His followers to act with His authority and on His behalf. But the starting point is to secure the wisdom and direction of the Spirit of God.

This was never clearer than in the case of the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus’ disciples to be healed. Three of the disciples were away with Jesus on a nearby mountain to witness Jesus being transfigured. They saw His face shine like the sun and His clothes become dazzlingly white as He spoke with Moses and Elijah (Matt. 17:1–3). But afterward, when Jesus and the three descended, they found a crowd. The father of the boy ran to Jesus and begged Him to heal his son because His disciples had been unable to.

This father was persistent and determined. If your son or daughter were suffering, wouldn’t you do anything to provide help and healing? So when the disciples’ power proved insufficient, the troubled dad went straight to Jesus, who rebuked the demon and healed the boy immediately.

The disciples had previously been able to cast out demons (Mark 6:13), so they privately asked Jesus what had gone wrong. Jesus had already given them a clue. Just prior to healing the boy, He said to the crowd, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you”? (Matt. 17:17). So here, in private, Jesus was more specific. When they asked, “Why could we not cast it out?” He told them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:19–21).

Jesus highlighted the problem as the faithlessness of the whole generation and the unbelief of the disciples, specifically. They’d had a spiritual problem to deal with, and they tried to handle it casually, without proper preparation. If they weren’t seeing the power of God they had been given, they needed to acknowledge their authority and position and they would see the miracles of God take place.

As we look at Zechariah’s message to Zerubbabel and Jesus’ message to His spiritually ineffective disciples, we see a common theme. Jesus says that faith “as a mustard seed” can move mountains. Zechariah also referred to mountain moving as he spoke about God’s Spirit accomplishing feats that human might and power cannot. That mountain-sized problem Zerubbabel was facing? “You shall become a plain!” The temple was completed and the capstone put into place as the people shouted praises to God. That mountain-sized problem the disciples couldn’t budge? It was demolished by Jesus, empowered by the Spirit of God. The young boy was immediately healed from his long period of spiritual oppression. Yes, faith does indeed move mountains.

I think Zechariah wanted us to know that during times of tribulation, we’re going to have power, we’re going to have a witness, we’re going to have authority—not on our own but because of the Spirit of the Lord in our lives.