Matthew 17:14-21 Meaning: Faith on Its Knees
14When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him and saying,
15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic and suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water.
16So I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.”
17Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me.”
18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?”
20He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
21But this kind doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting.”
14And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20And 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.
21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
14And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling to him, and saying,
15Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire, and oft-times into the water.
16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me.
18And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour.
19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast it out?
20And he saith unto them, Because of your little faith: 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.
14And when they came unto the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling down to him,
15and saying, `Sir, deal kindly with my son, for he is lunatic, and doth suffer miserably, for often he doth fall into the fire, and often into the water,
16and I brought him near to thy disciples, and they were not able to heal him.'
17And Jesus answering said, `O generation, unstedfast and perverse, till when shall I be with you? till when shall I bear you? bring him to me hither;'
18and Jesus rebuked him, and the demon went out of him, and the lad was healed from that hour.
19Then the disciples having come to Jesus by himself, said, `Wherefore were we not able to cast him out?'
20And Jesus said to them, `Through your want of faith; for verily I say to you, if ye may have faith as a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this mount, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you,
21and this kind doth not go forth except in prayer and fasting.'
14And when they came to the crowd, a man came to him, falling on his knees before him, and saying,
15Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is lunatic, and suffers sorely; for often he falls into the fire and often into the water.
16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they were not able to heal him.
17And Jesus answering said, O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to me.
18And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon went out from him, and the boy was healed from that hour.
19Then the disciples, coming to Jesus apart, said [to him], Why were not we able to cast him out?
20And he says to them, Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard [seed], ye shall say to this mountain, Be transported hence there, and it shall transport itself; and nothing shall be impossible to you.
21But this kind does not go out but by prayer and fasting.
Meaning in one sentence
A desperate father kneels before Jesus after his son is not healed by the disciples; Jesus teaches that even small faith can do the impossible.
Context
This scene takes place right after the transfiguration, when Jesus, Peter, James, and John come down from the mountain. A crowd has gathered, and a desperate father pushes through, falling on his knees before Jesus. He explains that his son suffers terribly from seizures that often throw him into fire or water. He had brought the boy to Jesus’ disciples, the nine who stayed behind, but they could not heal him. Jesus’ response seems sharp, but then He heals the boy immediately. Later, privately, the disciples ask why they failed. Jesus points to their lack of faith and teaches that even faith the size of a mustard seed can do the impossible, while some battles require prayer and fasting.
Key Words
The Greek word for kneeling here is gonupeteo, which literally means “to fall on the knees.” In the ancient world, this was a posture of urgent pleading and deep respect. The man didn’t just bow; he threw himself down. That physical act speaks louder than words: he was desperate, but he also believed Jesus could do something.
The other word that matters is “little faith,” from the Greek oligopistia in verse 20. Some manuscripts have “unbelief,” but the better reading is “little faith.” It’s the same word Jesus used earlier about worrying (Matthew 6:30). The disciples had some trust, but it was weak and unfocused. Jesus isn’t saying they needed a huge supply; He’s saying the faith they had needed to be real and placed in Him, not in their own past success.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers have understood this passage in different ways. Many Protestant commentators, like Matthew Henry, see Jesus’ lament “O faithless and perverse generation” as aimed at the disciples and the crowd together, showing how unbelief grieves the Lord. Catholic interpreters have often highlighted the mention of fasting alongside prayer as pointing to a spiritual discipline that strengthens faith for difficult battles. Some traditions, such as the Wesleyan, emphasize that “this kind” refers to a particularly stubborn demon that requires extraordinary prayer and fasting, while others, like Calvin, see it as a call to examine the quality of one’s faith. All agree that Jesus redirects attention from human failure to the power of God working through trust in Him.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that Jesus told the disciples they failed because they didn’t have enough faith, so they need to muster up more. In fact, the issue is not the quantity of faith alone but its quality and focus. The Greek word used in the better manuscripts is “little faith,” not “unbelief.” The disciples did believe; their faith was simply small and not yet resting in Jesus’ power alone. The mustard seed comparison shows that even the smallest genuine faith can unleash God’s power when it is directed at Him.
Living This Out
This passage invites you to consider where you feel powerless this week. Maybe you have prayed for a situation for a long time and seen no change. Perhaps someone you love is caught in a destructive pattern, and your best efforts have failed. The father in this story shows you what to do: go to Jesus directly, kneel, physically or in your heart, and tell Him the honest truth. Bring your need and your disappointment. Jesus does not turn away desperate people. He may point out where your trust has grown small, but He also says that even a little faith is enough to start. You don’t need perfect confidence; you need to come.
Main takeaway: Even small faith, brought to Jesus in honest desperation, opens the door for His power to do what we cannot.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
A daddy brought his sick boy to Jesus because he knew Jesus could help him. He kneeled down and asked Jesus to have mercy on his son. Jesus healed the boy because He loves us.
For ages 9, 12
When Jesus came down from the mountain, a father ran to Him and knelt down because his son was very sick. The disciples couldn't heal him, but Jesus could. Later, Jesus told the disciples that even a little faith, small like a mustard seed, can do great things when we trust God. Sometimes we need to pray and even fast to see God work in hard situations.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jesus call the crowd 'faithless and perverse generation'?
Jesus was not just speaking to the father but to the crowd and perhaps the disciples. He was frustrated with the general lack of faith in Israel, even after all the miracles. It shows how unbelief grieves Him.
What does 'faith as a grain of mustard seed' mean?
Mustard seeds are tiny, so Jesus means that even a small amount of genuine faith, not perfect faith, can be used by God to do amazing things. The point is not the size but that the faith is real and directed at God.
Do Christians have to fast to cast out demons?
Different traditions interpret this differently. Some see fasting as a spiritual discipline that humbles us and focuses our prayer. Others note that Jesus emphasizes prayer as the key, with fasting as an aid. The important thing is dependence on God, not a technique.
Was the boy's condition epilepsy or demon possession?
The Gospel writers describe it as both. The Greek word refers to epilepsy, but Jesus rebukes a demon. So it seems the seizures were caused or worsened by a demonic spirit. The healing addressed both the physical and spiritual aspects.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study