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Matthew 17:20
He 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.'
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Interpretation

Jesus teaches a faith like mustard seed that is worked out in relationships and commitments in Matthew 17:20—look for "tell" and "move". Let faith like mustard seed in prayers we actually pray—turn worship into posture.

Context

The setting is Matthew—gospel narrative, developing faith like mustard seed. Read in Matthew 17, its force becomes clearer. It also intersects faith & justification. Listen for “tell” alongside “move”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Long‑standing tradition credits Matthew to Matthew the disciple (a former tax collector). Introductions to Matthew often note: Anonymous in earliest copies; attributed to Matthew in later tradition; reflects Mark and a sayings source.. Scholars commonly date Matthew AD 80–90. Matthew seems aimed at Jewish‑Christian community.. This verse leans into faith & justification. Catechetical structure appears in the discourse blocks.

More details
Traditional:Matthew the tax collector
Modern scholarship:Anonymous; attributed to Matthew; uses Mark + Q source.
Date:AD 80–90
Audience:Jewish‑Christian community.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Greek text is preserved in over 5,800 manuscripts, more than any other surviving ancient work. Early papyri from the 2nd-3rd centuries like P46, P66, P75 provide text within 100–150 years of composition. Major uncial codices (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, 4th century) contain complete or near-complete texts. The Byzantine text family represents the majority of later manuscripts. Textual variants exist but are mostly minor: word order, articles, spelling. No central Christian doctrine depends on any disputed text. Modern critical editions compare all manuscript families to determine the best reflects the earliest recoverable text reading.
Sources & witness notes
SinaiticusVaticanusP46