Luke 17 6

Luke 17:6 kjv

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

Luke 17:6 nkjv

So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

Luke 17:6 niv

He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

Luke 17:6 esv

And the Lord said, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

Luke 17:6 nlt

The Lord answered, "If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you!

Luke 17 verses

Luke 17 6 Meaning

Luke 17:6 teaches that even a minuscule amount of genuine faith, though outwardly appearing small as a mustard seed, possesses immense, divinely-empowered efficacy. It demonstrates that faith is not measured by its quantity but by its quality and its object (God). Through this faith, believers can accomplish tasks that seem humanly impossible, overcoming deeply rooted obstacles with the power of God.

Luke 17 6 Context

Luke 17:6 is spoken by the Lord Jesus immediately after His disciples ask Him, "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5). This request likely stems from Jesus' preceding difficult teachings on dealing with offenses and practicing radical, repeated forgiveness (Luke 17:1-4). The disciples felt they lacked the faith necessary to fulfill such challenging commands. Jesus' response then shifts the focus from the quantity of faith ("increase our faith") to the quality and efficacy of even a minimal but genuine faith, illustrating that it is not the size of faith itself, but the power of the God to whom the faith is directed, that accomplishes the impossible. The teaching also prefigures the humble nature of a servant's work, which is further explained in the subsequent parable of the Master and Servant (Luke 17:7-10).

Historically and culturally, the image of a mustard seed was a common Jewish idiom for the smallest possible thing. The black mulberry tree (Sycaminos) was known for its deep, extensive, and tenacious root system, making it extraordinarily difficult, if not humanly impossible, to uproot and transplant. Planting it in the sea signifies an even more outlandish, unnatural, and impossible act, emphasizing the supernatural power enabled by faith.

Luke 17 6 Word analysis

• And the Lord said: Signifies Jesus' authoritative teaching, a direct divine response to the disciples' plea.
• If you had: Indicates a conditional statement, proposing a hypothetical but achievable state of being for the disciples. It implies a necessary possession.
• faith: (Greek: pistis - πίστις) Not just belief in the mind, but a trusting reliance, confidence, and allegiance to God and His word. It is a spiritual capacity that connects human willingness with divine power.
• like a grain of mustard seed: (Greek: kokkon sinapeōs - κόκκον σινάπεως) The smallest seed known in Palestinian horticulture at the time. This metaphor is not about the amount of faith but its nature or quality. Even a living, genuine, though seemingly insignificant, faith has great potential, contrasting with dead or non-existent faith.
• you would say to this mulberry tree: (Greek: sykaminos - συκάμινος) Refers to the black mulberry tree, known for its deep, tenacious root system, which makes it incredibly difficult to uproot. Jesus uses a concrete, everyday image of something robust and seemingly immovable to illustrate an "impossible" task.
• ‘Be uprooted: (Greek: ekrizōthēti - ἐκριζώθητι) A command, emphasizing the drastic and complete removal of something deeply established. It points to a profound change or eradication of an obstacle.
• and be planted in the sea,’: Further magnifies the absurdity and human impossibility of the act. The sea represents an alien, destructive environment for a land-based tree, underscoring the miraculous and supernatural nature of the commanded action. It highlights a complete, divinely orchestrated reordering.
• and it would obey you: (Greek: hypakousei hymin - ὑπακούσει ὑμῖν) This crucial phrase indicates the efficacy of faith when united with divine power. The 'obedience' is not to the person's power but to the power of God working through that person's faith.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed": This phrase immediately corrects the disciples' misunderstanding that more faith is needed. Instead, it teaches that the type of faith—a living, active, authentic faith, however small in appearance—is sufficient to access God's power. It challenges the human tendency to gauge spiritual capacity by perceived magnitude.
• "you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’": This is a hyperbolic example of a humanly impossible task. It symbolizes overcoming immense, deeply rooted, and seemingly immovable obstacles through divine power. It highlights that God can work through faith to perform wonders beyond human capacity or expectation.
• "and it would obey you": This outcome reveals the divine empowerment linked to genuine faith. It is not the believer's own power but God's sovereign authority and omnipotence responding to faith. It assures that when faith is present and directed toward God, His will and power manifest, making the impossible possible.

Luke 17 6 Bonus section

• The quality of faith is paramount, not its magnitude. True faith is alive, rooted in God, and dynamic, rather than dormant or intellectually assented.
• The emphasis shifts from the disciples' "how much faith do we have?" to "how powerful is our God when He works through our faith?"
• This passage stands in direct contrast to human self-reliance, pointing wholly to God as the source of power.
• The mulberry tree example highlights not only deeply rooted obstacles in life but potentially spiritual roots of bitterness, unforgiveness, or pride which seem impossible to dislodge without divine intervention, accessible through faith.
• This is not a teaching to command trees to move, but a parabolic illustration to show the scope of God's power accessible to the believing heart. The lesson is universally applicable to any challenge that appears overwhelming and resistant to human effort.

Luke 17 6 Commentary

Luke 17:6 is a profound statement by Jesus about the nature and efficacy of genuine faith. It is not about the size of one's faith but its authenticity and the all-surpassing power of the God in whom that faith is placed. The disciples' request for "more faith" (Luke 17:5) reflects a common human misconception that greater faith is about acquiring a larger quantity of belief, like accumulating possessions. Jesus counters this by asserting that even faith as small as a mustard seed – a tiny, living germ – possesses dynamic, divinely-empowered potential.

The imagery of uprooting a deeply rooted mulberry tree and planting it in the sea symbolizes tasks that are utterly impossible for human strength or ingenuity. This hyperbole emphasizes that faith does not work based on human capacity but by invoking divine omnipotence. It is God who performs the action, responding to the alignment of a believer's faith with His will. Therefore, the miracle is not a testament to the believer's greatness, but to God's unlimited power working through humble, surrendered faith.

This verse challenges us to re-evaluate our understanding of faith. It's not about achieving a spiritual muscle mass that allows us to perform feats, but about simply trusting the omnipotent God with even the smallest kernel of sincere belief. This understanding frees believers from self-effort and instead directs their focus entirely to the sufficiency and power of the Lord. The practical implication is that even when facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles—be it forgiveness for repetitive offenses, deliverance from entrenched sins, or persistent challenges in ministry—a genuine, Spirit-imparted faith, though small, connects one to the limitless power of God to achieve the impossible. It serves as an encouragement that no spiritual or worldly challenge is beyond God's reach when met with His people's believing heart.