Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said,
“Why could we not drive it out?”
He said to them, “Because of your little faith.
Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you will say to this mountain,
‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Alexei Karamazov suffers many indignities throughout Dostoevski's novel, including the torment of his brother Ivan who taunts him because neither Alexei nor anyone else has ever commanded a mountain to "Move from here into the sea." Nor it is likely to happen even in hyper-Catholic Russia.
Perhaps Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker can pull off that trick; but they do it not with faith but with an amoral, imaginary Force which serves neither good not bad.
As we read this passage from Saint Matthew's Gospel, it would appear that even the Lord chides his distressed disciples for their lack of that marvelous ability. But Jesus must teach his church more important and useful truths than how to alter landscapes with telekinesis.
The Gospels are saturated with the closing words of the Mass: "Ite missa est!" That is, "Go, you are sent to announce the Good News of Salvation by faith in Jesus the Crucified and Risen Lord!" We must believe ourselves; we must invite others to believe with us. And every effort to convert others which lacks the indisputable witnesses of faith, hope, and love will fail. And that failure will often be catastrophic; it will be as ludicrous as some fellow calling mountains and olive trees to do-si-do a square dance.
Saint Matthew has refocused a moving story of a father pleading for his lunatic son. As Saint Mark tells the story, Jesus is still glowing with his recent transfiguration on Mount Tabor; and it's a hard comedown for him. When he discovers his disciples fuming with each other about their lack of healing power, he is like Moses who suffered a similar outrage when he found his people worshipping Aaron's golden calf. [A few cuss words might even be appropriate on this rare occasion.]
Matthew's more serene Jesus calls attention to the crippling lack of faith among his ardent followers, rather than the sad father's distress. He insists, "Nothing will be impossible for you!"
Facing a world which almost universally espouses divorce, abortion, gay marriage, medically-assisted suicide, exploitation of the earth and its people, and drone-delivered weapons of mass destruction -- we might suppose our mission has failed, and our faith in Jesus is little more than whistling Dixie. Add to that bad news: our particular sins persists despite our persistent penance. The combination can make it hard to get out of bed in the morning. We can't even stir up a decent avalanche or rock slide, much less uproot a mountain.
Never mind. We're not sent to overawe the world with a telekinetic Force. If there were such a thing it would have nothing to with faith, hope, or charity; and would only be another obstacle on the road to salvation. Jesus, as Dostoevski's Grand Inquisitor reminded the silent Savior, refused to persuade anyone to believe in him with spectacular displays. They're below his dignity and insulting to ours.
Rather, we must see that our persistent penance despite our persistent sins is moving mountains from deep beneath the spiritual surface of earth. We cannot see them or feel their power but periodically we may see eruptions, as in Medjugorge, Fatima, or Guadalupe. The world, so deeply committed to superficiality, denies the obvious. But we see it happening quietly and often; and, standing on tiptoe, we await with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God. Romans 8:19
