This language is typical of the hyperbole that Jesus uses to emphasize a point. It is similar to His example of the camel and the eye of the needle (10:25). Plummer says, "’Removing mountains’ was a Jewish figure of speech for a very great difficulty, and it would be familiar to the disciples" (265). Jesus is not giving His disciples license to perform monstrous and unreasonable miracles. There would be no sense in dumping the Mount of Olives into the Dead Sea. The meaning must be that no task that is in accordance with God’s will is impossible if it is performed by those who believe and do not doubt. Gould adds:
"Moving a mountain" is not to be taken literally, but stands for any incredible thing, as stupendous as such moving, but not so out of line with the miracles to which Jesus confined himself. It is enough to say that neither Jesus nor his disciples ever removed mountains, except metaphorically (215).
he shall have whatsoever he saith: Jesus is not impulsively saying, "You just name it, and it’s yours!" But praying and asking must be consistent with the pattern of true prayer Jesus gives elsewhere. In fact, it must be consistent with all scriptural teaching.
