(Part one of two Mustard Faith Devotionals)
The bible mentions a mustard seed several times in different contexts to teach and describe concepts around God's kingdom and the power of faith. In the following devotional, we will delve into a few of these passages to explore the lessons the bible has to offer about mustard seeds.
Dear God, thank you for working in the lives of those reading your word. As we go further into studying what the bible has to say about planting our faith, I pray you would prepare our hearts and open our eyes to what you have to teach us. Help us focus on you and lead us into greater worship of you and your faithfulness. Amen.
The Kingdom of Heaven
The parables that Jesus frequently uses are powerful tools for teaching his followers the deep mysteries of what is not known to them about God. All are still relevant today and reveal a path for those with open hearts to discover the mercy and justice of the Lord.
Through simple terms and comparisons with familiar everyday life, we are led with the holy spirit to a deeper understanding of the things that are unseen. This "unseen-ness" is key because we are currently living on this earth full of things that will eventually fade away.
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18).
To have faith is to have "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).
In the gospel of Matthew and Luke, Jesus teaches a crowd through speaking in parables. In describing the kingdom of heaven, he says:
"It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.( Luke 13:9)
"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field; which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches." (Matthew 13:31-32)
In Matthew 13:32, the mustard seed is said to be the "smallest of all seeds," if you are a gardening enthusiast, you might realize that this isn't necessarily true. There are smaller seeds out there. But Jesus did not make a mistake. Back when Christ was living as a human among humans, mustard seeds were used in this same way to describe small frivolous things like when we use "a speck of dust", to describe a minuscule amount of something.
The significance of the mustard seed is that it starts from such small unnoticeable beginnings, but "when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches" (Matthew 13:32).
This imagery is one of great transformation; from tiny to big. And this is exactly what happened with the gospel and narrative of Christianity. In some versions of Luke, the man takes the mustard seed and "[throws it] into his own garden" rather than "planting" with care. This points to how little regard people can have towards Christians and the Kingdom of Heaven. When Jesus' ministry began, it was very small. He had only 12 followers and often, they were rejected and pushed to the side as an afterthought. Imagine if the disciples were here today to witness the billions of Christians dispersed across the globe. As people continue to evangelize and God continues to work in the hearts of the unsaved, more people are learning about Christ and choosing to follow Him. This is amazing because even one saved soul is another reason to gladly rejoice. God's heart aches for those who are lost and living a life that leads to death, He is "not willing that any of [his children] should perish" (Matthew 18:14).
God promises salvation to those who put their faith in Him. There is only one outcome. The mustard seed will become a mustard plant, it is not going to blossom into a rose or thorn bush. We can be fully assured because "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28.
(read our dissection of Romans 8:28, spoiler alert we are in NO WAY describing a prosperity gospel) It may take time, but the end result is greater than what we could ever predict when focusing on the tiny beginnings.
Fruit of Faith
The huge growth and transformation of the mustard seed can also be used to describe what occurs when our faith is planted. When the mustard seed becomes a tall tree, it has big branches that provide shelter and a place of rest for the birds. Our faith, and the more we mature in it, allows us to do good works and serve others. In fully assured faith, we can draw on God's strength to care for others beyond our original capacity.
If you have ever had a break-up, experienced dissonance from your family, or had a falling out with a friend, you know that relationships can get extremely messy. When harsh words are said and hurtful actions are done, they can never be taken back. Sometimes apologies are not adequate to mend another person's sorrow or bitterness. The restoration of broken relationships is a significant means in which God's power is displayed.
In the gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches his disciples that they must avoid every temptation to become angry and sin. He tells them to forgive others even if they sin against them countless times. His followers know how difficult it is to show such endless grace. By human strength alone it would be impossible. They recognize they need a large amount of faith in God to live amicably among others and be able to continually forgive.
"The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
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 17:5-6)
The roots of a mulberry tree run deep and are very strong. In the same way, stubborn resentment can be deeply rooted inside of us. With the even a small amount of faith in God, this underlying bitterness will uproot itself and be planted in the sea"(Luke 17:6). Faith enables us to truly love others in the way God loves us and calls us to love: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hope, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
The Power of Faith and Prayer
In chapter 17 of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus sends his disciples and empowers them to cast out demons from afflicted people. For the most part, they are successful, but in this instance, the disciples find they are unable to heal a boy from a particularly strong demon. The boy's father goes directly to Jesus for help who immediately heals them. When asked why they had failed, Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith because they
“Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”(Matthew 17:20-21)
God has full authority over even the most powerful demons. When called to cast our demons, the disciples had to trust in God to be successful. Though Jesus follows up by saying that they need to pray and fast for facing tougher obstacles, this does not negate the power of faith in a mighty God.
Prayer and fasting demonstrate deep care for those who are affected when you bring their struggles to God. It also shows how rather than putting faith in our own strengths or feeling hopeless about our weaknesses, the one thing we know we can rely on is God's faithfulness in hearing and answering our prayers.
Little Faith, Big Faith, What are the differences?
There are times that our level of faith may waver or change with the different seasons we are in. What matters most is not the amount of faith we have, but the object that we place our faith. We can be fully assured knowing that we are placing our faith in an all-powerful, and faithful God.
One example I think about is thinking about the faith we put in everyday objects. When we sit in our homes, we have faith in the construction of the building. If we had little faith and thought the roof could come crashing down any second, we would not choose to dwell in our homes if we truly valued our lives.
Putting a huge amount of faith in something unstable will never be as powerful as putting a small amount of faith in something unshakeable.
God is steadfast, we can rest easy and rely on Him, and even in times of lingering doubts, He remains faithful. A building that is sturdy will not crumble when you spend time worrying that it might fall down. However, the time you spend outside the building pacing around in anxiousness and distrust grows longer when our faith in God is small. Still, a tiny amount of faith that brings us to step into the building will allow us to be sheltered from the elements. The tiny faith in God that compels us to put hope in Him gives us access to the gospel and the powerful transformation it does to our lives.
Those who continue to practice and grow in their trust of God will be spending less time in distress when facing obstacles. They spend less time in doubt before serving. They are more fully empowered by the confidence they have in Christ.
Things to Remember: Plant Your Faith
The Kingdom of Heaven is here on Earth through those who follow him and evangelize to others. While it can be discouraging to feel as if no one else cares, do not give up hope. Already, the ministry of Jesus has grown significantly since its minuscule beginnings and God is continuing to work!
Pray that he would use you to bring his light to those who do not yet know Him. Trust that since it is God's power to change people's hearts, you do not have to bear the burden as a savior. Our mission as Christians is to point others to Christ out of love for them, and reverence for God.
A mustard seed will grow into a mustard plant. Not roses, thornbushes, or carrots. Being "planted" and accepting the gospel guarantees the single outcome that God promised. To his faithful followers, Jesus has paid the price for our salvation so that we may be sanctified and grow more Christlike.
Small faith is powerful, but the more faith you have the easier it is to find peace.
In the moments where we fail at loving, struggle with feeling at peace, or trusting God, we still continue to grow and trust in Him more when he guides us through our battles and comforts us in our sorrows.
We have been planted and God is growing us. But still, we have a duty to make sure we continue to water ourselves and prepare good soil. Stay in your word, and work on building your personal relationship with Jesus through prayer.
(In the next Mustard Devotional, we discuss the watering and nurturing process in greater depth)