Mustard Seed Faith

Matthew 17:20 - "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed ..."

Jesus told us that faith is like a grain of mustard seed. We plant it and it grows. It is indeed a very small seed and is not worth much on its own. But like the parable Jesus told, some varieties of mustard plant can grow to be 8 ft tall. While not a tall tree (compared to a desert palm) it is much higher than most garden plants. Indeed, birds could indeed find a place to perch in a mustard bush, especially the black mustard. Once the tree has grown, the seeds are used to make the table condiment we know as mustard. The seeds are pressed to make mustard oil and the leaves of the smaller variety are grown to be eaten as mustard greens. The parable was so accurate because most every Israeli at the time of Christ would have been familiar with a "mustard tree" as we are familiar in the south with mustard greens. 

Jesus audience understood him to be talking about the growth of faith and not necessarily the size. The difference between the seed and the bush of the mustard plant is amazing. When God speaks to us to attempt something for him we do not know how it will turn out. If we were to look at the seed (where we are now) and compare it to the tree (the finished product) we could become discouraged. Therefore, Jesus gave us this parable to remind us how good God is at doing the impossible. If you and I were to be handed some seeds, shown some photos of plants, and then asked which seed grew into which plant we would probably guess incorrectly. The natural tendency would be to match the smallest seed with the smallest plant. Yet the smallest garden seed the Jews knew, probably the black mustard, grew into the largest plant in their gardens and fields. 

So it is with our lives. Often the smallest beginnings turn into the most successful ministries, careers, etc. The people who have the most success didn't necessarily start out trying to be something "big". They just took one day at a time and trusted the process. Likewise, you and I must take one day at a time with our Christian walk and trust God's process. Jesus followers were not asked to understand how a mustard seed changes into a mustard plant. That is for God alone to understand.  Their only obligation was to put the seed in the ground and let God do his work. Likewise, we are not to try to figure out where we will end up. We are simply to obey as God speaks and let him lead. His plans are so much better than ours and he can cause the most humble beginnings in our lives to have the greatest long term effects. 

Are you facing questions about your future? If you are young you might be wondering which college to attend or career to pursue? If you are older you might be wondering if you have enough money for retirement. Wherever you are in life, remember this. God knows how to turn mustard seeds into mustard trees and he can do the same "impossible" thing in your life. Jesus compared the mustard seed/mustard bush growth both to personal faith and the Kingdom of God as a whole. Just as the teachings of Christianity grew from the voice of one man to encompass the entire Christian church so can God do the same in your life. Don't worry too much about what you see now. Plant the seed by doing your part and watch God do his. You will not be disappointed. 

Trusting Him Daily,

Sullivan Jones