Mustard Seeds of Faith

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (Matthew 17:20).

The mustard plant referred to in Matthew 17:20 could be the black mustard plant, a large annual plant that can grow to be nine feet tall. However, the seed for this plant is very small. In biblical times, it often grew in fields. The parable that Jesus tells here, suggests the kingdom of God will grow from tiny beginnings to worldwide size, and it will continue until the end of time. However, the parable also has implications for the Christian life.

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).

If we have just a minuscule, tiny seed-proportion of faith, God can use it and grow it into something big and useful. As our love and trust in God grow, so will our faith. They all go together and strengthen each other. Faith is both itself a miracle and it produces miracles. As told, it can move mountains and clear away obstacles.

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. But when it is sown, it growth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it (Mark 4:30-32).

Another type of mustard seed in the Middle East grows into a bush or tree. It can grow up to twenty feet and have far-reaching limbs. However, it, too, grows from a tiny seed. No doubt this is the plant some of the Bible verses refer to. However, either way, the message is clear. God can work with the tiniest amount of faith and grow it into something wonderful and even majestic to His glory. And nothing can inhibit the growth of faith or the growth of His kingdom.

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