✝️ Faith of a Mustard Seed ✝️
Written by Rebeca Warmbo
Matthew 13:31-32
New International Version
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
Matthew 17:20
New International Version
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
This is the story about the mustard seed. A mustard seed is the smallest, tiniest seed, but it somehow grows to be the biggest plant where so many things take refuge, rest, and are protected from the sun and the weather. Somehow the tiniest seed grows into the biggest plant that gives life, protection, and comfort to so many. Much as our faith in Jesus does for us, yet how do we get that?
So, in the first parable (which is a story told to teach, not an actual factual event), Jesus says,
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed…”
Does this mean that heaven is tiny? No, it doesn’t!
Does it mean that heaven is a minor thing, an easy thing to get? No!
What it is saying is that you must plant it.
What does a farmer do when he plants something? Does he leave it and walk away? No.
He waters it, he puts it in good soil that he has tilled and made sure it’s fertilized. He plants it at the correct depth, the correct space between seeds, and then he waters it and weeds it.
So, this is clearly not something that is a simple task or even just a one-time task. It takes time, effort, and knowledge in knowing how to plant it and what to do with it.
Now we go to the next part. This is Jesus actually speaking to His disciples. He says:
“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you will be able to say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Now many people read that and they think, “Oh, I just need a little faith, and I should be able to move this or that.” But that’s not true at all.
If we look at what He said before that, He said:
“Because you have so little faith.”
So obviously, He’s not telling us we just need a little faith, or else He wouldn’t have said we have so little faith.
What He is saying is what He first spoke in the parable above. What Jesus was actually saying was this:
In order to move a mountain in our life, we need to have faith, yes, faith of a mustard seed—but what does it take for a mustard seed to grow?
- It takes effort.
- It takes work.
- It takes trust.
- It takes knowledge.
So, in order to call on heaven—which is calling on your faith, using your faith—we must first nurture it.
- We must build a foundation to plant it (the desire to know and learn about Jesus).
- Then we must get the correct soil to plant it (reading His Word).
- Then we must water it (continuing to study His Word).
- Then we must protect it (by speaking His Word).
Finally, we get to look at it as it’s fully grown, and we will see that that tiny seed became a huge tree—much like our faith.
So, we don’t need a little faith to move a mountain.
To move a mountain in your life, you need a lot of faith—enough faith to make it grow, to trust it to grow.
Imagine the little mustard seed!
- What does it need to grow?
- The mustard seed itself needs to not worry about the other plants around it.
- It needs to not worry about its size and to not think it can’t grow up.
- It needs to believe it is going to be a big tree.
- It has to have enormous trust in order to let itself grow into that huge tree.
So, when we talk of the mustard seed, I hope you now know what it means. But also—don’t feel discouraged!
If you are at the starting point in your faith, take heart!
This is the time when you will grow the fastest.
Remember:
- Once a tree has become a tree, it takes years and years for you to notice it growing.
- But when it first pops up out of the soil, the time of growing is the fastest!
If you want to know more about Jesus, and if you want to be able to have great faith, I invite you to come along on this journey with us and with all believers.
We are all still growing every day.
Jesus came here for you—to give you life on this earth abundantly and to give you eternal life with Him.
He will make sure to send people your way, get you to the right church, open doors that you can’t—if you just trust.
Which is what that little mustard seed had to do at the very beginning.
We are here to help anyone who wants to know more about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
We truly believe in this, and we have seen evidence of Him in our lives.
We have been down the darkest pits and never thought we could get out.
We have suffered with:
- Depression
- Addiction
- Physical ailments
- Mental illnesses
- Spiritual attacks
- Abuse—sexual, physical, emotional
We have not been perfect in our lives.
And yet—God has been there for us.
He has always been there, waiting…
Waiting—as He is right now, for you.
If you would like to welcome the Lord into your heart today:
- We can pray for you.
- If you have questions, we can try to answer them.
- If you just need a safe place to talk, we are here.
We are all mustard seeds:
- Some of us are waiting to be planted.
- Some of us are waiting to pop up out of the soil.
- Some of us are beginning to grow.
- Some of us are trees, still growing each and every day.
And we do this by:
✝️ Praying
📖 Reading His Word
🤝 Fellowship with other believers
As we are doing right now.