Faith As Small As A Mustard Seed

THE MUSTARD SEED

.......The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. Of all the seed it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and find shelter in its branches.(Matthew 13:31-32)

The Mustard seed is an interesting and incredible seed. One can be as small as 1 to 2 millimetres; which is 0.039 to 0.079 in diameter. This is so small that it can actually fit into your finger nails. However, within itself it has the potential to grow into a huge mustard tree of up to about 12 feet (3.7m). This is really huge considering the little seed it emerged from.

The are different kind of Mustard Seeds; the Brown, Yellow and Black Mustard Seeds. The one that Jesus was talking about is the black mustard seed called Brassica Nigra. While the are arguments by botanists that the Mustard seed, as described by Jesus, isn't the smallest seed but the black mustard seed was the smallest seed sown at that time hence making it the smallest seed that was sown by the first-century farmer.

Now how is it possible that from a tiny seed a huge tree can emerge; you may ask. That's the incredible thing about the Kingdom of God. Due to its incredible nature messages or organisation that wants to or depicts greatness are named after this seed. Even Jesus referenced the greatness of this seed by describing His Kingdom.

FAITH AND THE MUSTARD SEED

......For verily I say unto you if ye have faith as small as the grain of mustard seed ye shall say unto this mountain be moved hence from hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (Matthew 17:20)

If you study the preceding text, in the NIV, you would learn that Jesus admonish His disciples by saying they had little faith. Then He said if they had faith as small as a mustard seed they can command a mountain to be removed and it would obey. Now this is confusing.

What did Jesus mean? If you study the story that led to this admonishment....a man came to meet Jesus for help as his son was demon possessed. The man said that Jesus' disciples couldn't heal him. So for the fact that he brought the boy to Jesus, the disciples gave up or threw in the towel and concluded they couldn't do it. This I believe was the little faith Jesus as admonishing.

Now what is the faith Jesus meant that even if small as a mustard seed (which is very small) wouldn't just move a mountain but nothing shall be impossible? Before we we a grasp of this lets first understand what faith really is.

FAITH

Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things unseen.

(Hebrew 11:1)

......Faith without works is dead. ( James 2:26b)

So then faith come by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

Faith, if you ask me, can be a frustrating virtue to have. From the biblical definition we see that faith is a 'now' issue (Now faith is.....). Meaning that as faith is concerned those dreaming you having has already been fulfilled. The promise God gave has already come to pass. The Word you heard that stirred up faith in you has already been fulfilled. However the reality says exactly the opposite.

To make a balance we need patiences, persistence and endurance. When the Word of God enters our heart we are empowered to have faith....to hope....to believe that our mountains would be brought down. But the is a process between our present situation and the desired situation. In that process we need to employ patience, persistence and endurance. It's important to note that for one to have persistence and endurance the is something one is doing to bring the mountain down. The must be action infused to your faith or else it would be dead.

So what is Faith? Faith is when you are certain that the Word of God you received concerning your situation, beyond every shadow of doubt, would come to pass. This mean when you have faith which come from the Word of God you act on it until it come to fruition in regards of the odds.

ACTION INFUSED FAITH

.......I would show you my faith by my works. (James 2:18)

Jesus was trying to explain to His disciples that even if their faith was as small as a mustard seed if they continue to act on it, it would become big enough to move mountains. While other theologies may suggest that Jesus was actually talking about a faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains; and I am not debunking this; but I know that when someone stays under the atmosphere of the Word of God its just a matter of time before he grows a faith big enough to move mountains.

If the disciples had an absolute resolve in their heart that they would deliver that man's child no matter what it took; that would have being the case hence they wouldn't need Jesus. That wasn't the first time that they had performed an exorcism before. Instead of them to continue to infuse action to their faith and continue to find out ways to get their desired result they gave up. This is exactly what happens to us a times. When we face an obstacle that seems insurmountable we give up.

THE WORD OF GOD

It was evening of that same day. Jesus said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.”After sending the people away, they took Jesus with them in a boat. It was the same boat He used when He taught them. Other little boats went along with them. A bad wind storm came up. The waves were coming over the side of the boat. It was filling up with water. Jesus was in the back part of the boat sleeping on a pillow. They woke Him up, crying out, “Teacher, do You not care that we are about to die?” He got up and spoke sharp words to the wind. He said to the sea, “Be quiet! Be still.” At once the wind stopped blowing. There were no more waves. He said to His followers, “Why are you so full of fear? Do you not have faith. (Mark 4:35-41)

This is a very interesting account. Let us analyse it!

Account Breakdown

1) We see that all people involved had one vision given by the Word Jesus said (Word of God). He said "Let us go over to the other side". So based on this everyone's goal was to move across the lake to the other side. An action was taken to fulfil this because we learnt that they got on the boat which they would use to go to the other side.

2) As far as Jesus was concerned or faith was concerned they were already on the other side. We know this because Jesus went to sleep. No stress...He's already seen Himself, the boat and crew on the other side.

3) A storm arose which had one aim....to prevent them from going to the other side. Jesus was still sleeping. The disciples were filled with fear because they stop everything they were doing, which they needed to do to get them to the other side, and they starting crying out loud seeking help from Jesus. Meaning they starting doing everything opposite from the spoken Word (Let us go over to the other side). In other words they stopped acting in faith and started acting in fear.

Analysis

We need to know that more often that not...in fact I believe all the time you get a Word from God you would always face a situation that poses or presents a sharp opposite to the Word you heard. Do you thing the devil wants you to have it easy? I'm afraid he doesn't. You need to take the Word of God by faith with action, patience, persistence, endurance and forcefully make sure it comes to fruition.

Instead of the disciples to continue everything they could to make sure they got to the other side but yet again, as they did with the demon possessed boy, threw in the towel and started acting in fear. There were loads of things they could have done depending on the size of their faith. Their faith obviously wasn't has huge has Jesus' to speak to the storm however they could have;

1) Jettison....They could have dropped somethings they don't need out of the boat to make the boat lighter hence reducing the chance of the boat sinking.

2) Heaving-to.....They could have manipulated the sail and rudder to reduce any riotous movement cause by the storm.

3) Anchors.....They could have dropped their anchor to slow or reduce the riotous movement of the boat caused by the storm.

Whatever they did; they should just keep doing the needed thing to make sure the Word Jesus said comes to pass and not give up. It's fear that prevents one from acting. It make you do nothing hence its the opposite of faith.

Did God tell you anything?.....Do you have a conviction in the spirit about the path God wants you to be? If you do then be sure to expect oppositions. You see the disciples failed to see that everything (physical, spiritual, psychological etc) is subject to the Word of God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (John1 :3). So everything has to obey His Word in regardless of how raging the storm is. Don't let it scare you keep advancing forward.

Don't allow the circumstances make you give up. Despite how big the mountain may be or how raging the storm is give moving forward. Keep praying, keep fasting, keep believing, keep knocking.

Just like a mountain under a droplets of water that continues dropping persistently hence making the integrity of the mountain give so also would your persistent action to the Word of God crack the mountain preventing you from going to the other side.