“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.” Matthew 17:20
I think most Christians have a hard time with true “faith”. When most of us are asked what we have faith in, many will answer “I believe Jesus is the Son of God, died on a cross for my sins, resurrected from death, ascended into heaven, and is coming back one day soon to judge the living and the dead”. That is a beautiful and truthful answer, yet I would suggest it is only part of the answer. The remaining part of the answer is based on our ACTIONS regarding that faith.
I have had various opportunities lately to discuss “faith without works is dead” and that true faith is in action…not just lip service. When people say their faith is based on religious activities such as knowing the Bible, going to church, or being “good”…I would suggest that is NOT where our proof of faith lies.
In the story above from Matthew 17, Jesus’ disciples were frustrated because they could not heal the epileptic son of a father who came to them seeking deliverance and healing. The father had come to the disciples first who were unable to heal the man. Finally, the father PERSISTED by coming directly to Jesus requesting his son be healed and Jesus did so. The father and son were rewarded for the father’s perseverance when Jesus healed his son of demons and disease. When the disciples privately and probably sheepishly asked why they were unable to heal the son, Jesus spoke out against an “unbelieving and perverse generation”. Was He referring to the disciples or the whole generation of that time? I think Jesus was referring to both, and yet in the same minute, He encourages the disciples that if they had “faith as small as a mustard seed”, they would be able to move mountains…that nothing will be impossible for them.
Throughout the Bible “seeds” are used both literally and metaphorically scores of times. The mustard seed is used as an example because it is one of the smallest seeds that grow faster and bigger than most other plants of its species. It is a beautiful illustration that I think Jesus was using to say many things. Here are a few of those things.
First, God uses the smaller and unimpressive things or people of this world more than the grandiose or the strong. God loves and does great things with humble hearts and minds. The strong, proud, and mighty he throws down and castes aside (James 4:6-7). Great rewards will come for those who do good things in secret and without vainglory.
I think the disciples in this story were beginning to be proud and boastful as His followers and starting to think THEY could do miracles just because of their association or relationship to Jesus, and obviously some of the people were coming to them because of this perception. This was a case where Jesus had to teach them that in themselves they can do nothing without His authority or their giving credit to God. God will not share His glory and praise with anyone else. All of our works are as “filthy rags” when it comes to righteousness and purity.
Seeds take time to grow and produce. Seeds are hidden in the ground at first so as to be protected from wind and harsh sunshine that kill the seeds before they can produce. In the same way, the seed of faith needs to be hidden under the mercy and protection of God. It is the Holy Spirit’s work to protect and guide a new Christian to mature growth and beauty. Some seeds grow faster than others and I would suggest no two seeds are exactly alike or used for the exact same purpose.
The seed of faith needs to fall on “fertile soil” as Matthew 13:8-9 explains to us. The “soil” is the Word of God…The Bible. We see way too often where sincere seeds of faith wither away and die because they thought they could thrive without deep roots in the truths of God’s revelation to man. These seeds may for a time enjoy the freedom of blowing in the wind and feeling the heat of the world’s sun, but eventually, they will die of malnutrition and lack of the soil and water God’s Word and Holy Spirit represent.
1 Peter 1:23 guarantees that “you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God”. We also know that His word will not return to him void…so anyone who is firmly “planted” in the truth and facts of faith will never perish. We may go through times of drought and famine, but God has guaranteed that our seed will never die. This goes for those friends and family members who may not be living in faith currently but who knows the truth. We need to trust in the seeds that were planted there through the generations.
We could spend an hour extrapolating more applications from these principles, but let me finalize this meditation with examples of little things used to overcome big challenges:
- Young David used a stone and slingshot to fell the giant Goliath, and from this courageous act of faith became the most beloved king of Israel. Not only that, but Jesus came from his “seed” (lineage) to become the savior of the world. That is a huge example of “cause and effect” in time and history.
- God used the “seed” of Abraham and Sarah who in their 90s were chosen to be the origin of His chosen people and reproduce. You are never too old to be a seed of faith and used for God’s purpose and calling.
- God used Moses’ simple rod and staff as a symbol of God’s using simple objects (and subjects) to do His will. With Moses’ obedient use of this rod, God parted the Red Sea for the Jews to escape the Egyptians and brought forth water from a rock in the desert for his homeless people to drink. God uses symbols and commandments we can understand to do His will. We simply need to decide to obey.
Luke 8:15 states “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance”.
Let me encourage you to stay in the “good soil” of God’s love and grace. We can only have an honest and good heart if we have sowed time in knowing Him through His word and through the love of His people. This is a continual effort of obedience on our part that we do through “perseverance”. Perseverance is “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success”.
As humans, it takes time to produce great things or build character. It takes time to develop patience and love for ourselves and each other. It takes time and active “farming” to build great ministries or churches. It takes perseverance in prayer and toil to bring our loved ones to faith in Christ. With God, there is no “magic” in moving mountains. He provides the sunshine and water from which our seed of faith grows. Our job is to simply stay in the good soil of His love and redemptive power to keep doing the works of faith. In time we will grow into that tree that the Psalmist began his book in Psalms 1:1-3:
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
Now THAT is a true prosperity plan! Water the seed within you and become the tree that is your destiny from our God, the farmer.