Mustard: Breakfast of Champions
You probably know the story.
The disciples have been standing there, ministering as usual–working miraculous healings here, performing astounding deliverances there (you know, just the normal stuff). Suddenly a guy pushes his kid up front. The disciples reach out their hands, speak the word, and . . . he’s not healed.
Wait. Is that foam coming from the boy’s mouth?
No problem. They rebuke the demon.
The kid’s eyes glaze over, spittle drips from his mouth. Umm. What is that strange croaking noise coming from his throat?
By this time, Dad’s had enough. He grabs his boy by the collar and hauls him off to Jesus who, of course, heals him instantly.
“Your problem, boys,” Jesus explains, “is the size of your faith. If it were even the size of a mustard seed you would be moving mountains.” (Matthew 17:14-20)
A Seed Too Small
Wait a minute. Hadn’t the disciples just been operating by faith? What about the previous healing? Had their faith shriveled? Do you need bigger mustard seeds for some jobs?
Here’s how Jesus described the workings of the kingdom of God in the Gospel of Mark. “It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade” (Mark 4:30-32 NKJV).
If you’ve Googled it at all, you know there are smaller seeds than mustard in the world. But Jesus called them the least of those sown in the field–crop seeds. Next to wheat, corn, barley, oats, and other purposely planted seeds, those of mustard pale by comparison.
What they lack in size, however, they make up in growth potential. While a kernel of corn can produce a plant five to even fifteen feet tall,1 the humble mustard seed can yield a bush six to twenty feet tall and just as wide2.
Mustard grows wild, of course–arbitrary and haphazard as wildflowers. But it, like faith, is more productive when planted with intention and then tended. Its greatest accomplishment becomes more than simple reproduction. It enlarges until it provides shelter for all the “birds of the air”–all the other living beings fluttering around it.
Faith that moves mountains may start small, but it won’t do much if it only floats across our minds or hearts like dandelion seeds on the wind. We must capture it and ground it, caring for it the same as any herb in our garden. Initially, hope for the produce of our faith may seem to vanish–as any seed does when it first disappears in the earth. But patience gives trust roots if we don’t dig it up and throw it away. As a farmer rises and sleeps and rises again before seeing the first sprouts, we must wait expectantly until God gives the increase.
Sound easy? Um. No.
Believing Is Work!
Even seed-sized faith can be hard to come by sometimes. I’m still not sure what happened with the disciples that day. Their failure makes me wonder how I would have done in their place.
Maybe they were having a Peter moment–water-walking until the waves got big and that last patient in the healing line approached. In Mark 17:21 Jesus said, “this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Perhaps they’d started taking things for granted and neglected to add some proper fertilizer to their faith.
In John 6:29, Jesus called believing the “work” of God. In other words, there’s nothing “rote” about trusting God. No special techniques. No magic words. Just the labor of securing small faith and holding it fast until its roots dive deep into the soil of our hearts. Farmers come home tired at the end of the day. We shouldn’t be surprised believing is just as hard. Paul warned us not to grow weary. But He also promised we’d reap in due season if we don’t lose heart. (Galatians 6:9)
Faith, then, is a living thing. The size at which it starts isn’t as important as the degree to which we allow it to grow. Trust that begins no bigger than bird seed can spread into a tree-sized sanctuary–not just for us but for all those around us.
Let’s put on our overalls and do the work of God.
Terry, what an insightful blog. I loved every bit of it. I have a friend who has just discovered that the small tumor on her brain is growing. You likely did not think of applying such a thing to this blog, but the thought of Jesus calling us to do the “work” of God in trusting him seems to fit her situation as she moves forward. As you said, “There’s nothing rote about trusting God.” I loved, “. . . the labor of securing small faith and holding it fast until roots dive deep into the soil of our hearts.” I plan to use that whole paragraph in an email of encouragement to her. I’m sure you would approve. Small seeds of faith, trust that flourishes like the mustard tree. Thank you for blessing my day with these thoughts.
I’m so glad this blessed you! And even happier that you can use some nuggets to help someone else. God makes sure none of our efforts go to waste. (PS: email me a link to your blog if you have one. I’d love to see what you’ve been up to since our Platform course.)