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I’ve been wondering lately if Jesus’ words about mustard seed faith have less to do with the “quantity” or “size” of faith and more to do with the “type” of faith.
Depending on what translation of the Bible you look at, you will either see that faith “the size” of a mustard seed can move mountains or faith “like” a mustard seed can move mountains.
“… I tell you the truth, 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 (New Intern’l Vers.)
The only sermons I’ve heard on this passage talk about a little faith having great impact. But my experience has really been that the greatest impact has come due to great faith, not little faith. And why would Jesus point to the strength of little faith one moment, only to use it as chastisement the next… “you of little faith.”
I always thought that mustard trees were huge or something, but everything I can find about them so far says they get to be about 15 feet tall and are really considered a shrub.
So, if the whole mustard seed thing is about a “type” of faith, what the heck kind of faith is it!?
Well, here are some rambling thoughts on that…
First of all, a mustard seed does not grow into a bigger mustard seed. Duh. It grows into something completely different. This seems important to me. The term “metamorphosis” comes to mind. Before faith I was one thing. With faith, I am something completely different.
Second, the seed doesn’t go through this change in a vacuum. It needs water. It needs soil. It needs sunlight. I assume it needs some form of pollination. I do not bring about great change by simply imposing my will in a particular direction… I need to receive from others as well.
Third, in order to make big change, that little seed needs to break. If it doesn’t break, it doesn’t grow. My faith and my life and my character will not grow if a primary goal of mine is to protect the status quo.
Now I don’t know if there is anything of great wisdom in these thoughts, they are just thoughts. But I FEEL like I’m onto something.
Am I on to something here or just blowing wind?
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3 comments on "Maybe size really doesn't matter after all"
1
“… that little seed needs to break. If it doesn’t break, it doesn’t grow.”
This is right on. Until God, not our own emotions, leads us to a breaking point where we see the futility of our own lives and the need for a savior we truly can’t begin to experience the life that is everlasting.
There was a period when God kept repeatedly breaking me. Like I was laying on this rock by the ocean and these mighty waves were just crashing down on top of me. It hurt, a lot. But it always felt refreshing afterwards.
And God is still breaking me, and I think will continue to do so until I die. But that’s a good thing.
2
It’s so easy to be about the business of protecting ourselves from that type of brokenness though.
However, I’ve found that for me, protecting myself from that also means that I buffer myself against truly loving, truly celebrating, and truly being free to live life fully.
-Mike
3
That is so true.