IT MAY BE SMALL, 

BUT IT’S CRAZY!

 

If you know me well, you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I am no gardener! I have a great appreciation for gardens, flowers and growing things, but give me a plant and it will not have a good life. If it can’t survive the total inattention I’ll give it, then it is destined for an untimely death.

And so, along with my lack of a green thumb, I also am very ignorant of plants, their names, their properties, their growth cycles and the like. I love to photograph plants and flowers, I admire them for their beauty and medicinal properties, but I am for the most part clueless in all aspects of botany.

Which is why, when I began to look into a certain plant mentioned in the Bible, I was blown away by the symbolism it held and possibly its misinterpretation by many in a particular passage of Scripture.

Look with me at Matthew 17.

Matthew 17:19-20 KJV - Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Raise your hand if you, along with me, always interpreted this passage as “even the tiniest bit of faith is enough”? And raise your hand if that never sat right with you?

Let’s have a quick look at the context of this passage before we go any further.

At the beginning of this chapter, we read of Christ’s transfiguration upon a high mountain. We see the appearance of Moses and Elias. And then, as the disciples and Christ come to the multitude, we read of a desperate father bringing his son, tormented by a devil who causes him to often fall into the fire and the water. He is so vexed that he calls on the Lord to have mercy on his son.

The father, in agony of heart, had first brought his son to the disciples, but found that they couldn’t cure him. At last, he brought him to Jesus, the devil was cast out and the child was cured.

Afterwards, the disciples came to Jesus, not understanding why they couldn’t cast the devil out and we are given Jesus’ interesting answer.

“Because of your unbelief. If you have faith AS a grain of mustard seed….”

Have you ever wondered about this passage? Have you ever asked yourself the question, “why?” The disciples walked with Jesus; they saw the miracles. They had faith. But why wasn’t their faith enough?

And why would Jesus say faith like or as a mustard seed if he meant only a tiny amount? Did you know that the Bible never said, “small like a mustard seed”.

It says faith AS a mustard seed. Big difference.

If the disciples already had “some” faith, just a small amount, then why did Jesus say it still wasn’t enough?

Here’s where I try my hand at botany. Bear with me. This gets good.

The mustard seed is mentioned 5 times in the Bible. In Matthew, Mark and Luke. Each time it is in reference to having faith like a grain of mustard seed.

There is some conjecture amongst scholars regarding the type of mustard plant referenced, but as we read in Luke 13, the plant grew big enough that “fowls of the air lodged in the branches”. So, most believe that it was the black mustard plant.

The mustard tree has minute seeds, only 1-2mm in diameter and an abundance of yellow flowers. This particular plant can grow to around 3 metres tall.

Here comes the interesting part.

This particular plant is INVASIVE. Once it takes root in a garden, it spreads fast. It not only crowds out and destroys other plants, but it dominates the soil and quickly becomes uncontrollable. It becomes almost impossible to get rid of.

So, in light of this information, when Jesus spoke of faith “as a mustard seed”, those listening didn’t think “tiny” as we do, they thought – uncontainable, invasive, dominating, unstoppable.

I think that this is the faith Jesus was referring to. This was the faith Jesus was pointing to.

Not a fragile, small faith.

Once this mustard seed faith is planted, it spreads into every part of your life. It is unshakeable, unwavering. It doesn’t coexist with fear and doubt. It overtakes, it uproots, it destroys the devils lies.

This is not “tiny” faith. This is aggressive, consuming, crazy, mountain moving faith.

This is the type of faith that is rooted in Christ. It overtakes every lie with God’s truth. It is an unshakeable faith. A faith not affected by circumstances.

It’s not just about the size of the mustard seed. Yes, a tiny seed can grow into an impressive tree, but it’s not just about the smallness of the seed. If Jesus had in mind only the size, then he could have used the metaphor of a grain of sand or dust. But he didn’t.

I think the mustard seed was used, not only for its size, but for its life-giving properties. It’s a living faith that grows. A living faith that produces fruit.

Maybe the disciples had a misplaced faith. Maybe they thought that more faith would give them more power. The power of faith does not lie in human strength. It hinges on a living God who stands behind our faith.

Who is the object of our faith? Genuine faith, rooted in the character and promises of God, can flourish and grow beyond all human comprehension.

This is what the world calls “crazy” faith. It is the kind of faith that moves mountains.

A faith that is invasive. Unstoppable. A faith that starts out small but grows like a mustard seed. It takes over. It spreads. It produces more faith.

True Biblical faith does not remain static. It is designed to grow and thrive. As our faith matures, we become more resilient. We become unstoppable. Unshakeable. Unwavering.

A faith that blossoms under God’s tender nurturing hand, is a faith that is strong.

It’s an incomprehensible crazy faith!

Mustard seed faith is a faith that is not stopped by difficult circumstances. It is not stopped by impossible obstacles. It pushes on. It dominates. It takes over. And it moves mountains!

 

Don’t think small, think uncontainable!