Faith of a mustard seed

Before you read this I want you to stand up and then sit back down. It disturbs me that many times people limit God. They may not think they do, but they do. It is not intentional but still they limit God. As Christians you would think that we would not, yet many times we do. We do it every time we come up with an excuse why believing in something or praying will fail. We do it every time we say we pray for a better job, more money, better health, and the list goes on. Yet we come up with excuses of why we can not have the better job, wanting more money is greedy, we don’t have time to exercise or it’s too hard to quit smoking. Every time we say these things we limit God. What we are really saying to God is we want to believe in you but we just can’t because. It is in this because that we limit God, we prevent him from being there for us, and we prevent him from showing his love for us. We then sit and wallow in our failure, trying to figure out why God failed, why our prayers did not get answer, why we are not walking the life God promised. Well, God did not fail us, we failed God. We did not do our part. Now many of you are wondering, “our part”? We prayed, we went to church, and we read the Bible daily, what more can we do? To that I say “mustard seed.”

In Luke 17 Jesus teaches his disciples about believing, and he makes a point that many in the Western church miss:

Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this sycamine tree, Be rooted up and be planted in the sea! And it would obey you.

In many of the churches here in the west we read this verse and immediately say the “…size of a mustard seed.” In fact a recent teaching I attended by a very well-noted Minister even taught on this and passed out little pouches of mustard seed to make this point. To this day I carry it in my wallet. But that is not what Jesus said if you were to look up this verse in some other translations. Example:

Analytical-Literal Translation: But the Lord said, "If you* have faith like a grain of mustard [or, mustard seed], you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,' and it would [have] obeyed you*.

Or if you were to go to the Greek you would see the same thing, and for the most part all translation say it the same way.
…if you have as a grain of mustard seed…

Never does Jesus say “size of”. No, what he is saying is if you have the faith that a grain of mustard has. Folks what we missed is the orientalism here, we missed that Jesus is not talking the size of the mustard seed but its faith. That if you had the same amount of faith in God that a mustard seed has in God. A mustard seed when planted does not say, “hey, I can not grow here there is no water, there is not enough sun, the dirt is not good enough”. No it just starts to grow, it puts its faith in God to provide enough water and light for it so it does it part and grows. It does not question about what if’s, it looks at its blue prints of growing and starts to follow them, sending its root down into the soil and its leaves up into the air. Note I did say it did have a plan, but it knew when to stop and leave the rest to God.

However the sad truth is that for most Christians we have more faith in our chairs then we do in God. When you start to read this I asked you to stand up out of your chair and then sit back down, I could use the same orientalism here for the faith of the chairs. Think about it, here I am over 300 pounds sitting on this chair yet, it doesn’t go off running, it does not scoot over somewhere, it stays right there, and knows that it will support me. The fact is we have more faith in the chairs then we have in God, how many of you when you sat down even gave it a thought that the chair would hold you up? Yet when you pray for something many times you have already come up with excuses for failure, you don’t believe thus you fail to receive what God wants you to have, not because God failed but because you failed to believe.

In Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back there is a scene with Luke and Yoda in the swamp. Luke is training to become a Jedi, and during the training his X-Wing fighter sinks into the swamp. Luke seeing his only hope of leaving the planet sink, gets upset and begins to complain to Yoda about this. Yoda uses this opportunity an important lesson about “the Force” a lesson that could be applied to us and believing. In the scene Yoda tells Luke to use the force to lift the fighter out of the swamp, if you listen to the scene you hear Luke complain that the fighter is too big, (already limiting the Force) then this exchange takes place, the key that I think is very important.

Luke: Alright I will try.
Yoda: No try, do or do not, never try

As the scene progresses Luke fails to get the X-Wing out of the swamp and walks off, Yoda steps up and with the force lifts the X-Wing out of the swamp and sets it down in front of Luke, who turns to Yoda and says
Luke: I don’t believe it.
Yoda: That is why you failed

The lesson we need to take from this is, like the force we have to believe in God, not try, but do, just as we believe in the chair that we are sitting on. We have to believe in God. Let’s look at some examples of the believing that Jesus is talking about this faith of a mustard seed.

Matt 8:5-13
And when Jesus had entered into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, beseeching Him,
and saying, Lord, my son lies at home paralyzed and grievously tormented.
And Jesus says to him, I will come and heal him.
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my boy will be healed.
For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go! And he goes; and to another, Come! And he comes; and to my servant, Do this! And he does it.
When Jesus heard, He marvelled and said to those who followed, Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel.
And I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven.
But the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
And Jesus said to the centurion, Go. And as you have believed, so let it be to you. And his boy was healed in that hour.

Here a Centurion shows that faith of a mustard seed, he does not question Jesus, he puts his trust in God that what Jesus says will happen. For the Centurion, all he had to do was come to Jesus and make the request, he knew Jesus would heal his son. He did his part and knew all that Jesus had to do was say the words. What believing he had, what faith!

In Matt 15:22
And behold, a woman of Canaan coming out of these borders cried to Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is grievously vexed with a demon.
But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, Send her away, for she cries after us.
But He answered and said, I am not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, Lord, help me!
But He answered and said, It is not good to take the children's bread and to throw it to dogs.
And she said, True, O Lord; but even the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' tables.
Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! So be it to you even as you wish. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Here again you see that faith of a mustard seed. She knew what she wanted she did not limit God. She did not come up with excuses for why she should not have desire.

2 Kings 4:8-37
And the day came when Elisha passed over to Shunem. And a great woman was there. And she laid hold on him to eat bread. And it happened, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread.
And she said to her husband, Behold now, I see that this is a holy man of God who passes by us continually.
Please, let us make a little room on the wall. And let us set a bed for him there, and a table, and a stool, and a lampstand. And when he comes to us, he shall turn in there.
And the day came when he came in there, and he turned into the room and lay there.
And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And he called her, and she stood before him.
And he said to him, Say now to her, Behold, you have been thoughtful for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Would you be spoken for to the king or to the commander of the army? And she answered, I dwell among my own people.
And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Truly, she has no child, and her husband is old.
And he said, Call her! And he called her, and she stood in the door.
And he said, At this time, according to the time of life, you shall embrace a son. And she said, No, my lord, O man of God, do not lie to your handmaid.
And the woman conceived and bore a son at that time that Elisha had said to her, according to the time of life.
And the boy grew, and the day came that he went out to his father to the reapers.
And he said to his father, My head, my head! And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
And he carried him and brought him to his mother. And he sat on her knees until noon and died.
And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door on him and went out.
And she called to her husband and said, Please send me one of the young men and one of the asses so that I may run to the man of God and come again.
And he said, Why will you go to him today? It is neither new moon nor sabbath. And she said, It is well.
And she saddled an ass and said to her servant, Drive and go forward! Do not hold back your riding for me unless I tell you.
And she went and came to the man of God, to Mount Carmel. And it happened when the man of God saw her afar off, he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, the Shunammite.
Please run now to meet her, and say to her, Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the boy? And she answered, Well!
And she came to the man of God to the hill, and she caught him by the feet. And Gehazi came near to push her away. And the man of God said, Let her alone, for her soul is troubled within her. And Jehovah has hidden it from me and has not told me.
And she said, Did I desire a son from my lord? Did I not say, Do not deceive me?
Then he said to Gehazi, Bind up your loins and take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet any man, do not greet him. And if any greet you, do not answer him again. And lay my staff on the face of the child.
And the mother of the child said, As Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And he arose and followed her.
And Gehazi passed on before them and laid the staff on the face of the child. But there was no voice nor hearing. And he turned back to meet him and told him, saying, The boy has not awakened.
And Elisha had come to the house. And behold, the boy was dead, and laid out on his bed.
And he went in and shut the door on the two of them, and prayed to Jehovah.
And he went up and lay on the boy, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And he stretched himself on the boy. And the flesh of the boy became warm.
And he returned and walked in the house to and fro. And he went up and stretched himself on him. And the boy sneezed seven times, and the boy opened his eyes.
And he called Gehazi and said, Call this Shunammite. And he called her, and she came in to him. And he said, Take up your son!
And she went in and fell at his feet and bowed to the ground, and took up her son, and went out.

Here again what faith we have as an example. No doubt, no question, just know that it is going to be well. She does her part, goes and finds the man of God and God will do the rest. She has no question in her heart though she is in trouble she knows it will be well.

In Genesis is perhaps one of the greatest examples of the faith of a mustard seed, with Abraham and Isaac

Gen 22:1-13
And it happened after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Behold me.
And He said, Take now your son, your only one, Isaac, whom you love. And go into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will name to you.
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. And he split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up and went to the place of which God had told him.
Then on the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off.
And Abraham said to his young men, You stay here with the ass. And I and the boy will go on to this way and worship, and come again to you.
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took the fire in his hand, and a knife. And they both went together.
And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, My father. And he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood. But where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they both went together.
And they came to the place which God had told him of. And Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. And he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on the wood.
And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
And the Angel of Jehovah called to him from the heavens and said, Abraham! Abraham! And he said, Here am I.
And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad, nor do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only one, from Me.
And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked. And, behold, a ram behind him was entangled in a thicket by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

Note the faith Abraham had, he even told Isaac, “…God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering…” No doubt, no question. Abraham did his part and he knew God would do his part.

Now I am not saying God will give you a million dollars because you really believe and you pray for it. If anything from these examples you should see the keys to believing, to having the faith of a mustard seed.

Key 1: Who would it Glorify? I often tell people when they come to me about some miracle some statue performed or some street minister perform, I always asked who was glorified? If anyone but God was glorified it is not of God

Key 2: You have to do your part. You want more money, perhaps you have to look for another job, ask for a raise, request the promotion, perhaps go back to school. There is a joke about the man whose house was in a flood zone. The water was rising and when it was up his front yard a big swamp buggy pulls up to offer him a ride to safety, the man refuses saying God will provide. The water rises to his front door and a boat comes by. The man again refuses the ride to safety, saying again that God will provide. The man is on his roof and the water is up to his neck. A helicopter comes to the rescue and again the man refuses. The man drowns and dies. He goes to heaven and there he asks God why did he not provide, why did he let him die? God tells the man that he did his part; he sent a swamp buggy, a boat, and a helicopter but you did not do your part and get in.

Key 3: You can not limit God. As I started of with this; I said most Christians limit God. They come up with reasons why they will fail, why their prayers will go unanswered, and then blame God for failing them. I said God did not fail they failed by limiting God. They decided that it can not happen, God will not provide, God will not be there so they give up, or they decide that there is only one way God will do something and that’s it. I remember a son of a good friend of mine who at the time was a gardener like me. This was 20 years ago. His son was playing on the big lawn Yazoo mower, an eight foot wide mower that you steer by sitting on a jump seat behind the mower shifting your weight to steer. Well, the boy was not paying attention and fell off the mower. The mower jumped back and swung around and chopped off his lower left leg. His father was devastated mainly because he felt that his son would never be able to walk again. To this day I remember his son’s words to his father as he was being loaded into the ambulance. He told his father not to worry, he believed in God and that he will walk again. I have known that boy for over 20 years and I will tell you he did walk again, he goes skiing, rock climbing, and in fact, unless he was wearing a pair of shorts you would never know he had an artificial lower leg. Again the faith of a mustard seed, no doubt, no worry. He knew what he had to do and did it and trusted God would do the rest.

Finally we can wrap this up with the words of Jesus from Luke:

Luke 12:22-33
And He said to His disciples, Therefore I say to you, Be not anxious as to your life, what you shall eat; nor for the body, what you shall put on.
Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap, having neither storehouse nor barn, and God feeds them. How much more are you better than the birds?
And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his stature?
If then you are not able to do even the least, why are you anxious about the rest?
Consider the lilies, how they grow; they do not toil, they do not spin. And yet I say to you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
If then God so clothes the grass (which today is in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven) how much more will He clothe you, O little-faiths?
And do not seek what you shall eat, nor what you shall drink, and stop being in anxiety.
For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you have need of these things.
But rather seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Sell what you have and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which do not become old, an unfailing treasure in Heaven, where no thief comes nor moth corrupts.

Now Jesus is not say just to believe in God and God will take care of you, let’s look at what Jesus says.

First he gives some instruction:

Luke 12:29-31
And do not seek what you shall eat, nor what you shall drink, and stop being in anxiety.
For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you have need of these things.
But rather seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

Then Jesus tells you want you must do, and again we in the western church miss it.

Luke 12:33
Sell what you have and give alms. Make for yourselves purses which do not become old, an unfailing treasure in Heaven, where no thief comes nor moth corrupts.

Now before someone says that we have to sell everything we have and have no property that is not what is being said exactly, if we were to take the translation from the Greek

Sell what you possess and give donations to the poor; provide yourselves with purses and handbags that do not grow old, an unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

The word “sell” literality translates to barter or trade and “what you possess” is the Greek word “humōn” which is you or yourself we get the word “human” from it. What Jesus is saying here is to trade yourself, your skill, your work, “give to the poor” literality means to provide compassion towards the poor. In other words, what Jesus is saying is this:

God know what your needs are, so make him first in your life, and go trade your skills your labor, and provide compassion to the poor and God will see that you have all your needs provided for.

Think about it, for a second, make God first in your life, Work at your Job, provide compassion to the poor, note I am not saying to provide all your money to the poor, to provide something to the poor, you time, extra funds, something you don’t need, and God will take care of the rest. You do your part and God will do his part. You have the faith of a mustard seed and do your part and God will do his part. When you start to worry, when you start to think about what if, when you doubt, then you fail to do your part, God can not do his part.

Yet many people limit God, they don’t believe and when their prayers go unanswered, when they fail to live up to what God promise they blame God yet as Yoda told Luke in the swamp “That is why you fail” Do your part and know God will do his part. Don’t try to Believe, Do Believe.

In closing Luke 12:34
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.