“He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”” -Matthew 13:31-32 NIV
“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 NIV
“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” –Romans 10:17 NLT
During this COVID Pandemic, one thing has become abundantly clear: that something as small as a virus can have the power to bring the whole world to its knees. Though we can’t see it with our naked eye, its power is clearly evident.
In a similar way, Jesus likens a mustard seed to the Kingdom of God in the world. Though the mustard seed starts off as one of the smallest seeds in the garden, barely perceptible to the naked eye, as it grows, it becomes the largest plant in the garden providing shelter for all of the many creatures around it.
The way that the Kingdom of God grows is through the planting of the seeds of the Good News of Jesus Christ and his salvation to all humankind. Though the presence of the Kingdom of God in the world may be invisible to many, it’s power and presence are clearly evident to those who receive it and are transformed by it.
Additionally, for those who are followers of Jesus, any service done on behalf of God’s Kingdom, even in small, seemingly insignificant ways, God is able to take those efforts and multiply them for a greater Kingdom impact in ways that one can’t even imagine!
Finally, one more example that Jesus gave through the size of the mustard seed is when describing the size of our faith. Jesus said that even if one has faith as small as a mustard seed, that individual can boldly approach God our Heavenly Father in prayer to make bold requests that are humanly impossible. And our Creator God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, merciful and loving is able to answer those requests because nothing is impossible for Him!
LESSON꞉ Matthew 13꞉24-43 – Jesus tells stories to explain the Kingdom of Heaven. (Lesson from GNPI.org)
Question 1꞉ What would Jesus call weeds in your life that may decrease your spiritual growth?
Question 2꞉ Where in the lives of Christians have you seen “mustard seed faith” (something small making a great impact) at work?