Mustard Seed Faith

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

When Jesus gave multiple parables in public about the Kingdom of Heave, one of them was about the Mustard Seed.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” -Matthew 13:31b-32

“With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” -Mark 4:30-32

“What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” -Luke 13:18-19


The Analogy of the Mustard Seed

Later on Jesus explained the parable of the mustard seed to the disciples by analogy.

For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” -Matthew 17:20b

And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. -Luke 17:6

The expression here as an Eastern hyperbole, not to be taken literally, but meaning merely that the greatest difficulties may be overcome by faith. That is, through faith, things can be done which are difficult, and even seem impossible to be done. This is why directly after these verses, Jesus adds, "and nothing shall be impossible to you." Does no one have faith then, since we don't see people doing these things? Remember, that all we do should be to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and that we should always pray that God's will be done (Matthew 6:10).