Rev. Johnson V.
12th June 2011

If we had to identify a single underlying theme in the Bible, faith would probably top our list. The word ‘faith’ is mentioned approximately 247 times in the Bible. It almost seems like it is our Father’s favorite word! We will dwell on one specific reference when our Lord Jesus compared faith to a mustard seed.

There are actually two specific references where our Lord Jesus compares faith to the mustard seed. Luke 13:19, where the Kingdom of God is likened to a grain of mustard seed,  that a man planted in his garden and which grew till it became a great tree and birds of the air rested on its branches. And the other in Mathew 17:20, where Christ advises His disciples to have faith as small as a mustard seed, to make a mountain move. This is the verse that we will dwell on now.

The disciples were unable to cast a demon out of a young boy. But Jesus was able to. When they asked him in private why they were unable to do so, our Lord replied by saying that it was because of their unbelief and if they had faith even as small as a mustard seed, they would have been able to move mountains.

Around 63 B.C., the Romans wanted to conquer large areas of Judea. Pompeii was sent by the high command to do just that. Pompeii ruled over a large area of present day Israel. His team that helped him in administration, included a very clever engineer who was there to design and build ports in 3 seas – Mediterranean, Dead Sear and the Sea of Galilee. After drawing up plans, they requested approval and funds. This approval came only after 2.5 years. In the meantime, Pompeii was transferred to another region. But the engineer, Gaius, continued to stay on in Judea and conducted various experiments during that time.

Gaius, observed with interest that the mustard plant, imported from Asia and Africa regions grew quickly in the Judean soil. He also observed that the mustard plants were strong, their roots were strong. He planted a few mustard seeds near some mulberry trees. Over time, he observed that the roots from the mustard plant had choked and strangled the roots of the mulberry tree by growing around it and literally sucking all the limestone and nutrients from the soil around it, leaving the mulberry tree with very little to survive on. Gaius then decided to try an experiment. He planted several mustard plants on the rocky hillside of the Judean mountainside. He expected that the plants would die due to the lack of moisture and nourishment. The mountainside is extremely rocky. Instead he was surprised to find that the mustard plants grew stronger because they were literally sucking out the limestone and nutrients available in the rocks until the rocks themselves began to disintegrate and crumble. Around that time, Gaius received approval to start building ports. He required large quantities of rock to be transported to the sea coast from the mountainside. Instead of engaging thousands of human slaves to move these rocks, Gaius used the mustard seed to make it easier to break up the rocks and make it roll down to the coast. The mountain literally moved from the mountainside to the sea.

This is what our Lord Jesus was referring to when He said that if we had faith as small as a mustard seed, we could tell the mountain to go and fall into the sea, and it will. Though the mustard plant had to grow in less than ideal conditions, grow it did. It grew by sucking out all the nutrients from the rocks and tough conditions that surrounded it. If you don’t give up, your roots will get stronger and will suck out the energy of the enemy until the enemy itself will be destroyed. The important thing is to stay where you are planted, even if it is in a dry, arid and rocky place.

Our circumstances may not be comfortable, but if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you will grow strong roots in the situation you are in, and you will absorb all that is good and literally choke everything around you, until you triumph and flourish in the midst of your enemies. You are born again, but you are imperfect. The perfection of Christ is in you and is slowly moving you towards perfection. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God and God’s Word will grow in you and cause you to grow. Many of us disobey God’s plan because we lack confidence in His plans.