Mustard Seed Faith

The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’ The Lord replied, ‘If you had faith like a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree,“Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey you.’  Luke 17:5-6

Wow.  Context is everything, and I have never once considered the context of this verse. when considering what this declaration would actually look like in my life.   Up unto this point, the name it and claim it folks have only used this verse to whack me upside the head.  So here it is:

 “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”  He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

Often one is accused of “spiritualizing” challenging verses and turning them into vague platitudes, but here Christ is very clearly saying that the real tough work is inside our hearts, and the disciples got it.  Healing ten lepers in the next scene was small change compared to this challenge.  This verse comes in a long series of Him addressing heart issues: the older brother who labored lovelessly for his Father’s approval rather than seeking out that which was lost, love for money, and now, lack of forgiveness.  He is addressing the Pharisee in us.  The trying to do it on our own.  These are the issues that require faith- and the mighty power of God because they all involve the destruction of our sin nature, breaking the brokenness.  

This verse is not at all about rearranging landscape or finding parking spaces or even healing a beloved friend from cancer.  This verse is about what the kingdom of God looks like in a servant, who at the end of the day will say, “I am an unworthy servant who has only done his duty.”

Community Sunday at the Vineyard was full of these stories.  The hard-full-of-faith walk that doesn’t see the end clearly- but seven times a day offers forgiveness.  And through this smashed open door, this not living life in the material realm according to rights and what should be, the Almighty God entered to do His mighty work of redemption.  

Let those who love Your salvation say forever, “Great is the LORD!”