Faith Like a Mustard Seed

With National Back to Church Sunday this Sunday, September 21st. Let's invite others by just asking them if they would like to come to church. You never know the missed opportunities if we should think someone else is better or because of fear. Step out in faith and share what Jesus has done in your life, and invite those around you to come to church with you. 

The Historical and Biblical Significance of the Mustard Seed

When Jesus spoke of the mustard seed, He used one of the smallest and most familiar seeds in the ancient world to teach timeless truths. Though tiny in size, the mustard seed carries both historical context and profound spiritual meaning that still challenges and encourages us today.

The Mustard Seed in the Ancient World

In first-century Israel, mustard plants were common and well-known. Farmers were very aware of how quickly they spread. Once planted, mustard could grow aggressively, shooting up to 8–10 feet tall and overtaking other crops. In fact, many farmers feared mustard because it behaved like an invasive plant—difficult to control, unwanted in carefully cultivated fields, and capable of taking over the land.

And yet, this tiny seed also held value. Its pungent taste was used in food, and its healing properties were noted by ancient physicians like Hippocrates. But for those working the land, the mustard plant was often more threat than blessing—something that disrupted the orderly farming systems of the day.

The Mustard Seed in the Bible

Jesus took this small, invasive seed and used it to reveal the surprising ways of God’s kingdom:

Faith Like a Mustard Seed:

“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 17:20, ESV).

Jesus teaches that even faith as small as this tiny seed can unleash God’s power in ways that defy expectations.

The Kingdom of God:

“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 13:31–32, ESV).

To Jesus’ listeners, this comparison would have been startling. Why would God’s kingdom be compared to a plant farmers tried to avoid? Because the kingdom of God is not tame, predictable, or easily controlled. Like mustard, it spreads, disrupts, and takes root in unexpected places.

Lessons for Us Today

1. God’s Kingdom Breaks In Unexpectedly

The kingdom of God does not conform to human systems or control. It grows in ways we don’t anticipate, often disrupting the status quo.

2. Small Faith Has Great Potential

Just as the tiny mustard seed could overtake a field, so even a little faith, rooted in Christ, can transform lives and communities in surprising ways.

3. God Works Through What the World Rejects

What farmers considered unwanted, Jesus used as a picture of unstoppable growth. In the same way, God often uses people and situations the world overlooks to accomplish His purposes.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life do you feel like your faith is “small”? How might God want to grow it?

2. Has there been a time when God used something unexpected—or even unwanted—to bring about blessing or transformation?

3. In what ways might God be calling you to trust the disruptive, invasive, unstoppable growth of His kingdom in your community or family?

A Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for reminding me that even the smallest seed of faith can grow into something mighty in Your hands. Help me not to despise small beginnings, but to trust that You are at work in ways I may not see. Teach me to embrace the surprising, unstoppable growth of Your kingdom, even when it disrupts my plans. May my life be like the mustard seed—rooted in You, spreading Your love, and providing shelter for others.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.