Mustard Seed Chronicles: Story Time With Lu Grandma
In Matthew 10, we read about the power that Jesus gave his disciples to cast out demons, raise the dead, and heal the sick. They did it many times until we see them in Matthew 17. They failed to cast the demon out of a young boy. After Jesus did what they could not do, they came to him privately to ask why. His reply to them is found in verse 20: because you have so little faith. 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 .
This is such a precious verse because of its encouragement. So much so that I have taped a mustard seed on each of my business cards to give to students and parents when we meet for the first time. As we talk together about how the faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains I have seen Gods truth turn despair into hope and discouragement to courage. All with a tiny seed and this verse.
A few years ago, I asked the Lord why He chose the mustard seed as the example in this verse. Out of all of the seeds the He created in the world, why would He use this one? It is especially significant to know that the Middle Eastern mustard seed is the smallest seed, and it grows into a huge tree! In my spirit, He encouraged me to plant some American mustard seeds to see why.
I did, and I saw a wondrous thing!
Prayer:
In the precious name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen!
A Prayer To Increase Faith
Dear Lord,
Thank you that nothing is impossible in my life as I trust you in every area. Give me wisdom in all these difficult things facing me today. Give me the faith to be able to trust again, to forgive, to care, to love all those who have caused me pain. Give me the faith that I need to keep doing the right thing at work and at home. Give me the faith to be able to keep on trusting You for all the hard spots in my heart, home and work. Im giving You all the worries and concerns facing me today and trusting You to do the impossible Lord. Increase my faith, today Lord, I pray. Amen. – Tiffany Thibault
Balfour, John Hutton. The Plants of the BibleTrees and Shrubs. London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1857.
Frost, John. Remarks on the Mustard Tree Mentioned in the New Testament. London: Henry Fisher, Son, and Co., 1827.
Wilmington, H.L. Wilmingtons Guide to the Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, 1981.
Wright, Tom. Small Faith, Great God. e-book, 2012.
Jesus Rose From The Dead
Perhaps the most striking example of faith is the example provided by JesusHimself, who chose to endure thecross knowing He would beraised back from the dead following it.
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
My point here is simply that Jesus already had the command from His Father.Before He stepped out onto His own leap of faith, that of dying on a cross,He already had the commandment from the Almighty that He would be able toraise Himself back up again from the dead.
Lets see, do we have all the elements of faith there?
Has the other person promised to perform something?
Yes. God had given Jesus the command that Jesus had the power to bothlay down His own life and to raise it up again.
Is the other person capable of doing what I am trusting him to do?
Jesus certainly believed so.
In this case, history teaches us that God did indeed raise Jesus from thedead.
Now, if God told you that you could die and riseagain, would you believe Him?What kind of faith would that require? What kind of life would you then live?
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Replanting Trees And Moving Mountains
Of course, the obvious next question is, why doesnt anyone have this kind offaith? Or, alternatively if they do, why havent we seen trees replanted intothe sea or mountains moved into thesea? If Jesus wasntbelittling our faith, then who can ever have this kind of faith?
These are good questions, and they shouldnt be dismissed. They are alsowhy Jesus, once he finishesdiscussing the faith of a mustard seed in Luke, immediately switches intoa following parable. The two lessons go together. If you separate them,youll miss the meaning of the parable of the mustard seed.
But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
This parable points out that the life of faith, that is to say, the life ofsomeone who trusts God, isnt a life of service to self. The person of trustsGod will do what God says, and so be His servant.
What Does This Verse Mean For Us Today
The importance of faith is as crucial today as it was when Christ walked the earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus gave a commission to His followers as He ascended into Heaven, a command to follow until He returns, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age .
Once the seed of faith has been planted in someones heart and they are saved, the next steps of faith are to learn more about this new relationship, and obey this commission.
Faith can be difficult, which is why it seems that in some moments in life it can be easy to have great faith, but at others, almost none. When pursuing a relationship with God, growing that faith regularly can empower the believer to know their Savior better, and obey Him fully.
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Though Is The Smallest Of All Seeds Yet When It Grows It Is The Largestof Garden Plants And Becomes A Tree So That The Birds Come And Perch In Its Branches
Matthew 13 contains half a dozen of Jesus’ parables about the Kingdom. Jesus openswith the parable of the sower. Then, He talks about an infestation of weeds, a mustard seed,yeast, hidden treasure, a valuable pearl, a fishing net, and a homeowner.
To explain the mustard seed parable, Leo Hartshorn uses only eight words: “A handfulof disciples become a worldwide church.” That the Kingdom of God is going to be large iswithout question a central point of the mustard seed analogy. There is, however, one detail in itwhich gets little attention: the birds.
The transformation of a mustard seed into a giant bush emphasizes the Kingdom’s organic,continually expanding aspect. What those birds emphasize is that the Kingdom is open to all.Unfortunately, if people think about the birds at all, they see them as “window dressing” or assimply an indication of how big the bush is.
Sadly, if that’s all we think about when Jesus mentions the birds, we miss the point of thebirds. Here, as in a similar scenario in Ezekiel 17, birds represent various people groups. Jesusmentioned birds to say that the Kingdom is not just for “my kind” of people . The Kingdom is for all kinds of birds!
The inclusiveness portrayed in the mustard seed parable evokes for me words I have sungoften: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black andwhite . . .”
— Howard Culbertson,
Way To Introduce The Story:
You can do this introduction before class or you might want to make it part of your story time . Collect a few different types of seeds and seed packets and bring them to class. Compare the different types of seeds. Discuss the type of plant that will grow from each seed. Continue to point out that huge plants will grow from these very small seeds. You could also cut some fruit and look at the seeds inside . Strawberries are a good example because the seeds are on the outside and they are very small compared to the fruit. Other interesting choices are bananas, cucumbers, passion fruit and more. You might also be able to show acorns that grow into huge trees. If there is a tree near the building where your class is, go and find some seeds. Jesus once told a parable about a very small type of seed. Lets listen to the story . . .top
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The Mustard Seed Is Good
In Matthew Chapter 13 Jesus speaks about multiple parables. He eventually talks about the Parable of the weeds/tares. Then immediately after that, he speaks about the mustard seed and the leaven parable.
Later on, the disciples specifically ask Jesus about the meaning of the Parable. Lets take a quick look at this.
- Matthew 13:36-39 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man 38 The field is the world the good seed are the children of the kingdom but the tares are the children of the wicked one 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil the harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the angels.
Its important to listen to how Jesus explains this parable so we can interpret the very next parable. Here Jesus says the one who sows the good seed is the Son of man aka Jesus and the good seed are the children of the kingdom.
He also notes the tares/weeds are children of the wicked one which was sowed by the devil.
He even clarifies that the field represents the world.
Now that we know how Jesus refers to good seed as children of the kingdom. Would it be incorrect to say that a mustard seed is considered a good seed? Of course not. Knowing this lets take a look at the next parable.
A Prayer For Your Mustard Seed Faith To Move Mountains
Dear God, You are the God of the impossible. I am so weak and frail, but you are all-powerful. Thank you that my hope doesnt rest in the strength of my own faith, but in your strength. However small it is, keep my faith focused on you alone. Convince and comfort me with your character and promises. Help me align my will with yours. Keep me in your Word so that my faith is rooted in a firm foundation. In Jesus name, Amen.
Aaron Berry is a co-author for the Pursuing the Pursuer Blog. You can read more articles from Aaron and his colleagues by subscribing to their blog or following them on , , and . Aaron currently resides in Allen Park, MI with his wife and two children, where he serves in his local church and recently completed an MDiv degree at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary.
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Learning Activities And Crafts:
- Make some sandwiches using mustard as one of the ingredients.
- Play hangman using words from the story
- List ways we can tell people about the church
- Have a guest come to class and talk about how children have helped them. Many people start going to church to be a better parent to their child.
- Let the children tell the class what they want to be when they grow up. Help the class to think of ways that a person of that profession can serve God and be of service to the church. Encourage the children to decide now to serve God no matter what profession they choose in life.
- To help pre-schoolers understand the concept of something little becoming big show a series of circles of ever-increasing sizes. These can be drawn on a paper or cut from coloured paper. If desired, you can also print this template onto coloured paper.
- Find a project that the children can do to help the church. They might make gifts for shut-ins or someone who is sick. They could collect food for the food pantry or clothing for someone in need. They might could letterbox evangelistic material or make a bulletin board encouraging people to attend church or some event.
- Make a prayer list and lead the children in prayer. This is one way that anyone, at any age, can help the church.
Crafts:
Check the Teaching Ideas page on this website for ideas that are adaptable to any lesson.
What Bible Verses Mention Mustard Seed Faith
Jesus uses this analogy twiceonce in Matthew 17:20 and once in Luke 17:6. In each of these accounts, Jesus is confronting a lack of faith in the disciples.
In Matthew 17, a man pleads with Jesus to heal his son who was suffering from an oppressive demon. The man tells Jesus that he had already gone to his disciples, but they could not heal him .
Jesus responds to this with sorrow over the faithless and twisted generation and then casts the demon out of the boy. When the disciples ask Jesus why they couldnt cast him out, Jesus responds, Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.
In Luke 17, Jesus is teaching his disciples about forgiveness, telling them that, even if someone offends you seven times in the day, they were to forgive him seven times . Upon hearing this difficult command, the disciples respond, Increase our faith! .
Jesus once again uses the illustration of the mustard seed: 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 .
They assumed that more faith would give them the power to forgive. But on both occasions, Jesus tells them that if they have faith that is placed in the all-powerful Godbig things happen.
Photo Credit: ©Sparrowstock
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Ways To Tell The Story:
This story can be told using a variety of methods. Always remain true to the facts found in the Bible but help children connect to its meaning by using drama, visual aids, voice inflection, student interaction and/or emotion.
or .Each teacher is unique so only use the illustrations that best relate to the way YOU are telling the story in THIS lesson. Too many illustrations can be confusing so eliminate any that cover other stories or details you do not wish to emphasise in this lesson.
Grow Your Mustard Seed Faith
Whether youre a gardener or not, youve probably planted seeds at some point in your life. Its fascinating to see the first tender sprouts poke through the soil and reach for the sun. The daily growth is magical to watch until, at last, the fruit is ready to be harvested or the flower blooms in brilliant color. So, what can gardening teach us about growing Mustard Seed Faith?
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The Faith Of Mustard Seed
And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on .
Jesus Christs teachings gave highlights of small acts that have large sum of value as we can record in Mark 14:6-9.
Whats Faith As A Mustard Seed Mean
Now that we covered some groundwork on the mustard seed parable lets dive into another portion of the Bible that talks about the mustard seed. Jesus also mentions the mustard seed in terms of faith.What could this mean?
- Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
- Luke 17:6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea and it should obey you.
Here is a little background on these two verses so we have a clearer picture of these statements. In Matthew, the disciples run into an issue casting out a demon. They are confused because up to this point they never ran into an issue casting out a demon. They then see Jesus come and cast out that very same demon they tried to, but couldnt.
So they go to Jesus and ask why they couldnt do this. Jesus addresses unbelief and if they had faith as a mustard seed.
In both of these scenarios, Jesus is dealing with a subject that the disciples are confused about. The disciples feel like these things are too difficult or hard to believe for. However, they want to know the truth so they can walk out what Jesus is telling them.
As I looked at this God spoke to me and about faith as a mustard seed.
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