That kind of thinking kind of makes sense, but that’s not how faith works. Driving to meet someone in a parking … The Gift of Faith Grew From a Tiny Mustard Seed Read More » Faith the size of a mustard seed. In order to build more parking spaces, they would have to move that rocky hill. Luke 17:5-6 "The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!' Jesus goes on to say even more. I thank God for our Blessed Is She community of sisters, Your email address will not be published. It’s mustard seed. (It’s also found in Matthew, Mark and Luke where Jesus described the kingdom of heaven.) Because I know what their apprehension feels like. A mustard seed is about 1 to 2 millimetres in diameter, it’s so small it’s nearly unbelievable that Jesus said that faith that big can move a mountain. By the time I get through thinking and praying about that, my quiet time is over. Lord, help my unbelief. Size of faith is not the issue. There are times when our confident, perhaps even over confident faith, is brought crashing down because of what is happening in our lives. The Story October 6, 2019 17th Sunday after Pentecost with a celebration of St. Francis Luke 17:5-10. Your email address will not be published. When you first hear this story it’s easy to say that this is exactly what Jesus was talking about when he said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (v. 6). And there, in the quiet of my heart, I thought, Yeah, right. I dont think Jesus was joking . Firstly, Jesus warns that anyone who causes another person to sin would be better off if a huge rock were tied around his neck and thrown overboard somewhere in the deepest part of sea. Undaunted, the pastor announced the next Sunday morning that he would meet that evening with all members who had “mountain moving faith.” They would hold a prayer session asking God to remove the mountain from the back yard and to somehow provide enough money to have it paved before the scheduled opening dedication service. I dont think Jesus was joking . It’s just not going to happen; we have to start somewhere. They recognised their own sinfulness and their failure to live up to their calling as people who belong to God and disciples who claim to follow their master and do his will. Very possibly he could be asking for forgiveness for the same or a similar sin over and over and over again. Plant your mustard seed and watch your faith grow so one day you can join your brothers and sisters in Christ from all nations together dwelling in God’s enormous, beautiful heaven. Even a tiny faith the size of a mustard seed is enough as far as God is concerned. So if you also feel the weight of doubt clinging to your soul, may you pray for an increase of the gift of faith. Any time someone believes in Jesus and accepts His gift of salvation, they are planting their tiny mustard seed of faith. To make your own mustard seed story, all you need is a little faith and a lot of patience. And so often I feel as though it is one that is still waiting for me to unwrap . Was it their ‘mountain moving faith’ or the length of time they spent in prayer that in the end gave them what they were seeking? It’s how God brings us through to the end. He doesn’t talk about how great his faith in God was, but rather he talks about what his faith was focussed on. In a very real way, I connected so deeply with those questioning Jesus in today’s Gospel. “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move” (Matthew 17:20). They prayed for nearly three hours. 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