Today’s scripture: Luke 17:5-6 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Vivian Wyatt):
If you have faith the size of a mustard seed…
When I was a senior in high school, the young man I was dating gave me a pendant for Christmas. It had a fine gold chain and a globule of clear glass with a mustard seed in the middle. I thought it was lovely. When I remembered that necklace, I looked online to see if I could find it. Sure enough, they still make it and this one looks very much like the one I was given. Could I really move mountains with faith this size? Wow, I remember thinking, I must not have any faith at all.
But maybe Jesus was not talking about the size of the mustard seed — and I’m pretty sure he was not literally talking about mountains, but obstacles in our path. Perhaps, he was saying we should be like the mustard seed as some translations state.
So what is a mustard seed like? When planted, it is the smallest seed in the garden, but when it reaches maturity it is so large that birds can nest in its branches. In the beginning, our faith may be small and tentative but it should grow so large that others can benefit from it.
Mustard seeds grow in every place in the world, in cold climates as well as hot ones and all temperatures in between. They can grow in any type of soil and are disease-resistant and tough. They come in four different colors: yellow, white, brown and black. And the mustard seed is described as a “troublesome” seed, meaning it is hard to kill and determined to multiply. Shouldn’t our faith be like that? Grow wherever we are, whoever we are, even down to our ethnicity. And it certainly should be tenacious.
When Jesus responded to the disciples’ plea that he increase their faith by saying “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed…” I think he was saying you don’t need more faith, just step out in the faith that you already have; a faith that is growing and is tenacious, a faith that will not quit.
Thought for the day: Don’t worry about how much faith you have. We have enough faith right now to do what God asks us to do today. We need only to act upon it.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.