He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” Luke 13:18-19 ESV

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “ 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. Luke 17:5-6 ESV

I have been reading some of the parables of Jesus this week in preparation for some lessons and crafts for a children’s Bible study. And I’m intrigued by the mustard seed, though it is tiny and seems insignificant, it can grow into a very large tree, even though in the garden it is considered a “weed.”

Both of our verses for today were spoken by Jesus. In the first verses Jesus is telling everyone that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. A mustard seed is a tiny round seed that can grow into a large tree, big enough that birds can nest in it! Jesus provides an image that people in his time would be familiar with in order to explain the spiritual image of God’s kingdom. The kingdom of God may be starting with Jesus and His few disciples, but like the tiny mustard seed, it will grow from its humble beginnings and expand so that many peoples from all around the world will become a part of God’s kingdom. It will grow exponentially!

In the second set of verses Jesus is talking to His apostles who have just asked Him to increase their faith. A simple Biblical definition of faith is believing that God is true, that Jesus died to save us, trusting in their promises, and committing our lives to them. Jesus tells His disciples that if they had faith like the tiny mustard seed, they could do anything. Though they are just men, their faith can grow, and as their faith grows they can grow the kingdom of God!

The book of Acts is filled with the healings and miracles that the disciples performed and the resulting expansion of the Kingdom of God.

This week let’s grow our faith, trust, and commitment. Let us be like the humble mustard seed and just keep growing our faith and growing the kingdom of God in our neighborhoods and communities.

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me this week as we take a lesson from the tiny mustard seed and grow our faith and God’s kingdom.

Blessings, faith, and joy in growing in the kingdom of God!