Let us consider the mustard seed.

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Permalink Reply by Colby on February 5, 2013 at 12:33pm

        In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus tells us that the seed is the Word of God; the same term the Gospel uses to describe Jesus himself.  

        The picture this parable paints is one of a God who indiscriminately scatters his Word without concern where it might fall.  In other words, God's love is is so deep, so broad, and so high that he intends to spreaqd int everywhere.  God's intention is that there will no nowhere and no one beyond the reach of his love-filled grace.

        Yet Jesus knows that however indiscriminate God’s love is, the seed that is God’s word of love to us, has to one day grow up and produce fruit.  Jesus makes it clear that, as JB shared, the soil is the heart of humanity. What will happen to the seed of God’s love as it begins to grow and push out into fruit?

        Well, that depends, Jesus says, on the soil’s location.

• If we are “a hard path,” then the seed can never take root at all.
• If “rocks” surround us, then the seed will take root, but its roots won’t be deep enough to produce fruit.
• And, if we surround ourselves with thorns, then it will choke out the seed before it can produce any fruit at all.

        The weeds, the rocks, and the thorns: These are the parts of our lives that prevent us from receiving God’s love and having it take root, grow in our hearts, and produce fruit. And that’s God’s eternal desire for us; that his love will take flower in our lives so that we will feed other souls.

        Jesus says that when God’s love takes root in our hearts it will produce visible, tangible fruit, which is our response to God’s grace-filled love for us. 

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on February 5, 2013 at 1:25pm

What if the seed falling on good ground and bringing forth fruit is describing the new birth that takes place in the heart and spirit of one who hears and understands the gospel and the evidence is the fruit? Just another thought ...

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Permalink Reply by JB on February 5, 2013 at 2:26pm

This would give credence to the fact that we have a choice, to accept the Word of God, or reject it and reap the consequences of our choices.

By accepting it we will do as it says in 2tim.2:20-21; But in a great house there is not only vessels of gold and silver, but of wood and of earth, some to honor, and some to dishonor, If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall become a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the Masters use, and prepared unto every good work.

So the Word (Christ) "The seed" was given to all mankind to accept or reject; as Colby said; indiscriminately,

 Mark 8:34  
 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

So what is your cross? Is it not dying to self; purging out the rocks, thorns and sins or other things that so easily besets us? Could also be doubts, fears, etc. This would be like cleaning a place for a garden. “I was raised on a farm” lol,

JB

 

  

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Permalink Reply by Seek on February 6, 2013 at 12:16pm

There's something else in that scripture that we often fail to overlook, or should I say there is something MISSING from it that we just don't realize is part of the equation.

 

...if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move (implied but not stated:  at whatever time I deem for it to move).

What we're usually faced with is we say something, expect something, wait for something, and we don't see it happening, so we then wonder if maybe we don't have enough faith.  We're quick to tell people they need more faith, thereby making them feel as if something is wrong with them if it's not happening.  And yet Jesus never told us WHEN it would happen, just that it would.

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Permalink Reply by a servant (Chris) on February 7, 2013 at 4:59am

My Friend

That is what I am trying to say.  Jesus is telling us about this one seed.  And, to look and see how this seed is single minded about what it is to do.  Faith in many ways is the same way.  We are to be single minded in our Faith.  We are Children of God, we accept Jesus based on Faith, the rest of our life is based on Faith.  Not to feel BAD about oneself, but to be encouraged by this seed.  To continue to strive to grow.  We based our Belief on God is the One Who makes all things grow.  Yet, we operate in and with Him, with the desire to grow and learn about what we need.  Yes, once we get to a place then,..if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move.  We should never feel bad, for the mustard seed starts as the smallest.  So in All Things be encouraged,     

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Permalink Reply by a servant (Chris) on February 6, 2013 at 2:37pm

Thank all for many thoughts and points of view.  Yet, my original point is only about the seed.  Both references focused on one seed.  When I looked at the Word on this, I focused on that seed.  Granted I did give it a personality.  I saw that one seed ONLY KNEW THE TRUTH HELD INSIDE IT.  I liked that thinking to us.  for us to Believe Only in the Faith inside of us.  The ability we have if we only dare to Believe.  

I know of the other verses about seeds and what they are.  Yet, here in these two verses, Jesus is speaking a comparison to us and this mustard seed.  I only wanted to share what I had seem.   Please I trust I have offended anyone.  For truth be told that is one of my biggest fears.  So I trust all see what I am trying to  say here.  Lord Bless

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Permalink Reply by a servant (Chris) on February 6, 2013 at 3:16pm

Can you consider this thought?  Since Our Lord focused on this one seed, and that seed knows only one thing it must do.  Is there then a comparison then to us, that we Live by Faith and Believe this one thing.  that we Live and Serve God according to the Faith we have been given?  I s this the lesson about one seed and it's one and only ability, to grow into what God has designed it to so do.  Are we any different?  Are we to grow into what God had designed us to do, which we can only do by Faith? 

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Permalink Reply by JB on February 7, 2013 at 9:45pm

Chris, I think the bible is pretty clear on what the seed is; it is the Word of God. However all words are seeds “whether positive or negative” that when planted or sown in our hearts, will bring forth whatever it is designed for.

I believe this is where a lot of us get confused, when we take a passage like this from a different bible than the other person is reading, it changes the meaning dramatically when the syntax is different than that of the other translation. You said that Jesus told them they didn’t have enough faith. But my bible, “the KJV” says that Jesus told them when they “the disciple” asked Him why they couldn’t cast out the demon, He told them it was because of their “unbelief”, because it only takes a very little faith to speak to the mountains in our lives, but we have trouble with doubts and unbelief’s that we can do it. You can have faith and unbelief at the same time. They knew they could cast out demons, but perhaps this one was a little more aggressive than the others, and a little doubt rose up in them, which would negate their faith. And when He told them that this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting, He was talking about getting out their unbelief. Prayer and fasting will not cast out a demon, the prayer and fasting; along with the Word of God will build us up in our faith so we can do the works needed at the time. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing is by the Word of God.

See, we know the Kingdom of God is within us; so when we read the Word of God, which is the seed being sown in our hearts, and as we allow that Word “seed” to take root and grow in the garden of our hearts, which is the Kingdom of God, it will produce and bring forth that which God has intended. Though we have our faith in God, or Christ, it is God doing the work through us. So it does take faith to do what we are called upon to do, but it is still Him doing it. So Jesus says in John 5:30. By myself I can do nothing, I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I seek not to do myself, but to please Him who sent me. So we can’t do anything by ourselves, we need to hear from the Father. This is what He is telling us in Rom.8:26, when we don’t know what to pray for as we ought, So the Spirit will make that intercession for us, to let us know what we are to pray for, or how to intercede for the saints according to God’s will.   

 When we look at Eph.3:14-20, we see that it is Christ living in us by faith, and that we are filled with the fullness of God, and now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think; but it is according to the power that is working in us. 

So as you are saying; Quote, To believe in who are what we are in Christ. Are we to believe the Faith inside of us, is big enough to fulfill what we have been called to do? Is single mindness the Power of the mustard seed?

I would have to say to the first part, yes, it is the faith and believing who or what we are in Christ, that is sufficient to do what we are called to do. If we believe that it is Christ in us doing the work.

 But to the latter part I would say no, it is not the single mindedness that is the power of the mustard seed, but it is faith in the Word of God, “which is the seed” that is the power to do what needs to be done.

I don’t know if this makes sense or not, but this is what I see in this. It is Christ in us, our hope of glory.  

God has given to us, “mankind” everything that pertains unto our life and godliness, but it is through, or as we grow in the knowledge of Him. The Word of God is the seed, and it needs to grow in us, till we can have faith sufficient to stand against the wiles of the devil. The Word growing in us is like putting on the armor of God, as in Eph.6:11-18. Could quote it, but gets a little long, but briefly though in verse 17, “taking the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit; which is the Word of God” praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints….  

JB

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Colby on February 8, 2013 at 9:28am

Chris,

        You've give us much to ponder here concerning the metaphor of the mustard seed.  Thank you.  JB has also provided keen insight, likening the seed that Jesus speaks of to "the word of God."  One of the meanings we might take away from Jesus likening faith to a mustard seed is that great and precious things can have small beginnings.  A tiny seed planted in nutrient-rich soil, carefully cultivated with just the right amount of water and sunlight, can grow into something big and strong.  Faith and our journey with Christ --  like the seed and the plant, bush or tree that it becomes -- is an ever growing process.  As our faith grows and increases, so we grow and increase in God’s love.

        Jesus said (Matthew 17:20) “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.  Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Faith -- due to the action of God within us -- will make this possible.

        In context, Jesus said this to his disciples after they had failed to expel a demon from a son whose father had brought him to them.  After the boy was cured by Jesus, the disciples came to him in private and asked, "why couldn't we cast out the demon?"  Jesus answered, "because of your lack of faith" (Matthew 17:20).  Their problem wasn't that they needed more faith; it was that they had no faith at all.

        We would do well to ask ourselves: What kind of faith do I have?

        Do I have the kind of faith that is deeply rooted and growing such that it perseveres and flourishes despite the occasional obstacles, troubles, setbacks, disappointment, pain and suffering that might come my way?

The letter to the Hebrews expresses the essence of faith well: "it is what give assurance to our hopes; it is what gives us conviction about things we can't see" (11:1|KNT).

        I've heard it put this way: Faith in God is manifested by courage and love when we encounter unknown or seemingly impossible circumstances.

        Are we sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see?

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Permalink Reply by a servant (Chris) on February 8, 2013 at 4:13pm

Colby you as well have shared good insight, as others have as well.  I believe much is said when, we have the desire to ask ourselves about our Faith, and The Lord to show us the steps we need to take.  Consequently, faith results from listening, and listening results through the word of the Messiah. Rom 10:17  Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who diligently search for Him.   Heb 11:6  Armed with the knowledge that we are Loved by Our Father, this in many ways I believe gives us the courage and confidence to ask and seek Him for where we are and where we need to be.  Along with the steps to get there.  God's Love is Truly a Powerful and most effective Tool to Guide and Reveal to us, what we need and how best to get to where He wants us to be.

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