27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
If you had faith the size of a mustard seed...
What is faith?
Faith is being certain of God. It is complete trust in God's promises. Like those sheep of the Good Shepherd. They follow because they know his voice. That's just the way it is. That's faith.
What is a mustard seed?
In North America, we think of mustard weeds which have fairly small seeds, like this:
But in Israel, the mustard seeds look like this:
They are so much tinier, aren't they?! Not only that, but they don't grow to be a weed, but become an actual tree! Like the one in this photo:
Jesus says, that if we have faith the size of one of those teeny-weeny, ridiculously small mustard seeds, it is enough. It is MORE than enough.
More than enough? That's abundance. ("I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly...")
Come on. How can something that small be abundance? How can it even be enough?
If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Now that's just impossible. Is Jesus saying that with just a teeny-tiny bit of faith, the impossible can be done?
If I drop those mustard seeds, will I ever be able to find them again? No. Impossible.
But could they still grow? Sure they could. Each one is so full of the life of God, just waiting to explode with growth, to become that tree.
I don't make them grow, do I? But who does? Who can do what seems impossible?
Exactly.
Even a teeny-tiny bit of faith is enough and more than enough. Even if we drop it, and lose it somewhere along the line. Because who is with us?
Exactly.