Faith is one of those words we hear all the time, but few of us stop to really think about what it means. We talk about having it, losing it, or needing more of it, yet Jesus described faith in a way that challenges everything we assume. In Matthew 17:20, He compares it to a mustard seed—a tiny, ordinary thing that holds extraordinary power. What if that comparison wasn’t about how small our faith should be, but how alive it’s meant to become? Stay with me.
In Matthew 17:20, Jesus said:
“Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve come across that verse, yet it never stops speaking to me. The stories in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John always draw me back. Hearing Jesus speak in His own words has a way of grounding you. It feels like hearing the truth without any filter.
But here’s what I’ve noticed. Almost every time this passage is taught, it comes with the same familiar message. “Faith the size of a mustard seed.” You’ve likely heard it as well. “All you need is a little faith.” And when the disciples wondered why they couldn’t drive out the demons, Jesus replied, “Because of your little faith.”
That line got stuck in my head. So I decided to look deeper. I decided to look at the original Greek version, because if we’re basing our lives on these words, it’s worth understanding exactly what they mean. The word used is hos (H-O-S), which translates to like or as, not size. Interestingly, the only version that mentions “size” is the New Living Translation, and that difference carries real weight.
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELSo I started looking into what makes a mustard seed different. It’s small, sure, but it’s also strong. Once it’s planted, it can grow into a huge tree or thick bush. It can be used as a cover crop to prevent erosion and weeds. Birds can nest in their branches. Its roots dig deep and spread wide until they overtake the ground around it. Try pulling it up once it’s settled, and you’ll see it’s nearly impossible. It flourishes even in tough soil and rough weather. Kinda like faith, right?
Then I read Mark 4:30-32, and I knew I was on the right path:
“And He said, “To what shall we compare the reign of Elohim? Or with what parable shall we present it? Like a mustard seed, which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth, and when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all plants, and forms large branches, so that the birds of the heaven are able to nest under its shade.”
That made something click. When Jesus told His followers, “Because of your little faith,” He wasn’t saying they needed a bit more faith, like topping off a gas tank. He was calling out the weakness of their faith. Their belief didn’t have any power or resilience. And when He said, “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can tell this mountain to move,” maybe He wasn’t referring to how small it was. Maybe He was showing what faith should do: grow, spread, and stand firm no matter what.
What if Jesus wasn’t teaching about a small faith, but a living one? A faith that begins tiny but keeps growing, anchored deep in God, reaching out to others, and impossible to uproot, no matter how rough life gets. That’s the kind of faith that moves mountains.
It really made me pause. How many times have I skimmed through verses because I thought I already understood them? How often have I accepted sermons without checking the Scripture myself? I probably missed powerful truths just because I wasn’t paying attention the way I should.
Maybe that’s exactly the lesson. Faith, like that mustard seed, grows when we care for it. And if faith like that can move mountains, then I want mine to take root, stretch out, and never stop pushing through the hardest soil.
That is the kind of faith American Christians must strive for, must work for, must pray for if we are to remain as a Christian nation and root out the devil’s communism. Because Faith that grows deep and strong can move more than mountains: it can move a nation back to God.
#faith #mustardseed #christianliving
