Our faith should shine so brightly that all people, believers and non-believers in JESUS CHRIST are drawn to Him. We show our faith by the works that we do…good or bad. We are His Body, His hands and His feet, to go out and show others His great love for His creation and the way to their salvation in that love.
The mustard seed is the smallest of all the seeds planted by farmers in Galillee. It grows into a 10’ high shrub. This is faith. God will take the smallest amount of faith and allow it to permeate our entire life for His good and the good of His Church.
In the Old Testament, a tree large enough to support nesting birds was considered prosperous and healthy. The kingdom, though having only a small number of people at the beginning of the age, will ultimately be large and prosperous.
Cares, riches, and pleasures of life are three great obstacles to spiritual fruitfulness. The concerns of life can squelch spiritual growth. The NKJ Study Bible.
Matthew 13:31–32 (NKJV)
31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
Mark 4:26–29 (NKJV)
26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Luke 8:11–15 (NKJV)
11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. 14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. 15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
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