Mustard seeds and faith. You know, I don't think size is at all important. Can you have different sizes of faith? And anyway if you can, what size must my faith be if a mustard seed size an move mountains and trees. Taking this literally just causes heartache and hurt. That illness, that relationship, that live that has crumpled because I didn't have the faith to make a difference, and all I needed was faith the size of a seed. That isn't Jesus style to cause hurt like that and promise what cannot be promised, even by God.
Perhaps Jesus was saying something else though. It is total exaggeration. And that's the point. We see Jesus getting fed up with the lack of faith of his disciples, tearing his hair out at times. It is as if Jesus is saying, 'Can you not see it? Do you not get it?' We're all so limited in what we expect. We don't dream the impossible, or have visions big enough. This relationship with Jesus can let us to work for what we imagine to be impossible despite the huge odds stacked against us. Work for something bigger than you can imagine and then you are getting into the realm of God's reign. We're talking big change here, that's what we are in this game for.
When the system that keeps the poor poor and the rich grow more wealthy, then a vision of equity and generosity towards each other is the vision. 'Impossible!' you say. 'That's more like it!' says Jesus. 'Impossible' is the right area for kingdom visions. At times it is more important not to be able to move mountains but assert that they will be moved by justice, grace and right living.
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