Our Scripture today comes from Luke. It’s a fascinating passage, one that at first seems like two unrelated teachings pressed together, but when we look closer, we discover a thread that ties them beautifully.
The disciples come to Jesus and say, “Increase our faith!” (v. 5). That’s the kind of prayer we can all relate to, isn’t it? Lord, increase my faith. Help me to trust you more. Help me to believe when doubts creep in. Help me to have confidence when the storms of life rage.
But Jesus’ answer is unexpected. He says, “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.” (v. 6)
And then, almost abruptly, he shifts to a parable about a servant doing their duty, reminding his disciples not to expect praise for simply doing what is required.
At first, those two teachings seem disconnected. But if we dig deeper, we find that both are about what faith truly looks like in everyday life, not as something grand and dramatic, but as something humble, steady, and obedient.
The disciples’ request comes after a challenging teaching.
Just a few verses earlier, Jesus told them they must forgive others again and again…even seven times in a single day if necessary. That’s hard! No wonder the disciples say, “Lord, increase our faith!”
They realize that to live as Jesus calls them to live, they’ll need more faith than they currently have. They feel inadequate. They feel like their spiritual tank is running low.
Have you ever felt that way? Maybe you’ve said, “Lord, if only I had more faith, I could handle this diagnosis. If only I had more faith, I could forgive this person. If only I had more faith, I could endure this trial. If only I had more faith, I could believe more deeply.”
That’s where the disciples are. They feel that gap between what Jesus is calling them to and what they feel capable of.
But Jesus doesn’t respond by giving them a spiritual infusion of more faith. He doesn’t say, “Here, let me give you a double portion.” Instead, he says, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed…”
Now, mustard seeds are tiny. About one or two millimeters in diameter. If you dropped one on the floor, you’d have a hard time finding it again.
And yet, in the ancient world, mustard plants could grow up to ten feet tall. So the mustard seed became a symbol of small beginnings that lead to great results.
Jesus is saying: it’s not about the size of your faith, it’s about the power of the One you put your faith in. Even the smallest amount of genuine faith can unleash God’s power in extraordinary ways.
A seed is small, but it is alive. It has potential. It doesn’t stay small. When planted, it grows, and in growing, it transforms the landscape.
Faith works the same way. You may feel like your faith is tiny, just a mustard seed, but if it’s real, if it’s planted in God, it has power beyond what you imagine.
Then Jesus uses a striking image: “You could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
The mulberry tree was known for its deep roots. Some said they could last hundreds of years. Uprooting a mulberry tree was nearly impossible. Planting it in the sea was absurd…trees don’t grow in the ocean.
So what’s Jesus saying? He’s saying that faith, even faith as small as a mustard seed, can overcome what looks impossible. Faith can uproot what seems immovable. Faith can do what seems absurd.
Now, does that mean if you just muster up enough faith, you’ll never face problems? No. Jesus himself had perfect faith, and yet he suffered and was crucified. Faith doesn’t mean life becomes easy. But faith does mean that with God, the impossible becomes possible.
Faith can uproot bitterness that seems too deep to heal. Faith can plant hope where it seems there is no soil. Faith can move us to forgive when it feels impossible. Faith can give us courage to keep going when we feel like giving up.
Years ago, I sat with a couple in my office. Their marriage was on the brink. Words had been spoken that cut deeply. Trust had been broken. They looked at me and said, “Pastor, we don’t see a way forward. The roots of hurt run too deep.”
I prayed with them. And then I said, “What if you start small? What if, instead of trying to solve everything at once, you each do one simple act of kindness for the other each day this week? Just one thing.”
It sounded almost too small, too simple. But they agreed. And over time, those small acts, making coffee made in the morning, a kind note, a gentle word…began to soften their hearts. It wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t instant. But that tiny mustard seed of faith, expressed in small acts of obedience, began to uproot bitterness and replant love.
That’s what faith can do. Not always in grand gestures, but in steady, ordinary choices that add up to transformation.
At this point in Luke, Jesus pivots. He tells a short parable about a servant coming in from the field. When the servant returns, the master doesn’t say, “Sit down and eat, you’ve done enough.” No, the servant continues to serve, doing what is expected. And Jesus says, “So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless servants; we have only done what we ought to have done.’”
Now, that sounds harsh at first. But Jesus is making an important point: faith is not just about believing, it’s about obeying. It’s about living faithfully in the ordinary, daily duties of life.
The disciples want more faith. Jesus says, “You don’t need more. You need to live the faith you already have, even in small, humble obedience.”
Faith is not measured by spectacular miracles. Faith is measured by steady obedience; doing what God asks, day in and day out, even when no one notices, even when no one praises you.
Think about the people you admire most in faith. Are they the ones who performed great miracles? Or are they the ones who quietly lived out their faith with consistency?
I think of the grandmother who prayed daily for her grandchildren.
I think of the teacher who, year after year, loved her students and pointed them toward Christ.
I think of the man who quietly showed up at the food pantry every Saturday for decades.
They may never make headlines. But that’s faith. Faith is showing up. Faith is forgiving again and again. Faith is serving without applause. Faith is living humbly and obediently.
At first, the mustard seed and the servant parable seem like separate teachings. But they actually belong together.
The disciples want more faith to forgive, to live as Jesus calls them. Jesus responds:
• You don’t need a lot of faith. Even a little can do the impossible.
• And faith isn’t about spectacular power, it’s about steady obedience.
In other words, don’t worry about the size of your faith. Don’t wait for it to feel big or dramatic. Take the little faith you have, and live it out in humble obedience. That’s where God’s power shows up.
You see, sometimes we wait for a lightning-bolt moment. We think, “If only I had a miraculous experience, my faith would be stronger.” But most of the time, faith grows the way a tree grows—slowly, steadily, over time. You don’t notice it day by day, but years later you look back and realize the roots are deeper, the trunk is stronger, and the branches are bearing fruit.
Remember the context. Jesus has just told his disciples that if their brother or sister sins against them seven times in a day, and turns back each time saying, “I repent,” they must forgive.
No wonder they cry out, “Increase our faith!” Who among us could forgive that much on our own? Forgiveness is one of the hardest things Jesus calls us to do.
But forgiveness is also one of the most powerful demonstrations of faith. It is trusting that God’s grace is enough, that letting go is better than holding on, that God’s justice is greater than our need for revenge.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean pretending the hurt didn’t happen. It doesn’t mean excusing sin. It means entrusting the offense to God and refusing to let bitterness take root.
That requires faith. And Jesus says—even a mustard seed of faith is enough to begin.
That brings us to the second half of the passage. Jesus tells his disciples to think of themselves as servants. When the servant comes in from the field, he doesn’t expect to be honored for doing his job. He simply continues to serve.
At first glance, this feels discouraging. Shouldn’t God reward us for our faithfulness? But Jesus’ point is deeper. He’s reminding us that faith is not about applause. It’s not about recognition. It’s about humbly serving because that’s who we are.
We live in a culture that celebrates achievement, recognition, and awards. But Jesus calls us to a different kind of greatness—the greatness of humility, the greatness of service, the greatness of faithfulness when no one is watching.
There’s actually freedom in this teaching. If we are not serving for applause, then we don’t have to be crushed when no one notices. If we are not serving to earn God’s love, then we don’t have to worry about whether we’ve done enough. We serve because we are loved already. We serve because Christ has served us.
Faith is not a performance. It’s a relationship. And in that relationship, obedience flows not from fear but from gratitude.
So what does this look like in our daily lives?
• Parents who quietly get up each night with a crying child—that’s mustard-seed faith lived out in service.
• Workers who do their jobs with integrity even when no one notices. That’s mustard-seed faith in action.
• Caregivers who patiently tend to aging parents or sick spouses. That’s mustard-seed faith persevering in love.
• Christians who pray daily, even when it feels ordinary. That’s mustard-seed faith being planted and watered.
You may never be on a stage. You may never write a book or perform miracles. But your steady obedience, your mustard-seed faith, is changing lives in ways you cannot see.
This teaching is not only for individuals—it’s for the church. Sometimes we think our church needs “big faith” to make a difference. We look at larger congregations, bigger budgets, flashier programs, and think, “If only we had that, then God could use us.”
But Jesus says: you don’t need a lot. You need a mustard seed. You need the willingness to serve humbly, faithfully, consistently.
Churches are transformed not by dramatic one-time events, but by people who keep showing up; who teach Sunday school, who serve at the food pantry, who welcome strangers at the door, who pray for the community.
That’s where God’s power shows up. That’s how mustard seeds become trees.
Let’s return to the image of the mustard seed. A seed is small, but it’s not static. It’s alive. It’s growing.
Your faith may feel small today. But if it’s alive, if it’s planted in God, it will grow. And as it grows, it will transform not only your life but the lives of those around you.
Faith is like that. It starts with something small: a prayer whispered in the dark, a decision to forgive, a step of obedience, a commitment to serve. And over time, it grows into something that provides shade and shelter for others.
So what is Jesus inviting us to today?
• He’s inviting us not to wait until our faith feels big, but to act on the faith we already have.
• He’s inviting us to forgive, to serve, to obey, to trust—even in small ways.
• He’s inviting us to let go of the need for recognition and to embrace the humility of a servant.
This is good news, because it means you don’t have to have it all together. You don’t need to wait until your faith feels strong. You can take the little faith you have, and God can use it to do extraordinary things.
So let me ask you: what’s your mustard seed today?
• Maybe it’s the mustard seed of beginning to pray again after a long time away.
• Maybe it’s the mustard seed of forgiving someone who has hurt you.
• Maybe it’s the mustard seed of serving in some quiet way no one else will see.
• Maybe it’s the mustard seed of trusting God with your future.
Don’t wait until your faith feels big. Plant the seed you have. Step into obedience. And watch what God can do.
Jesus promises that even faith the size of a mustard seed can uproot mulberry trees. Imagine what God can do with the seed you plant today.
The disciples cried out, “Lord, increase our faith!” And Jesus answered, “You don’t need more. You need to live the faith you already have.”
Faith is not about quantity, it’s about trust. It’s not about applause, it’s about obedience. It’s not about spectacular moments, it’s about steady service.
So today, don’t despise the smallness of your faith. Don’t underestimate the power of the seed God has given you. Plant it. Water it. Live it. And trust that God will make it grow.
And when you do, you’ll discover that the impossible becomes possible, the immovable is uprooted, the unforgivable is forgiven, and the ordinary becomes holy.
