I have often sat with that text and pondered its application to my own spiritual journey. But I admit, I have a fundamental problem. I can’t relate to the mustard seed analogy very well due to the fact that I have nothing tangible to connect the meaning of the text to. I have no cognitive or experiential knowledge of what a kernel of mustard actually is. I am unfamiliar with its growth cycle, fruitfulness, and usefulness. I know literally nothing about it. The only thing I do know about mustard is that I don’t like it and so the whole thing leaves a rather bad taste in my mouth. So given that, attempting to apply this scripture is difficult and can easily become skewed at best, completely lost at worst.
The other day as I read through this scripture again, this time from Eugene Petersen’s, “The Message”, a light went on for me. Instantly I had a new frame of reference, and one that I could personally connect with. Immediately the application of this scripture became so much more meaningful and clear. Here’s the text:
Matthew 17:20 from The Message,
“Jesus said, "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle."
You see, this imagery I can personally engage in. Why? Because I know poppy seeds. I have touched them, tasted them, grown them, cooked with them and consequently picked them from my teeth. I understand their size, shape and substance. I am familiar with their diverse means of usage, and, I have battled their seeming unstoppable, prolific spreading and regeneration. I know poppy seeds and I can easily comprehend this example and illustration on multiple levels. So the relevance and meaning of what Jesus was communicating to His disciples about faith that day is not lost on me. I get it.
As I studied and paralleled ‘faith’ through my personal understanding of a poppy seed, the Word became life and light and resulted in new significance and meaning. It made all the difference. I came away with a much richer understanding of Jesus, the Kingdom and my faith in relation to that. Consequently I was able to apply this to my life in a more tangible way.
‘So what’, you may ask? The point I want to emphasis is that Jesus wants us to understand His Word so that it takes on personal meaning, purpose and life application. Throughout scripture Jesus used multiple parables and stories as examples to explain the Kingdom to His followers so that they would not just be ‘hearers of His Word’ but doers of it - doing it, by applying it. The same is true today. Jesus desires deeply that His Word becomes alive to you and I so that we can effectively infuse and align to it.
The best way to do that is to become a student of the Word, in all aspects. To seek to understand the parables. To study – Google – research those areas of the ancient culture that we are unfamiliar with. To dig into a commentary – or two – to have the text explained more fully. To embrace and immerse ourselves in new learning’s so that we can more effectively grasp – and apply – Jesus’ teachings to our lives. To always be searching for ways to connect the text to our current reality, our times, and culture so that His Kingdom – and it’s significance – can be embraced with deeper understanding.
2 Timothy 2:15, “Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.” Amplified bible.
Written by Val Tower
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