Faith the size of a mustard seed

Sermon preached at 9.45am Holy Communion (BCP), St Michael’s Baddesley Clinton on Sunday 3rd October 2010.

Trinity 18, Proper 22 Year C

Readings: 2 Timothy 1: 1-14 Luke 17: 5-10

Sermon in notes only.



Jesus comments are challenging
Focus on comment on faith - faith the size of a mustard seed can uproot the mulberry tree (or Mountain - Matt 17:20, 21:21, Mark 11:23)


Not literal, but figure of speech
- faith does not have physical size
- Jesus did not do it
- no saint has done it

Rather the point is - nothing is impossible for God

About God’s purposes (not our purposes)
Miracles are always
- building the kingdom of God
- promoting the gospel
- saving humanity

God seems very restrained in use of shock and awe powers
Sometimes used:
- deliverance from Egypt
- resurrection of Jesus
- feeding of five thousand
- healing miracles
But often resisted
- Jesus usually refused to “give signs” and gets frustrated when asked.
- it was temptation of devil “cast yourself off the pinnacle of the temple”

Why is God so standoffish in this sense? Why not use shock and awe?
- perhaps because he wants real human participation
- wants to promote, not undermine, human work, prayer and contribution
- like wise parents who don’t always intervene to tie a shoelace, but allow a child to struggle with it and so to learn.

So the human contribution to the fulfilling of God’s purposes is very important
– we all have a part to play
– we can find this overburdening, impossible, demoralising even
– need faith
– but for God nothing is impossible. THIS IS THE POINT
– we play our part, then trust God, let him act.
– must not trust too much in our own strength.
– must accept that God’s purposes are greater than our own
o we often don’t understand how God is working

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Is 55:9)

Example – a marriage brake down situation is recovered and healed through prayer, acceptance and open sharing of the situation.

The right attitude is beautiful summarised by what we heard Paul say to Timothy:

“join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.”

[drawing heavily on Word of Life “Faith the size of a mustard seed” by Chiara Lubich - March 2010]